The high-tech startup Scoobe3D has developed a high-precision 3D scanner, which comes in the handy and easy-to-use format of a smartphone. It creates professional 3D scans of objects, even if their surfaces are reflective. With the help of Scoobe3D, manufacturers and developers can work remotely on a project by creating 3D scans of their products or individual components and sharing them with each other over the internet.
Julian Berlow, CEO of Scoobe3D, explains what exactly lies behind their solution and what development the team has undergone since being nominated in the Businessplan Wettbewerb Schwaben 2018.
Financing round
Scoobe3D also recently closed a financing round.
Julian, what are the main features of your 3D scanner?
The Scoobe3D scanner is a stand-alone mobile device the size of a smartphone and is guided around the scan object by the user with the camera running and its own display, similar to a panorama shot on a mobile phone. The device can be operated intuitively and gives precise instructions on how to perform the scan. The special feature here is the Liquid Crystal Polarizotography technology, which is unique worldwide and patented by us. This means that even shiny or reflective surfaces such as metals or plastics can be captured and 3D scans with an accuracy of up to 0.1 millimetres can be created with little effort. With this solution, we are not only mobile and therefore more flexible, but also faster and cheaper than our competitors.
What is the current composition of your team?
Our team currently consists of 13 employees. In addition to the three founders, there are permanent employees, interns and working students wo work at Scoobe3D in the areas of marketing, sales and development. In addition to the technology, our strengths include team spirit and agile development: we work in two-week sprints that are planned individually at the beginning and evaluated together at the end. In addition, we are very close to the customer during development. Through feedback, users can actively co-determine features of Scoobe3D.
How far have you come with your solution?
At the end of April, we successfully completed a financing round. This secures our financing until delivery in July 2020 and also for the following months. Delivery of the first Scoobe3D to our customers is planned for July 2020.
Which industry sectors do you primarily address with your solution?
Scoobe3D is primarily intended for use in mechanical engineering and construction. However, the device is also exciting for a wide range of developing and producing companies, for example for orthopaedics, due to its diverse application possibilities.
Where do you want to go with your solution?
The market for 3D scanners is huge and growing very strongly. The growth rate is 10-26 %, depending on the source. The total volume will be about $19.7 billion in 2023. We are convinced that 3D data should therefore be as easily accessible as a 2D photo in the future. Our long-term vision is that our patented technology will one day be found in every smartphone. To achieve this, we can also well imagine collaborating with other companies and startups in the 3D field, for example from 3D printing, in the future.
You are based in Augsburg – how are you networked in the region and how do you rate the location?
Augsburg is an underestimated economic area, even though many successful companies and startups have been founded there in recent years. For us, the location in the Digital Centre Swabia (DZ.S) in the Sigma Park Augsburg is ideal. Due to the immediate proximity to the University and the Augsburg University of Applied Sciences, we have direct contact with professionally trained staff. In addition, we can easily take advantage of BayStartUP's financing coaching there. This contact has already helped us to steer our processes in the right direction and to take new steps and approaches. What we value most about DZ.S is the networking and exchange, for example through events or personal appointments, the coaching and mentoring and the aitiRaum platform for presenting the company and community events.