While in high school, Clay Canning came up with the idea for a smartphone screen protector that featured a logo on the screen.
I then connected with Rashaun Brown, who was working in the sports and licensing field at the time, and the idea for Screen Skinz was born.
“We both understood the opportunity and complemented each other's weaknesses,” CEO Brown told TechCrunch. “In December 2022, I quit my job to pursue building Screen Skinz full-time with Clay.”
Screen Skinz can now officially announce the closing of a $1.5 million seed round led by South Loop Ventures and Abo Ventures.
The company makes custom, patent-pending phone screen protectors that feature personalized logos and slogans that appear when the phone screen is black and disappear while the phone is in use. Customers can create their own designs or choose from the company's existing catalog.
Mobile phone accessories have always been a huge market, with the global screen protector market alone being worth an estimated $51 billion as of 2023.
Screen Skinz already has creative licenses with a variety of big-name brands, working with organizations like the NFL and NBA, and entertainment brands like Marvel and WWE.
Screen Skinz screen protector example. Image credit: Screen Skinz
The latest funding has allowed Screen Skinz to move its manufacturing from Asia to the United States, allowing it to more easily manage its supply chain.
The company aims to strengthen the screen protection industry, and although it is currently focused only on smartphones, it has plans to expand into manufacturing screen protectors for tablets someday. “With our intellectual property, we can essentially develop screen protection for any mobile device that has a backlit display that can be used as a screen protector,” Brown said.
Brown described Screen Skinz's funding process as “unique” and said it took about a year for the company to close its seed round. Brown and Canning also worked deliberately over time to improve his supply chain and prepare his inventory for a large-scale market launch. “We wanted to do the work of selling a realistic vision to investors,” Brown said.
Screen Skinz met co-lead investor Avo Ventures through Brown's network from his time at Texas A&M. Later, he met South Loop Ventures while attending the DivInc Sports Tech Accelerator in Houston.
Michelle Micone, former SVP of consumer products for the NFL and Hasbro, said she liked that the team had a unique concept and also figured out the manufacturing and logistics to produce it. . “Customers want a high level of personalization, but it's very difficult to deliver on time and at a reasonable price. Screen Skinz has a way to do it, and I wanted to be a part of it.” she told her TechCrunch.
Other investors in the round include former Apple directors of worldwide mobile accessory products Wayne Pfeffer and Brendan O'Donnell, as well as Wheelhouse CEO Brent Montgomery. Pfeffer, in particular, was also interested in the idea of making screen protectors more personalized. “For years, device personalization was limited to the case,” he told TechCrunch. “When I saw the evolution to the screen protector front, I was blown away!
Brown said the company could consider sourcing again as early as next year. Screen Skinz has several partnerships planned next, with a focus on customer acquisition and deepening licensing relationships.