For professional artists, the materials they use can have a lasting impact on their work—sometimes for centuries. Traditional painting supports such as stretched canvas and wood can warp, sag, or deteriorate over time, potentially compromising the artwork they hold.
Artefex Art was founded in 2014 to provide a more durable alternative. Based in Willits, California, the company manufactures museum-grade archival painting panels using specialized textiles, fine linens, and other materials bonded to rigid aluminum composite supports. Its products are designed to help artists create work that withstands environmental changes and preserves its structural integrity over time.
Beyond its materials engineering, Artefex Art has embraced custom software, automation, and artificial intelligence to modernize how its products are manufactured, marketed, and delivered to customers. This approach has earned the company recognition as a 2026 Honoree in the Tech Innovators category of the CO—100 Awards.
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Building proprietary technology to streamline operations
As demand for Artefex's products increased, its existing software and production processes began creating operational challenges. The company relied on several disconnected platforms for e-commerce, inventory, marketing, and production management, resulting in costly subscriptions and manual work.
Rather than continue adapting its business to off-the-shelf tools, Artefex developed MerlinDash, a proprietary enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform built on Laravel and Amazon Web Services.
The system connects the company's WooCommerce storefront with its 12,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, providing real-time visibility into customer orders, raw materials, production schedules, and fulfillment. It also integrates advertising performance data from Google and Meta, allowing the team to evaluate marketing expenses alongside actual sales.
According to CEO and Founder Anton O'Hanlon, the company developed the platform to establish "a single source of truth connecting ad spend directly to WooCommerce sales and shop-floor production."
The results have been significant. By replacing five separate software platforms, Artefex eliminated approximately $30,000 in annual subscription costs. Digital inventory tracking and automated workflows have also reduced administrative labor by more than 15 hours per week.
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Using automation and AI to support smarter growth
Artefex has extended its technology investments beyond software integration to improve both manufacturing efficiency and the customer experience.
On the production side, digital scan-to-track terminals help employees manage inventory and monitor orders as they move through the facility. The company has also brought core lamination processes in-house, reducing its reliance on outside suppliers and cutting raw material costs by 50%.
These changes reflect a broader lesson O'Hanlon and his team learned as the business expanded: “We learned that long-term manufacturing growth requires proprietary systems and vertically integrated operations rather than off-the-shelf software and outsourced core processes,” he said.
Artefex is also incorporating AI into several areas of its business. Its online storefront features an AI assistant trained on conservation science, substrate properties, and product specifications to help artists select appropriate painting surfaces. Behind the scenes, AI-driven analytics support marketing decisions, cost calculations, and inventory forecasting.
Looking ahead, the company plans to further integrate machine learning into MerlinDash to predict material needs and optimize production schedules. It is also exploring automated pricing and quoting tools for commercial clients, along with more advanced CNC cutting and manufacturing automation.
These investments are intended to help Artefex accommodate larger order volumes while maintaining the precision and customization its customers expect.
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Long-term manufacturing growth requires proprietary systems and vertically integrated operations rather than off-the-shelf software and outsourced core processes.Anton O'Hanlon, Founder and CEO of Artefex Art
Turning technological innovation into measurable growth
Artefex's operational improvements have helped support rapid business expansion. Revenue increased from $395,000 in 2024 to more than $526,000 in 2025, followed by a 61% year-over-year increase during the first half of 2026. The company's average order value also rose 116%, from $131 to $283, as it expanded beyond individual artists into larger commercial projects, including public art installations and corporate partnerships.
Meanwhile, its network of more than 100 master artist ambassadors and workshop instructors has helped introduce its products to new audiences. MerlinDash supports those relationships by automating affiliate tracking, payments, and performance reporting.
For O'Hanlon, the company's technology strategy ultimately comes down to maintaining control over the processes that matter most.
“Fine artists and conservators rely on our products to preserve their legacy,” he told CO—. “We maintain absolute quality control over our archival substrates, back our panels with master artist endorsements, and offer direct technical support to protect customer trust at every scale.”
By combining advanced materials engineering with custom software, AI, and automated manufacturing, Artefex is demonstrating how technology can transform even a highly specialized, craftsmanship-driven business. Its investments are helping the company operate more efficiently, reach new customers, and continue developing the durable painting surfaces artists rely on to preserve their work for generations.
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