Enterprise visual management software startup iObeya has raised $17 million in new funding to develop its platform further and accelerate the company’s expansion in the U.S., including opening a new office in Seattle.

The Series B round was led by Red River West and included Atlantic Bridge Ventures and Fortino Capital Partners.

Founded in 2011, iObeya offers digital visual management software that it says provides a unique, real-time collaboration experience for multisite teams in so-called “lean and agile” companies, which use small, quickly moving teams to develop software.

Designed to help businesses effortlessly achieve operational excellence, iObeya accelerates the deployment of lean and agile across large organizations by digitizing key visual management practices — industrial product lifecycle management, manufacturing operational excellence, software design and development as well as support for continuous improvement of business performance.

Each iObeya room is a virtual workspace dedicated to visual collaboration, accommodating up to 200 users and 40 whiteboards. Each room offers users an immersive experience with a range of configurable tools to replicate and augment traditional paper and whiteboard workflows. whiteboard workflows.

The company’s software links directly to Microsoft Teams. allowing users to access their iObeya spaces through their Teams account. iObeya can also be integrated with application lifecycle management solutions such as Jira by Atlassian and Microsoft Azure DevOps.

IObeya said that although it had hundreds of thousands of users pre-coronavirus, it has seen user numbers surge, up 400% since January thanks to lockdowns and an unprecedented increase in demand for remote working solutions.

The company pitches itself as ideal for large organizations with distributed teams such as those that have complex research and development, engineering and manufacturing processes. Notable clients include Airbus SE, Volvo AB, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Eli Lilly and Co., Western Digital Corp. and Kimberly-Clark Corp.

“Today’s workers know that advancing a unified vision and achieving common goals through teamwork — even from a distance — is not only galvanizing, it is essential,” Cyril Daloz, co-founder and chief executive officer of iObeya, said in a statement.

Including the new funding, iObeya has raised $20 million to date.

Image: iObeya