(New York, NY – June 15, 2015) This summer, New York City-based technology start-up Kontor is introducing an innovative, visually-oriented design resource to the commercial interiors industry. Recognizing the need for office design-specific, image-based services in the market, a creative group of serial entrepreneurs and executives hailing from the architecture, e-commerce, and search technology industries have merged intelligent, high-speed technology with design and architecture expertise.

Kontor’s proprietary Design GraphSM search technology is set to transform the landscape of workplace design, presenting the best new products and inspiring projects in the context of striking interior photography. Beginning today, industry professionals can gain access to the site. The official beta launch will take place at NeoCon - the commercial interiors industry’s premier event - where the Kontor team will provide demos and invitations to access the site in the Knoll showroom.

According to Kontor Founder and Chairman, Kevin Ryan, “We envisioned Kontor as a Houzz or Pinterest for office design - a $70 billion market that is currently underserved.” Mia Lewin, Founder and CEO of Kontor, adds, “On one hand, it’s a professional tool for designers and architects to search, discover, organize and collaborate. But it’s also an engaging platform to indulge in a bit of office voyeurism, offering glimpses into state-of-the-art offices such as Square Space, LinkedIn and Skype.”

Kontor - the Danish word for “office” and a fitting name with the company’s elegant, minimalist aesthetic - was founded by a talented group of entrepreneurs who share a love for good design. Each member of the core Kontor team brings a different, and crucial, perspective to the table: Founder/Chairman Kevin Ryan is a seasoned entrepreneur as Founder of Gilt Groupe, Business Insider, MongoDB and Zola; Founder/CEO Mia Lewin has extensive experience in e-commerce as a former eBay executive, head of business development at Zazzle and Founder CEO of design/story; Founder/CTO Andy Parsons, the lead creator of Kontor’s Design Graph search technology, was former CTO at McKinsey Academy and Founder CTO of Happify; and Editorial Director William Hanley is a writer, editor and content strategist with a deep understanding of design and architecture as a former senior editor of Architectural Record, staff writer at Rhizome and part of the founding editorial team at Artinfo.

Powered by Design Graph - a powerful vertical image search engine - Kontor brings unprecedented tech firepower to the design world. The images are intricately tagged with industry-specific terms, offering search results that feel both appropriate and hand curated. As a Design Discovery Engine, it allows users to search and browse for beautifully designed interior architecture, interact with images at an element-level and find similar objects and spaces. As a Network Hub for Commercial Architecture, it showcases the industry’s best workplace designers and makers and connects architects and designers with potential clients and to producers of furnishings, fixtures, lighting and other products and materials. It also allows users to curate and manage visual assets in one place through Digital Inspiration Boards and facilitates workplace design conversations with easy-to-use Collaboration Tools.

The beta version is currently open to professional architects, designers and product manufacturers, who can browse innovative products and inspiring offices designed by more than 30 leading firms including HOK, Studios, Perkins+Will and IA Interior Architects. Leading up to the official public launch in the fall, Kontor will continue to build its network of architecture and design firms posting projects on the site. Additionally, Kontor will continue to develop partnerships with visionary makers and manufacturers with the ultimate goal of providing a marketplace for these products.

Interested design industry professionals can request access to create a profile at https://kontor.com.

About KONTOR
KONTOR is a visual search and discovery platform for workplace design. We connect designers with innovative makers and visionary clients. A New York City-based technology startup with love of good design, KONTOR was founded in 2014 by a team of serial entrepreneurs comprised of Kevin Ryan, Mia Lewin, Andy Parsons, and Tom Melcher. Visit us at www.kontor.com.