39. Poplar

Founders: David Ripert and Laurie Ainley
Founded: 2018
Website: www.poplar.studio

Debuting at position 39 is Poplar. Founded in 2018 by David Ripert and Laurie Ainley, this startup offers a new generation of 3D and augmented reality (AR) tools.

With the goal of making 3D and AR more accessible, Poplar provides collaborative tools that make production affordable and quick for the marketing and advertising industries. Poplar automates production workflows, offering a self-service brief builder that works for brands of any size – from enterprise to SME.

Since launching in 2018, Poplar have built partnerships with major music labels, game publishers, entertainment studios, luxury brands and consumer goods manufacturers. Big name clients include Universal Music, Disney, Warner Bros, Walmart, alongside many others. Poplar has also built integrations with key social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok.

The first platform to offer on-demand 3D and AR experiences, thanks to a community of over 1200 global creators, Poplar also offers project and account management tools that are unique to their production model.

Poplar currently charges a transaction fee on each campaign produced through the platform, and testing is underway on a new Saas pricing model, where clients could access product features as part of a monthly subscription.

3D and AR experiences were once the stuff of futuristic sci-fi – thanks to Poplar though, they are fast becoming a tool for modern businesses of every size and situation.