Projector

About Projector

Projector was a technology startup that developed a browser-based, real-time collaborative design platform. Founded in 2017 by Trevor O'Brien and Jeremy Gordon, both former employees at Twitter, the company aimed to empower non-designers with powerful creative tools. O'Brien, who had a background as a product manager at YouTube, and Gordon were later joined by co-founders Timothy Young and Aaron Gotwalt. The company's mission was to help individuals and teams communicate more effectively through compelling visual storytelling.

The platform provided a suite of tools for creating a wide range of visual content, including presentations, social media graphics, GIFs, and videos. It functioned similarly to a PowerPoint program but with the collaborative and accessible nature of a web-based application. Key features included a library of stock photos, videos, and GIFs from services like Unsplash and Shutterstock, as well as various text, shape, and drawing tools. A significant aspect of the service was its real-time collaboration feature, allowing multiple users to edit and design together by sharing a link. The platform was free to use and also allowed users to broadcast their presentations live, complete with audio and video.

Projector successfully raised a total of $27 million over four funding rounds, with its Series B round in December 2020 bringing in $10 million, led by Foundry. In November 2021, the company was acquired by Medium. As part of the acquisition, the thirteen-person team, including the founders, joined Medium, and Trevor O'Brien was appointed as Medium's first Chief Product Officer. Following the acquisition, the Projector platform ceased operations in March 2022 as the team shifted its focus to integrating its expertise into the Medium ecosystem.