Physna, an early stage technology startup in Cincinnati, completed a $6.9 million Series A round of financing led by Columbus venture capital firm Drive Capital. Physna will use the investment to continue its efforts to become the Google of 3D search.
Physna, short for “Physical DNA,” has built a geometric search engine to increase efficiencies within CAD design and manufacturing. Working alongside CAD and PLM programs, the search engine breaks down 3-D files into a codified structure. This approach creates a “DNA-like” structure representative of the 3-D model. Through machine learning, the Physna search engine can recognize common traits among 3-D models, making the physical world more searchable.
The company was founded in 2015 by Paul Powers, a serial entrepreneur with a Harvard astrophysics degree and a German law degree.
“We are very excited for the opportunity to invest in Physna,” Drive Capital Partner Mark Kvamme said, in a press release. "We believe what Paul and his team are doing in search has the potential to revolutionize the workflows of engineers around the world."
Kvamme believes Physna can become the Google of the 3-D world. “I remember watching Google rise to become the company that would set the standard for text and image search,” Kvamme said. “I see the same potential here and believe Physna could become the market defining company for 3D search.”
Drive Capital was founded in 2012 by two former Sequoia Capital partners, Kvamme and Chris Olsen. Today, Drive has raised three venture funds and a growth fund, totaling more than $1 billion in funds under management.
