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Material Bank, the world’s largest marketplace for searching, sampling, and specifying architecture, design, and construction materials, announced the acquisition of Amber Engine, a software development company with a mission to democratize the product information management (PIM) space. This acquisition will expand the services that Material Bank provides to its almost 500 brand partners, alleviating some of the design industry’s biggest pain points: the lack of standardized data, disorganization due to high SKU counts, and the overall complexity of configuring materials and products.
Much in the way that Material Bank has modernized and simplified searching and sampling for materials, Amber Engine will simplify the process of data management and complex datasets across the design industry, empowering brands with better data.
This announcement comes at an industry inflection point that is ripe for disruption and just as Amber Engine is releasing its latest version of its software, which focuses on simplicity, high usability, modern design, and rapid ROI. Amber Engine’s new next-gen PIM software was designed to serve the needs of companies ranging from small and midsize to very large. The software is built around workflows that streamline the delivery of product data from every source, allowing brands to scale more efficiently by easily preparing, optimizing, and sharing product data from one centralized place. Companies will no longer have to endure painstaking manual data management to execute multichannel e-commerce, resulting in faster time to market with data that is more accurate and better positioned for sales.
Material Bank’s Founder and CEO, Adam I. Sandow, is a visionary who has built a forward-thinking company committed to providing efficiencies in the design, architecture, and construction industries. To date, the company, listed as one of America’s Best Startup Employers, has raised total venture funding of $157 million. “Amber Engine offers best-in-class PIM technology, made even more powerful with its new next-gen PIM software,” said Sandow. “We look forward to investing in Amber Engine’s technology and expanding its capabilities globally. We believe that we can bring substantial efficiencies to Material Bank’s brand partners by helping them to be the first to easily transform and simplify the complex task of product data management.”
Founded by Jennifer Gilbert, Amber Engine was a member of the Rock Family of Companies, along with dozens of other innovative companies like Rocket Mortgage, Rock Ventures, and StockX. While the company is entering a new chapter with Material Bank, its commitment to “Every client. Every time. No exceptions. No excuses” remains in force. Amber Engine, based in Detroit, MI, a city the company has been committed to helping revitalize, will remain a distinct platform within Material Bank, continuing to operate independently and led by its current Managing Director, Shah Shafi.
“We couldn’t be more excited about this acquisition. Amber Engine is able to expand its mission to democratize PIM technology while simultaneously providing Material Bank new ways to more impactfully serve its customers,” said Amber Engine founder Jennifer Gilbert. “I’m proud that Amber Engine will build upon its deep support of the small to medium brands and manufacturers who serve as the backbone of the e-commerce industry, while expanding its footprint in the City of Detroit.”
About Material Bank
Material Bank is a marketplace for design professionals and brands in the architecture and design industry, providing the fastest and most powerful way to discover and sample materials. The revolutionary platform powers complex searches across hundreds of brands in seconds. Samples ordered by midnight (ET) are delivered in a single box by 10:30 AM the next day—always free for design professionals. With a rapidly growing community of members, Material Bank is the easiest way for brands to connect with thousands of vetted design professionals in the specification process.
About Amber Engine
Amber Engine is empowering brands to succeed in multichannel digital commerce through data innovation. The Detroit-based company helps brands more easily and profitably sell on popular online marketplaces and through brick-and-mortar retailers. The company is on a mission to democratize product information management (PIM).
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