Phase, a startup aiming to streamline UX/UI design with a no-code platform, has secured $13 million in funding from investors including Gobi Partners, Hive Ventures, New Economy Ventures, and 500 Global.
Founded in 2017 by serial entrepreneur and former UI/UX designer Nick Budden, Phase seeks to eliminate inefficiencies in the design process. “Implementing UI is an expensive, time-consuming manual process involving designers, product managers, and engineers,” Budden said. “Comprehensive user testing is also delayed until after that process is complete.”
The Taipei- and Berlin-based company released its first product: a UI animation tool designed to compete with Adobe After Effects and Figma. This tool allows designers to create interactive website and app prototypes without coding or relying on error-prone AI plugins. It can also generate production-ready UI code, significantly speeding up the design workflow.
“Our product is built to replicate 100% of a real website or app’s functionality, unlike Figma, which only covers around 20-30%,” Budden explained. “This eliminates the need for extensive communication between designers and engineers.”
Future Roadmap
Phase plans to launch three additional tools as part of its WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) platform in the coming year: advanced UI prototyping, UI design, and UI code export.
“We don’t see UI animation as a stand-alone market for long. Our strategy is to gain traction in animation now and expand into larger markets before competitors integrate these features into their tools,” Budden said.
Soft Launch in South Korea
Phase initially introduced its platform in South Korea in May, partnering with a local firm for the launch. According to Budden, designers tend to adopt new tools based on peer influence, which is often localized.
“We launched region by region to deeply engage with design communities and build momentum,” he said. Within weeks, over 10,000 South Korean designers tested the platform, contributing to early growth.
However, replicating this success in larger markets proved challenging due to more dispersed design communities. After months of experimentation, the company shifted to a global beta launch, leading to rapid adoption. Now, with product stabilization, Phase is preparing for wider expansion.
Next on the agenda: entering the U.S. and European markets.