What Layers does

Layers is a UK-based, privately held web platform founded in 2022 that operates as a community network for designers. The core product allows individual designers to create free accounts, publish portfolio work, and interact with peers through comments, likes, and messaging. The platform is offered exclusively as a self-serve SaaS product accessible via the layers.to web application, with no native mobile app, and serves a claimed community of more than 200,000 designers globally.

The company's product surface consists of four components: the free Layers Platform (portfolio hosting and social/community engagement), Layers Plus (a paid premium subscription with enhanced features), Team Accounts (collaborative workspace functionality for companies and brands with administrator-managed memberships), and a Jobs Board (a design-industry job marketplace where employers post roles). The technical stack is a web application supported by Stripe for payments, Sentry for production error monitoring, and Posthog for product analytics and usage tracking. No APIs, SDKs, or mobile applications are exposed, and the platform relies on Google sign-in alongside email authentication for onboarding.

Layers monetizes through two primary streams: recurring Layers Plus subscriptions (priced in undisclosed tiers, billed monthly through Stripe with auto-renewal) and transactional job postings on the Jobs Board at $99 per listing aimed at employers recruiting from the designer community. The go-to-market model is product-led and community-led, relying on organic word-of-mouth within the design community and the inherent virality of portfolio sharing rather than paid acquisition channels. With a headcount of 1-10 and no disclosed external funding, Layers operates as a lean, bootstrapped private company serving three distinct customer segments: individual designers (primary), companies and brands using Team Accounts, and employers posting design roles.

Name

Layers

Legal name

Layers

Website

https://layers.to

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Layers is a London-based web platform founded in 2022 that enables individual designers to showcase portfolio work, engage with a community of over 200,000 designers worldwide, and access design job opportunities through a self-serve SaaS product with premium subscriptions and team accounts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Layers Plus Subscriptions: Monthly recurring subscription service providing enhanced platform features and benefits. Payments processed through Stripe with automatic renewal.
2. Job Listings: Design industry job postings at $99 per listing, enabling employers to reach 200k+ designers on the platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Layers is a web-based community platform that enables designers to create profiles, showcase design work, interact with peers, and collaborate on projects. It monetizes through a premium subscription tier (Layers Plus) and a Jobs Board where employers post design roles at $99 per listing, while offering Team Accounts for companies and brands to manage collaborative presence on the platform.

Product overview

Layers is a single unified platform for the design community. The core Layers Platform provides foundational tools for designers to showcase work, interact, and collaborate. This is augmented by three key offerings: Layers Plus (a premium subscription with enhanced features), Team Accounts (collaborative features for companies and brands), and a Jobs Board (employment marketplace connecting designers with opportunities). The platform serves individual designers, teams, and companies seeking design talent.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Layers Plus: Premium subscription plan providing enhanced features and benefits for Layers platform users.

Products and services

• Layers Platform A free community platform for individual designers, creative professionals, and companies to create profiles, showcase design work, interact with other designers through comments/likes/messages, and collaborate on projects.
• Layers Plus

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationStripe serves as the payment processor for Layers Plus subscription transactions. The partnership enables secure payment processing for premium subscriptions with encryption and secure protocols. Stripe handles payment collection and processing on behalf of Layers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Figma Community: Figma's Community file-sharing and creator profile surface area serves designers with portfolio-like presentation inside a design tool. Adjacent to Layers as another surface where designers build visibility and showcase work.

Broad incumbents

• LinkedIn: Massive professional network offering portfolio, community, and recruiter-driven job-matching that overlaps with Layers' employer-side and designer-side use cases, though as a broad-purpose incumbents rather than a design-specialist.

Direct peers

• ArtStation: Portfolio and community platform purpose-built for digital artists and creative professionals to showcase work and connect with peers, including a jobs marketplace. Direct portfolio-and-jobs comparison for Layers' target creative user base.
• Krop: Creative portfolio platform serving designers and creative professionals with a built-in jobs board for hiring. Direct functional overlap with Layers' portfolio + jobs marketplace wedge.
• Carbonmade: Portfolio builder aimed at creative professionals (designers, illustrators, photographers) with paid subscription tiers. Comparable as a subscription-supported design portfolio offering serving a similar SMB/individual customer.
• Behance: Adobe-owned portfolio and community platform for creative professionals where designers showcase work and engage with peers. Behance is the direct incumbent in Layers' core portfolio/community category and the clearest competitive benchmark.
• Designhill: Design-focused platform combining a creative community, design contests, and a jobs/marketplace for hiring designers. Overlaps Layers on the community-plus-recruitment thesis.
• Dribbble: Design community and portfolio platform with a prominent design-specific jobs marketplace serving individual designers and hiring employers. Closely overlaps Layers on portfolio hosting, community engagement, and design-focused recruitment.
• DeviantArt: Long-running online community for artists and designers to share portfolios, receive feedback, and discover creative work. Comparable as a creator-led portfolio/community platform with engagement loops similar to Layers.
• Coroflot: Design portfolio platform combined with a design-focused jobs board connecting creative talent with employers. Directly matches Layers' portfolio-plus-jobs model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/layers_to
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/layers-to

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Layers