Art distribution network Gallea scores C$1.5m in pre-seed VC

Gallea, a Montreal-based art distribution network, has collected C$1.5 million in a pre-seed financing. The backers of the round included Real Ventures, ACET Capital, Anges Québec, National Social Value Fund, Dispatch Ventures, Telegraph Hill Capital, Manford Technologies as well as several angel investors. Gallea’s platform draws on a network of 7,500 artists across 35 countries.

PRESS RELEASE

MONTREAL, Sept. 8, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ – Gallea, Canada’s largest art distribution network announced today that they have raised a $1.5 million CAD pre-seed round led by THCap. Gallea plans to expand from being the largest art distribution network in Canada to the largest in the world.

The $1.5 million investment includes Canadian investors (Real Ventures, ACET Capital, Anges Québec, National Social Value Fund, Dispatch Ventures) and global investors (Telegraph Hill Capital from Barcelona, Manford Technologies from California), as well as angel investors from Canada, California (US) and Shandong (China).

“We’re very proud of this team. They’re disrupting the art market by giving independent artists access to the distribution they need to succeed,” says Katy Yam, General Manager of FounderFuel Real Ventures’ accelerator. “, Gallea’s vision of democratizing access to art for both creators and owners is unique. By converting unused wall space in cafés or office lobbies into exhibition space that doubles as a point-of-sale and with innovative AR features like My Wall to see art virtually on your own wall before buying, this team is breaking conventional norms with technology to breathe new life into the age-old art market – and we love it! “.

“We were initially somewhat skeptical about the presence of another online art marketplace,” says Luis Gutierrez Roy, Managing Partner at Telegraph Hill Capital, “But once we met the Gallea team, and heard their vision to democratize art, we were fully convinced. Over the last 6 months, Gallea has executed on their vision to help artists bring their works of art to art lovers. There is no question, with such stellar execution, they will become the largest art distribution network in the world”.

Local art, accessible everywhere
Gallea is leading the charge for the democratization and digitization of the art gallery experience by putting art into people’s everyday lives through an ever-expanding digital and physical distribution network. As a result of online proliferation due to the pandemic, Gallea connected with 10 times as many artists as they had in the past to become the biggest network of independent artists in the country. Gallea also offers digital and physical exhibition opportunities for artists, with the intention of gaining visibility and maximizing their chances of making a living from their art.

“We believe that art lives when it is seen. So we want to bring as many works of art as possible to the public” says company CEO and co-founder Guillaume Parent, “By creating our distribution network, we not only allow art to be displayed online and thus be accessible to hundreds of thousands of people per month, but also through a network of physical locations, in the daily lives of potential buyers, cafes, hotels and business offices they occupy”.

Creating the largest art distribution network
Gallea offers its service to three distinct pillars in the art world: artists, exhibition venues, and buyers / art lovers. The interaction of those pillars is the key to creating the largest art distribution network in the world and by developing this technological platform, Gallea has been able to centralize all the information while automating and simplifying the whole process of sale or exhibition.

The platform features an online art gallery; management of applications; profiles of the works, artists and places; My Wall service; as well as various collections and virtual exhibitions. The goal being that venues around the world can not only exhibit art from local artists, but also receive exhibitions from elsewhere.

About Gallea
Gallea is Canada’s largest independent art network . Our mission is to give visibility to local artists. Launched in January 2018, Gallea’s platform draws on a network of 7,500 artists across 35 countries representing over 40,000 unique works. Our simplified physical and virtual exhibition management platform allows us to create artistic experiences on the walls of businesses and shops. Our ambition is to become the largest art distribution network in the world. www.gallea.ca