Leading technology firms are not only leveraging AI to assist with content creation and summarization—they are also integrating it into shopping experiences. Companies such as OpenAI, Google, and Amazon have made significant investments in AI-driven assistants that can help you explore new product categories and recommend the best items to purchase.
Emerging companies like Perplexity, Daydream, and Cherry have also established their businesses around AI-powered product discovery. As a result, more shoppers are turning to AI for their purchasing needs. Onton (formerly known as Deft), an AI-based furniture shopping platform, reports that its monthly active users have surged from 50,000 to over 2 million, handling millions of searches and image generations.
Driven by this rapid expansion, the startup revealed today that it has secured $7.5 million in a fresh funding round led by Footwork, with additional backing from Liquid 2, Parable Ventures, and 43, among others. This brings Onton’s total funding to nearly $10 million.
Onton co-founders Zach Hudson and Alex Gunnarson Image Credits: Onton
With this new capital, Onton aims to branch out into additional sectors like clothing, and eventually, consumer electronics.
Earlier this year, the company transitioned from the name Deft to Onton, citing confusion with the previous name and challenges in obtaining a premium domain.
Onton’s co-founder Zach Hudson explained that while large language models (LLMs) are adept at predicting user intent, they still fall short in addressing many e-commerce challenges. He also mentioned that the average time customers spend deciding on a purchase has increased, according to their observations.
Image Credits: Onton
The company’s core technology is based on what’s known as neuro-symbolic architecture. Hudson stated that this method helps eliminate hallucination issues common in LLMs, resulting in more accurate and logical search outcomes. He also noted that their model can learn real-world information that may not be present in product descriptions.
“For example, if you’re searching for pet-friendly furniture, our system recognizes that items containing polyester are generally more resistant to stains and scratches, making them more suitable for pets. Our tools continuously learn from each search, improving at a rapid pace,” Hudson explained.
He further pointed out that when a product is listed under different names across various sites, search results can be inconsistent. Onton’s AI model is designed to account for these variations when delivering results.
Onton has introduced multiple input options and features to assist users with both immediate and future decisions. Users can now upload images or enter prompts to specify their goals for home or office setups, and Onton will recommend furniture accordingly.
Image Credits: Onton
Onton also provides an infinite canvas for image generation, allowing users to combine existing images with discovered products for brainstorming. You can even upload photos of your room and ask the tool to suggest furnishings.
The company believes that, rather than relying solely on chat-based interactions, these features will give users more flexibility in finding what they need—even if they can’t describe it precisely.
According to the startup, these innovations have enabled them to convert customers at rates three to five times higher than traditional e-commerce platforms, as users have greater confidence in the underlying data.
Hudson mentioned that the recent technological and interface updates will make it easier to introduce apparel to the platform. Onton is currently building its catalog for this category and expects to launch it soon, where it will compete with companies like Daydream, Aesthetic, and Style.ai.
The team has expanded from three full-time employees in 2023 to ten, with plans to grow to fifteen by hiring more engineers and researchers.
