Google Invests $1M in 3D Design App Rooms
Google has injected $1 million into Rooms, the 3D design startup that allows users to build and code interactive digital spaces. The investment, finalized in December, marks a strategic partnership that grants the platform early access to Google’s Gemini AI models.
The funding comes as Things, Inc.—the company behind the app—celebrates a major milestone: over 1 million rooms have been constructed on the platform. Founded by former Google employees Jason Toff, Bruno Oliveira, and Nick Kruge, the startup previously secured $10 million in seed funding from investors including Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Adobe’s Scott Belsky, and Instagram co-founder Mike Krieger.
Integrating Gemini AI for Storytelling
With the new capital and partnership, the team is focused on expanding the app’s creative capabilities. The integration with Gemini 2.0 Flash is central to this effort, specifically by enabling text-to-speech functionality. This will allow creators to:
- Assign voices to characters within their 3D environments.
- Select specific emotional tones, such as excited, calm, bored, or angry.
- Enhance storytelling through interactive narration.
This follows the November 26, 2024, release of version 3.0, which introduced an Actions editor designed to let users animate their spaces without writing code. While the app originally launched as a beta in 2023, it has evolved from simple mini-games into a platform for complex storytelling. Users can browse these creations via a vertical, TikTok-style feed.
Platform Growth and Inventory
The library of assets available to creators has grown significantly. Rooms now offers over 10,000 items for building, an increase from the 7,500 items available in April 2024. While the company has not disclosed recent engagement metrics, it reported reaching a quarter of a million registered users last year.
The $1 million investment was structured as a SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity), providing Google with an option to participate in the startup’s upcoming Series A round. Despite its rapid feature expansion, the platform—available on the web and iOS—has yet to implement monetization features.