TurboSquid
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Digital media, 3D model marketplace |
| Founded | 2000 |
| Founder | Matt Wisdom, Andy Wisdom, David Avgikos |
| Headquarters | New Orleans , United States |
| Products | Stock 3D models, texture maps |
| Parent | Shutterstock |
TurboSquid is a U.S.-based digital media enterprise focused on providing stock 3D models tailored for sectors including video gaming, architecture, and interactive learning. Situated in New Orleans, Louisiana, TurboSquid manages an online marketplace that facilitates the sale of 3D models, earning revenue through commissions. By 2025, its catalog features in excess of 1.4 million 3D models alongside over 130,000 supplementary items such as texture maps.
History
The company was established by siblings Matt and Andy Wisdom, who previously collaborated at Chimera Digital Imaging, a firm producing 3D animation for advertising from 1994 until 2000. In 1999, they initiated development of a platform named iPublish to market unused 3D assets. Concurrently, David Avgikos’s New Orleans-based firm Digimation was creating a comparable service called 3dBay. These two ventures merged in April 2000 to form TurboSquid, debuting their marketplace at SIGGRAPH that August. Autodesk bundled a TurboSquid plugin with 3ds max 4, and the company secured its initial venture capital funding in April 2001.
After internal conflicts arose, Tom Avgikos and CEO David Avgikos exited the company in 2002, with Andy Wisdom stepping into the CEO role. In 2005, Matt and Andy Wisdom contributed to drafting and passing the Louisiana Digital Media Act (Senate Bill 341), which introduced tax incentives aimed at fostering growth within the digital media industry.
That same year, the failure of levees during Hurricane Katrina compelled TurboSquid’s New Orleans team to evacuate. Despite operating remotely with employees working online and relying on cloud servers, the company experienced unprecedented growth and managed to reestablish its presence in New Orleans by November 2005.
Matt Wisdom assumed CEO responsibilities in 2006 while Andy Wisdom moved into the Chairman position before eventually transitioning into finance.
In August 2009, TurboSquid unveiled SquidGuild, a rewards program designed to grant higher royalties to artists who contribute exclusive content. By 2011, the platform had grown to over 2.3 million members and included more than 20,000 active artists. That year also marked Autodesk’s acquisition of TurboSquid’s marketplace software for $26 million.
Shutterstock purchased TurboSquid in 2021 for $75 million, broadening its range of digital assets and reinforcing its leadership in the stock 3D model market.
Company name
Matt Wisdom highlighted the significance of branding when selecting the company’s name: "A squid implies having many tentacles extending everywhere, while 'turbo' conveys the energetic vibe of the '80s." The fact that TurboSquid.com was available as a web domain further influenced this decision. Although opinions on the name varied, it was memorable and demonstrated stronger branding potential compared to alternatives like Media-Exchange.com.
CheckMate 3D modeling standards
In August 2011, TurboSquid introduced the CheckMate Certification program to establish consistent quality standards for 3D models. Models that meet these criteria are specially labeled within their catalog to assure buyers of quality. By December of that year, over 2,500 models had earned certification from more than 100 participating artists, underscoring TurboSquid’s dedication to maintaining industry-leading quality control.
Acquisitions
- March 2011: TurboSquid acquired Falling Pixel and Exchange 3D; Jonathan Lloyd, previously Managing Director at Falling Pixel, joined TurboSquid’s leadership team.
- January 2017: The company expanded its portfolio through acquisitions of CGStudio and TF3DM.
- January 2021: Shutterstock acquired TurboSquid, solidifying its status as the largest global marketplace for 3D assets.