In his high school days, Clay Canning had an innovative idea – smartphone screen protectors featuring customizable logos directly on the screen. With a vision in mind, he connected with Rashaun Brown, who was working in sports and licensing at the time, and Screen Skinz was born.
“We both recognized the potential and complemented each other’s weaknesses,” explained Brown, now the CEO of the company, in an interview with TechCrunch. “In December of 2022, I made the decision to resign from my job and fully commit to building Screen Skinz with Clay.”
Today, Screen Skinz proudly announces the successful closure of a $1.5 million seed round, led by South Loop Ventures and Abo Ventures.
The company specializes in custom, patent-pending phone screen protection that allows for personalized logos or slogans to be visible when the phone screen is black, and then seamlessly disappear when the phone is in use. Customers have the option to create their own designs or choose from Screen Skinz’s existing catalog.
The market for phone accessories has always been vast, with the global screen protector industry alone estimated to be worth $51 billion by 2023.
Screen Skinz has already secured creative licenses with prominent brands, working closely with organizations such as the NFL and NBA, as well as top entertainment brands like Marvel and the WWE.
The most recent funding round has enabled Screen Skinz to relocate its manufacturing process from Asia to the U.S., giving the company better control over its supply chain.
The team’s focus is to expand their presence in the screen protection industry. While their current focus is on smartphones, they plan to eventually broaden their product range to include tablet screen protectors. Brown added, “With our intellectual property, we have the ability to develop screen protection for any mobile device that requires a screen protector and features a backlit display.”
Describing the fundraising process as “unique,” Brown mentioned that it took the company approximately a year to close the seed round. Deliberately taking their time, the founders also worked on refining their supply chain and stocking up on inventory for a successful go-to-market launch. “We wanted to present a realistic vision to potential investors,” Brown explained.
Screen Skinz first connected with co-lead investor Abo Ventures through Brown’s network from his time at Texas A&M. They later crossed paths with South Loop Ventures while participating in the DivInc Sports Tech Accelerator in Houston.
Michelle Micone, former SVP of consumer products at NFL and Hasbro, shared her enthusiasm for Screen Skinz’s unique concept and their ability to manage the complex manufacturing and logistical aspects of its implementation. Micone told TechCrunch, “Customers seek a high level of personalization, and it’s almost impossible to deliver that consistently and affordably. However, Screen Skinz has cracked the code, and I wanted to be a part of it.”
The seed round also saw investments from Brent Montgomery, CEO of Wheelhouse CEO, as well as Wayne Pfeffer and Brendan O’Donnell, former directors of worldwide mobile accessory products at Apple. Pfeffer, in particular, was immediately convinced of the idea of adding personalization to screen protectors. He shared, “For years, the only way to personalize your device was through a case. But when I saw the transition to the front of the screen protector, I was sold!”
Brown revealed that the company may look into raising funds next year and already has some exciting partnerships in the works. For now, Screen Skinz is focused on customer acquisition and strengthening their licensing partnerships.
