Nettelo allows users to self-scan with phones, eliminates costs
Nettelo is a mobile platform that enables users to capture, view, analyse and share the human body and its full body metrics in 3D on smartphones or tablets. The company intends to democratise human 3D body scanning and analysis through its patent-pending mobile technology and cloud services. Co-founder Yael Chojnowski discusses the company's proprietary technology and scope for 3D scanning in retail.
How did you come up with Nettelo?
Nettelo came from the assessment that 3D technologies combined with mobile and cloud-computing would bring disruptive and digital innovations to the apparel industry. By democratising 3D body scanning and unlocking the possibility for apparel businesses to compute, access and analyse their clients' 3D digital body shape and metrics anytime and from anywhere, Nettelo aims at matching supply and demand in the apparel industry and optimises all stages of product lifecycle. And the key factor here is the ability to virtually eliminate the logistics and cost of body scanning by allowing users to self-scan with a personal mobile device.
What was the initial seed capital you began with? Who are the founders and major investors now?
I co-founded Nettelo with two seasoned 3D tech entrepreneurs with a track record of developing successful 3D software companies and top-tier technologies. We got initial seed capital from investors who invested in the founders' previous companies and who already trusted their capacity to develop strong technology and stable business. Some of them are apparel business owners.
What is the global market size for 3D body scan solutions? What is the expected growth rate in the next 2-3 years?
The market size for 3D body scan solutions is probably a few hundred million dollars. But Nettelo's scope is much broader than 3D body scan. 3D body scan is just an output around which we build services. We define ourselves as a 3D body scanning, analysis and product matching mobile solution.
In terms of trends, we are on the way to mass market adoption. Multi-billion retailers start to focus on this subject, demand for customised products is growing. Only a fully mobile solution can be massively adopted and growth should be exponential.
Is the app just available in France? If yes, when do you plan to launch it in other countries?
Nettelo for consumers and Nettelo Pro for businesses are available for download on the Appstore in all countries. We have English and French versions and just released a Chinese version.
What is the number of downloads the app has? What is the reach of the app on IOS and Android? Can you give us some details on user demographics.
Our solution is available on iOS now and will be available on Android in the coming month.
We have about 100,000 users in 100 countries. Demographics of our user base include classic data like age and location, but more interestingly full and accurate body metric information about people from all over the world.
What technology does Nettelo use to scan with a smartphone or tablet? How is it different from other body scanning solutions?
Our proprietary technology is based on 3D reconstruction from 2D images. Nettelo differentiates from existing 3D body scanning mobile solutions on the output quality - virtually unlimited list of accurate body dimensions and 3D model - and on the services that are provided.
What percentage of Nettelo users downloads the app for apparel and fashion?
I think 80 per cent of Nettelo users download the app for apparel and fashion use. But there is also a significant amount of users who use it for fitness purposes. Nettelo enables to track body changes in 3D and is also an attractive solution for gyms and sports coaches.
What percentage of apparel brands and retailers use Nettelo Pro and Nettelo Pro Plus? What kind of data and analysis is made available through these solutions?
The apparel industry is worth more than $2 trillion. For the moment, only a tiny percentage of brands and retailers use Nettelo Pro and Nettelo Pro Plus. Adoption is growing among different types of apparel businesses, including made-to-measure, workwear and imagewear, sports as well as ready-to-wear businesses. We also work with medical wearable companies.
Are there any major brands that recommend or promote the use of Nettelo for custom-made garments or fitting solutions?
We are in talks with several major brands but cannot reveal anything now.
What is next for Nettelo?
This year is a crucial one for us. The plan is to build and consolidate our leadership position in our target markets and facilitate adoption. We will be releasing next generation of artificial intelligence-based Nettelo products, directed to the new level of simplicity for users and service values for the businesses. We also plan to organise a series A funding this year. (HO)
Published on: 27/06/2018
DISCLAIMER: All views and opinions expressed in this column are solely of the interviewee, and they do not reflect in any way the opinion of Fibre2Fashion.com.
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