Seattle startup Moment is about to take its high-end smartphone photography lenses to the next level. Not only has the three-year-old company raised $3 million in its latest round of funding, it’s also announced a brand new partnership with Apple to sell its premium $180 Mobile Photography Kit at 50 Apple stores across the United States.
Founded by Marc Barros and brought to life on Kickstarter, Moment is continuing to carve its name as one of the few manufacturers of premium after-market lenses and photography accessories for smartphones.
Right now, the company offers three individual lenses – Wide, Tele, and Macro – each of which attach to a “DSLR-like” case that turns your iPhone into a far more versatile camera setup.
A la carte, Moment’s lenses sell for $100 a piece, while the three case options range between $50–$70. Other accessories available include a premium leather lens case for $30, as well as extra straps, which sell for upward of $60.
Moment’s Mobile Photography Kit that Apple will be selling includes a Walnut case, Wide Lens, lens cap, and microfiber lens bag. Interestingly, this kit comes out $5 more expensive than if you were to purchase the components individually, but convenience pays.
Getting to where Moment’s at now has been far from easy. And taking its hardware game to the next level is proving to be a challenge in and of itself. But with the new round of funding and partnership at Apple, Barros is confident Moment is capable of bringing the complete package to mobile smartphone photography.
In speaking to Geekwire, Barros stressed how important it is to “bring the whole system together” when it comes to mobile photography. “You’ll see a lens, and maybe you’ll see a case, maybe you’ll see a carrying case, maybe you’ll see a tripod […] if we’re successful we think it can be the next category of [smartphone] photography.”
Barros knows the task won’t be easy. After all, he’s had his fair share of lessons learned from his time as co-founder of action cam startup, Contour. But with the focus on capturing hearts, not minds, he’s confident Moment can continue to provide great products and build a photography company capable of empowering people to capture better imagery.
