One of the most interesting interdisciplinary fields to come with the artificial intelligence boom is art-tech.
Docent, the first AI-powered platform and mobile application, offers a fully personalized user experience to discover and collection contemporary art. It is driving the digital transformation by connecting artists, galleries, and collectors worldwide. Docent is at the forefront of digitalization in the art market. Through its application, the tech startup offers art enthusiasts and collectors the opportunity to discover and acquire new artworks through personalized recommendations. Currently, Docent showcases 20,000 unique works by over 2,00 artists and partners with 150 galleries across 30 countries.
As the art-tech industry continues to grow, Docent announced its €5 million seed funding round led by Polytechnique Ventures, supported by BPI ICC and Point72 Ventures, as well as renowned business angels including footballer Raphaël Varane. Since its founding in 2020, Docent quickly established itself as a preferred and trusted partner to revolutionize how art is represented and valued in the digital sphere.
The Intersection of Art and Technology
Founded by Hélène Nguyen-Ban, an avid collector and former gallery owner with a decade of luxury experience at LVMH, and Mathieu Rosenbaum, a researched and professor of Applied Mathematics at École Polytechnique, Docent established an unprecedented collaboration between art and technology.
To understand artistic emotions and collectors’ tastes and offer them a personalized catalog of contemporary artworks, the startup conducted an unprecedented collaboration between AI researchers and art historians. It developed proprietary algorithms based on machine learning, computer vision, and natural language processing, capable of recommending artworks based on individual preferences, aesthetics, artistic trends, or creative contexts.
Leveraging this cutting-edge technological expertise, Docent’s partner galleries meticulously curate artworks and artists to ensure unparalleled quality and relevance in the selections offered to each platform user. The prices of artworks, also set by partner galleries with the utmost rigor, range from €500 to €500,000.
“Docent’s mission is to bring the widest audience of art enthusiasts towards authentic, high-quality art, to give the best visibility to talented artists who “sculpt” our contemporary artistic journey, and to accompany industry professionals in their digital transformation. Thus, our platform transforms art collection into an inspiring journey, guiding every art enthusiast with confidence towards the acquisition of quality works, signed by the most talented artists from all currents, origins, and generations.” – Hélène Nguyen-Ban, Founder, and CEO of Docent.
Funding Round to Accelerate Growth
With this funding round, Docent will be able to strengthen its management team to continue its technological developments, reinforce its partnerships with contemporary art galleries, and exponentially increase its international strategic alliances with all ecosystem players. As a French startup, Docent represents the crossroads of luxury, culture, and AI that are at the core of the French ecosystem.
Event Spotlight on Tech and Art
While Docent will only be at Art Basel this year, there are plenty of tech events that delve into the intersection of technology and culture, and how machine-learning technology is becoming an increasingly valuable asset to arts and culture.