InVision, the maker of new prototyping software that empowers web and mobile application designers to create simulations that look and behave exactly as the finished product will, today announced the close of a $1.5 million round of seed funding. InVision has secured the round from several investors, most prominently FirstMark Capital, a leading venture capital firm based in New York City. The funding will be used to add further innovations to the product, support marketing efforts and grow a customer base of happy, satisfied users.

First launched in June of 2011, InVision's user interface (UI) prototyping tool allows designers to easily create simulations of web and mobile applications that fully express their ideas before writing a single line of code. The product is highly interactive, visually rich and user-friendly enabling designers to build screens using the design software of their choice. Designs can range from a simple black-and-white wireframe to a pixel-perfect, full-fidelity design. The social and collaborative capabilities native to the platform, enable stakeholders to express feedback in real time. This accurate, interactive experience reduces interaction cycles and accelerates time-to-market because designers can market-test the software before it's actually built.

"Most software prototyping tools on the market today give designers a fixed toolbox of low-fidelity widgets and components -- making it difficult for the designer to provide clients with an accurate idea of what the finished product will look like, or for stakeholders to give meaningful feedback," said Clark Valberg, Co-Founder of InVision. "Our product is truly a game-changer and is positioned to revolutionize the software design process. The funding raised today will help us continue to attract new users, add new features and functionality desired by designers, and set a course for rapid growth."

The power of the InVision platform is its unique, collaboration and engagement features. In the past, designers might gather feedback from a limited number of stakeholders. With InVision, any number of key decision-makers and archetypal end-users can engage with the prototype online, leave meaningful feedback and contribute to design iteration. Because design is fully integrated with social, it widens the circle of people who can give feedback on business software, ensuring that the needs of all stakeholders are met -- from executives and investors to end-users. The open dialogue and exchange of ideas lets designers be responsive and ensures that the web and mobile products they create are functional, usable, beautiful and meaningful.

"We love to back disruptive ideas that can bring a platform approach to new important markets," said Amish Jani, Managing Director at FirstMark Capital. "Excellence in design has become paramount in differentiating ideas and seeing product success. InVision's platform allows rapid iteration, powerful collaboration and reduces time to market significantly. FirstMark is excited to partner with InVision as they set out to build a dynamic company and go from cool new product to industry standard."

About InVision
InVision has changed the world of user experience design forever. Its cutting-edge platform allows design teams to create fully interactive prototypes of web and mobile applications and gather instant feedback from key stakeholders with a single click. In just a few short months, the company has made a big impact, attracting designers at many of the world's hottest startups and Fortune 500 brands. Companies like Google, eBay, Zappos and Whole Foods have embraced the platform to master the art of user experience design -- are you in? For more information visit www.invisionapp.com or follow InVision on Twitter @InVisionApp.

About FirstMark Capital
Based in New York City, FirstMark Capital is an early stage venture capital firm investing in visionary entrepreneurs who are creating new markets with innovative technology solutions or fundamentally changing existing markets by applying a fresh approach or new business model. FirstMark partners early in a company's lifecycle, offering deep industry insight, a broad network of relationships and the operational expertise to build lasting businesses. Select historical investments include Riot Games (Acquired by Tencent); Duck Creek Technologies (Acquired by Accenture); Netgear; Boomi (Acquired by Dell); StubHub (Acquired by eBay); Netegrity (Acquired by CA); OutlookSoft (Acquired by SAP); and Navic Networks (Acquired by Microsoft). Current investments include: Pinterest, Knewton, Aereo, SecondMarket, Shopify, Lot18 and Lumosity. For more information, visit: www.firstmarkcap.com.