Australian AI firm Springboards secures $5m funding

Springboards, an Australian AI company, has announced the completion of a $5 million seed funding round led by Blackbird Ventures.

Co-founded by Amy Tucker and Pip Bingemann, Springboards aims to transform the creative process for professionals in the advertising sector by combining artificial intelligence with human creativity. The company's AI platform is designed to assist creative teams in exploring more ideas quickly without compromising quality or originality.

"Creativity in advertising is under siege," said Amy Tucker, Co-founder of Springboards. "Shrinking margins, skyrocketing pitching costs, and ever-higher client expectations are threatening the craft. We built Springboards to help creatives do what they do best: think big, explore boldly, and stay original."

Springboards is already being utilised by over 120 agencies across the globe, including Cummins & Partners, Jellyfish, and BMF. The platform participated in the Google for Startups Accelerator: AI First program, showcasing its capability to generate significantly more creative diversity compared to other AI models.

Among its features, the platform includes tools like the Insights Digger, Campaign Concepts, and Validator Tool, all aimed at augmenting the creative process through collaboration rather than replacement of human input. The platform is designed to inspire unexpected creative leaps, with features that allow users to adjust AI spontaneity.

Pip Bingemann, Co-founder of Springboards, explained, "We designed Springboards to be a partner, not a replacement. AI shouldn't rob the industry of its soul - it should expand its creative horizons. With our platform, agencies can explore more possibilities, break conventions, and push the ceiling of creativity, ensuring the work isn't just faster, but more daring, original, and inspired."

The platform has received endorsements from industry leaders. Tim Collier, National Head of Strategy at Cummins & Partners, described it as a "game-changer" in helping teams focus on finding original ideas that resonate with audiences. Christina Aventi of BMF commends it as a "handy go-to tool" for uncovering and developing insights.

Monik Ladha at TRG said, "Springboards is like having a well-trained strategy partner who can sharpen your ideas or gut-check your thinking in the blink of an eye. It's changing the way I approach assignments and workshopping problems." Similarly, Tom Roach of Jellyfish praised its utility for global teams working across dispersed locations.

Springboards was developed from the personal experiences of its founders. During the pandemic, Amy Tucker and Pip Bingemann taught themselves coding to enhance their creative workflows. This initiative evolved into the current platform that is gaining traction globally, with the support of Chief Technology Officer Kieran Browne, who combines creativity with technical expertise.

"At Springboards, we believe the real enemy isn't AI - it's bland, boring, and safe ideas," said Pip Bingemann. "Our tools are designed to put the PLAY back into the creative process, giving teams the freedom to explore and innovate without compromise."