Nowadays when seemingly everyone is drawn to platforms like TikTok, YouTube or Apple Podcasts to get their fix of online entertainment, the opportunities for content creators are boundless. Since the sky is the limit for those working to build their own media presence, one startup believes they shouldn’t be hampered by costly equipment needed to get things going. Hoping to put more time back in the day for creators working through their game plan, BoxedUp outfits them with the rentals they need to make their next play.
Operating an on-demand rental platform for media equipment, BoxedUp announced Thursday its $2.3 million seed funding round from investors like Slauson & Co., Collab Capital and Black Capital.
BoxedUp’s solution compiles media equipment listings like cameras and microphones from individual owners, local rental shops and manufacturers. It gives these providers a space to monetize their gear while simultaneously offering professional content creators across the country options for two-day delivery or in-person pickup to rent the equipment they need.
“I launched BoxedUp in February 2019, packaging up orders myself, and renting things I had laying around our 1,620-square-foot home in Seattle,” BoxedUp CEO and founder Donald T. Boone said in a Medium blog post. “Now I run a three-person startup where we’re scoping commercial real estate options in Atlanta to scale our new headquarters. I didn’t know what it would become when I started but I kept going anyway. It never felt like the ‘right’ time to do any of what I was doing, but I kept going anyway.”
The company is eyeing space in West End for its new HQ, as reported by Atlanta Inno, and is planning to lease office and warehouse space to store its rental equipment. While working to ramp up for 10x revenue growth over the next year to year and a half, BoxedUp is expanding its team to include more engineers and designers.
“With this funding, BoxedUp can focus on expanding the capabilities of our platform, enabling us to better serve our customers, brands, and local rental shops throughout the United States,” Boone said in a statement. “We plan to build on this opportunity and grow our team by 33 percent, bringing on additional engineering talent, and operational expertise.”
The capital will also allow the company to upgrade its fulfillment capabilities so it can offer same-day delivery in key markets.
