Two London-based venture capital firms have successfully raised $1.1 million in pre-seed round funding for Gendo, an AI-driven visualization software built with architects in mind. The capital will be used to expand the capabilities of Gendo’s proprietary AI tools, accelerate the launch of new features for architects and designers, and scale Gendo’s London-based team.

Gendo was founded in 2022 by architectural designer George Proud and software engineer Will Jones. Its backers include Concept Ventures, Ascension Ventures, and Franquibel Lima, the former Global Head of Design Studios at WeWork.

Designers at Zaha Hadid Architects, KPF, David Chipperfield Architects, and Benoy all used the software in a beta launch. Now, Gendo is live in early access.

For years, offices have had to outsource rendering services to specialized firms, racking up time and costs. With Gendo, all of this can happen in-house. The web-based software creates computer generated images (CGI) in minutes, a task which previously took days, lots of money, or even outsourcing to other firms.

How does it work? Gendo takes 2D sketches and turns them into intricate, realistic visualizations. Once a drawing has been dropped in, a prompt appears with a range of options to choose from: Sections can be masked and tweaked; colors, lighting, and structural features can be added or redacted. And soon, a Gendo update will allow users to specify era-specific furniture, people in culturally appropriate clothing, and even topographically correct trees all at the click of a button.

“Mainstream generative image platforms can be really impressive, but they simply aren’t fit for purpose when it comes to a sector like architecture and design,” said Gendo cofounder George Proud. “In our industry, detail and precision is everything. Gendo has been designed specifically for these professionals; we’ve built an AI platform that speeds up design work and allows creativity to flourish.”

Proud continued: “We’re eliminating the burdensome processes currently involved in visualisations and instead making it an efficient, instinctive and empowering experience. Gone is the era of waiting days to receive one small image of a tree to add to your design. We’re thrilled with how well the platform has been received amongst leading architecture firms during our beta and we’re looking forward to partnering with industry further to enhance the value of Gendo’s tools.”