Capturely, founded in 2019 with a mission to deliver consistent, professional headshots tailored to the client’s brand identity, took a leap of faith by becoming a part of the inaugural Purdue Innovates Accelerator cohort.
Did it pay off?
“It was incredible to become more integrated into the Purdue ecosystem and connect with such an incredible network of individuals,” said Capturely CEO Rob Eyler. “The Accelerator was an amazing experience and think tank that helped us unlock the potential of what Capturely can become.”
The program empowered the team to clarify and refine their vision while providing the tools to operationalize their vision. For Eyler, who had never raised funds before, the programming was instrumental in teaching him how to present to investors. The guidance he received helped him hone Capturely’s pitch, positioning the company for growth.
Related: Purdue Innovates Accelerator launches inaugural cohort with five Purdue-connected startups
By the end of Q3 2025, Capturely closed fundraising at a $15M valuation and secured $600,000. The funding will accelerate growth as the company continues to onboard enterprise clients from major health systems like United Health Group and Intermountain Health to high-tech companies like NeuroLink and Google. It also supports future plans, including introducing a fully agentic photographer integrated with human support, allowing authenticity to remain while improving efficiency.
Capturely’s success has not gone unnoticed, with Eyler recently named a finalist for the Mira Tech Point Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and Capturely being nominated for the Start-Up of the Year Award. This recognition highlights their growing impact in the tech and startup world.
Though Capturely strategically employs AI, Eyler emphasizes the power of human connectivity, like the one-on-one support he received during the Accelerator. “In a world filled with AI – AI slop, deepfakes – we’re excited to use technology to create real experiences with human creatives and the speed of technology, democratizing photography.”
As the company scales, it continues to focus on a unique philosophy: “We want to be a company where our customers are always just one click away from a real person,” Eyler added. “While we love AI, we understand that with creative products, there will always be edge cases. That’s where our real people come in, ready to offer hands-on support and ensure everything meets our clients’ needs.”
About Capturely
Capturely provides remote, professional photography services tailored to individuals and companies. By connecting clients with trained photographers through a smartphone, Capturely delivers high-quality, consistent imagery that enhances brand identity, all with a seamless and human-centered process. Whether for enterprise-wide headshots or individual portraits, Capturely makes it easy, efficient, and authentic.
About Purdue Innovates
Purdue Innovates is a unified network at Purdue Research Foundation to assist Purdue faculty, staff, students and alumni in either IP commercialization or startup creation. As a conduit to technology commercialization, intellectual property protection and licensing, startup creation and funding, Purdue Innovates serves as the front door to translate new ideas into world-changing impact.
For more information on licensing a Purdue innovation, contact the Office of Technology Commercialization at otcip@prf.org. For more information about involvement and investment opportunities in startups based on a Purdue innovation, contact Purdue Innovates at purdueinnovates@prf.org.
Media Contact: Polly Barks, phbarks@prf.org
