UI Design Startup Phase Raises $13M, Launches Animation Tool to Rival Figma
- Phase raised $13M from investors including Gobi Partners and New Economy Ventures to develop no-code UI design tools.
- The company launches its first product - a UI animation tool promising 100% functional prototypes without coding.
- Following successful beta testing in South Korea, Phase plans expansion into the US and European markets
Phase, a no-code platform startup aimed at streamlining the UI/UX design process, has secured $13 million in funding to launch its ambitious suite of design tools.
The company, based in Taipei and Berlin, received backing from prominent investors including Gobi Partners, New Economy Ventures, and Palm Drive Capital.
Founded in 2017 by former UI/UX designer Nick Budden, Phase has introduced its first product: a UI animation tool designed to compete with established players like Adobe After Effects and Figma.
The platform's key differentiator is its ability to create fully functional prototypes that mirror 100% of a website or app's capabilities, compared to the typical 20-30% functionality achieved through existing tools.
"Implementing UI is an expensive, time-consuming manual process involving designers, product managers, and engineers," Budden explained in an interview.
The company's solution eliminates the need for manual coding or AI plugins, allowing designers to focus purely on design work rather than technical handoffs and endless meetings with engineers.
Newsletter
The corridor, every morning.
Funding rounds and cross-border capital moves, one email, five minutes.
Phase has already demonstrated market potential through its soft launch in South Korea, where it attracted over 10,000 designers for testing within weeks of release.
The company plans to build on this success by introducing three additional tools over the next two years, including advanced prototyping, UI design, and code export features.
Looking ahead, Phase is targeting expansion into the U.S. and European markets, though Budden acknowledges the challenges of replicating their Korean success in larger, more dispersed design communities.
The company views UI animation as an initial entry point, with plans to evolve into broader UI/UX design solutions before competitors integrate similar features.
Edited By Annette George
More in News
