Displate was founded in 2013 by three friends who wanted to revolutionize the art market with their innovative prints on metal. They offered both a new print technique and a unique way to hang art with a tool-free magnet mounting system. “Shortly before the official launch, we sent out a pitch to some of the major tech websites. We got zero replies,” says Karol Banaszkiewicz, one of the founders. “The beginnings were not easy. Initially, Displates were printed in a small tin shed and our very first office could barely hold five people,” Banaszkiewicz adds.
Over the years, their idea for walls has evolved. Displate has grown its artist base, refined the production of metal posters, and added licensed artworks. Displate’s first brand shops launched in 2017 with the official Star Wars and Marvel collections, after the company entered a licensing partnership with Disney. Today, the metal poster catalog holds more than 230 licensed collections – from brands such as NASA, CD Projekt RED, Netflix, and FC Barcelona.
Displate has also grown its global art marketplace which now lets over 40,000 painters, illustrators, and designers sell their own works on Displate’s slick metal canvas. The company regularly joins forces with creators for its limited edition series, with special, uniquely enhanced posters finished with hand-picked varnishes and print embellishments. Many of those limited print runs turn into collectors’ gems, with second market Displate prices reaching up to $2,000!
In April 2023, Displate surprised the fans with a brand new product, shining a new light on their collections. LUMINO, a futuristically designed illuminated poster that’s equipped with ultra-thin OLEDs, is Displate’s most technologically advanced canvas to date. The first print run featuring the official Cyberpunk 2077 artwork sold out in just 96 hours.
“Displate owes its success to the commitment of the community and the passion of the team. They all believed in our unique product and our global success from the very beginning,” says Mateusz Godala, Displate CEO. “Here at Displate, we’re all dreamers and inventors at heart, always ready to set new technological paths. Our latest product, LUMINO is a perfect proof of that. I believe that in the future, Displate will bring even more innovative solutions to the table, so I’m very much looking forward to another decade of metal posters,” adds Godala.
Cramped offices are a melody of the past now that Displate employs more than 400 people. The metal posters are produced in two factories in Lodz and in Marki near Warsaw, where they ship to 53 countries. After 10 years on the market, Displate has become the biggest global marketplace for metal posters and the leader in its category.
Displate’s recipe for success? Technology, passion, good market research – and a vision to reinvent posters as we know them.
