ImageKind Raises $2.6 Million

We reported last month that Seattle-based ImageKind, where artists can upload their work and sell custom framed prints to others, was in acquisition discussions with Amazon. ImageKind competes with Art.com’s new Sistino project – rumor had it that Art.com was also looking at the company late last year for a possible acquisition.

At the time of our post, ImageKind President Kevin Saliba said all discussions were around a financing, not an acquisition (and he only confirmed that he was talking to “large online retailers” and wouldn’t confirm the Amazon discussions specifically). From what we are hearing, the company has closed that round of financing, but Amazon was noticeably absent from the list of investors.

The round was a total of $2.6 million, and included investments from Holtzbrinck Ventures, Crosslink Capital, Erik Blachford (former CEO of Expedia), Tom Hughes, the Samwer Brothers, Nick Hanuaer, and Bill Trimarko.

There are also rumors that ImageKind has closed a deal with a large search portal, and that the partner required ImageKind to do a round of financing to prove itself financially viable over the near term.