Instant offline PBR asset creation from mobile photos
Kazakhstan, Aktobe region
Market: Entertainment, Mobile applications
Project stage: Prototype or product is ready
Also this project:
- Find investments
Idea or High Level Concept
NACK3D Scanner is an autonomous mobile tool for 3D artists that converts photos into pro-grade PBR materials. Unlike competitors, it operates without AI or Cloud processing, using proprietary on-device computer vision. This ensures 100% privacy, zero latency, and offline functionality.
The app generates high-fidelity 16-bit Normal, Displacement, and Albedo maps (up to 8K) ready for Unreal Engine 4/5. It bridges the gap between expensive studio scanning and mobile accessibility, allowing creators to turn real-world surfaces into 3D assets in seconds, anywhere.
Territory of the product or service implementation
Global (world)
Traction and Current Status
Our MVP is live on RuStore, Gumroad, Itch.io demonstrating core functionality: generating high-fidelity 16-bit PBR maps (Normal, Displacement, Albedo) directly on mobile hardware. The technology is fully autonomous and operates without AI or Cloud dependencies.
Traction: > - Product: Stable build released and tested by initial users.
Market Validation: Organic interest from 3D environment artists and UE4 developers.
Performance: Achieved on-device 8K texture processing with zero server costs.
Next Step: We are now developing the next-gen version with improved precision and advanced surface analysis.
Problem or Opportunity
Target Client & Problem Solved Our Client: Our primary customers are Indie Game Developers, 3D Environment Artists, and Architectural Visualizers working with Unreal Engine 4/5 and Unity. These creators need high-quality, real-world textures but often operate with limited budgets and tight deadlines.
The Problem: Professional PBR (Physically Based Rendering) asset creation is currently a major bottleneck.
Cost: High-end scanners or photogrammetry software are expensive ($1,000+).
Speed: Manual material authoring can take hours for a single surface.
Dependency: Existing mobile apps rely on Cloud/AI, which requires a stable internet connection, incurs high subscription fees, and creates data privacy risks.
Proof of the Problem & Willingness to Pay: The success of platforms like Quixel Megascans and Adobe Substance proves that developers are willing to pay for high-quality scan data. However, creators need a way to scan their own unique local surfaces instantly. Our RuStore MVP has shown organic interest from developers seeking a "one-click" solution that works offline.
The Opportunity: With the rise of the Metaverse and UE5's Nanite technology, the demand for 8K textures has skyrocketed. NACK3D Scanner is uniquely attractive because it provides studio-grade 16-bit maps with zero server latency and zero per-scan costs. Customers are ready to pay for this solution because it replaces a $500/year subscription and hours of manual labor with a one-time mobile tool that works anywhere—from a remote forest to a secure studio.
Solution
NACK3D Scanner is a professional mobile application designed to capture real-world surfaces and instantly convert them into high-fidelity PBR (Physically Based Rendering) materials.
What we produce: The software generates a complete set of texture maps required for modern 3D engines (Unreal Engine 4/5, Unity, Blender):
16-bit Normal Maps: Captures micro-detail with professional precision.
Displacement Maps: Provides accurate surface geometry for tessellation.
Albedo (Base Color) Maps: Delivers clean, neutral lighting for any environment.
Resolution: Supports high-definition output up to 8K.
How it solves client problems:
Eliminating High Costs: Traditional photogrammetry requires expensive DSLR cameras and powerful PCs. NACK3D delivers production-ready results using only a smartphone.
Zero Latency & Total Privacy: Unlike AI-based cloud solutions, our app uses autonomous on-device computer vision. This means no internet is required, data never leaves the device, and there are zero waiting times for server processing.
Seamless Integration: The output is specifically optimized for the Unreal Engine workflow, allowing developers to move from a physical object to a digital 3D environment in seconds.
Consistency: Our deterministic algorithms ensure stable, repeatable results, which is a major pain point when using unpredictable generative AI tools.
Customer Segments and Market
Target Customer Profile:
Primary Segment: Indie Game Developers and 3D Environment Artists.
Secondary Segment: Architectural visualization (ArchViz) studios and Metaverse world builders.
Age Group: 18–45 years.
Characteristics: Tech-savvy professionals or hobbyists who prioritize workflow speed, data privacy, and the ability to capture unique real-world materials "on the go."
Location:
Global: Priority markets are the USA, EU (Germany, UK, France), China, and South Korea (the largest hubs for game development).
Local: Active outreach to the growing indie dev communities in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
Market Size & Quantity:
Hypothetical Customers: There are over 3.4 billion gamers globally, but our direct B2B/Prosumer market consists of approximately 30+ million active game developers (across Unity and Unreal Engine) and over 100,000 professional architecture studios.
Value: The global 3D Scanning market was valued at approximately $7 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $15+ billion by 2030 (CAGR of ~15%).
Market Trends (Rising): The market is sharply rising. The demand for high-fidelity 8K assets is driven by:
Unreal Engine 5 (Nanite): Allows for cinematic-quality geometry, requiring massive amounts of high-res textures.
Metaverse & VR: The shift toward digital twins and realistic virtual spaces.
Efficiency over AI: While AI is popular, professional studios are seeking deterministic, offline tools (like NACK3D) to avoid copyright issues and high server costs associated with generative AI.
Revenue Streams and Cost Structure
Для этого раздела на Startup.Network вам нужно показать «бизнес-скелет» проекта. Даже если у вас нет сложной таблицы в Excel, инвестору важно увидеть вашу логику: сколько стоит продукт и как он будет масштабироваться.
Вот готовый текст на английском, который идеально подходит для автономного продукта (без затрат на облака):
Financial Model & Sales Projections Monetization Strategy: We utilize a Hybrid Freemium & Prosumer model. Since the app is autonomous and runs on-device, our marginal cost per user is near zero, allowing for high-profit margins.
Free Tier: Basic scanning with standard resolution (up to 2K) and limited exports.
Pro License (One-time purchase or Annual): $19.99 – $49.99. Unlocks 8K resolution, 16-bit professional maps, and advanced surface analysis tools.
Enterprise/Studio License: Custom pricing for game studios requiring bulk licenses and integration support.
Main Financial Indicators:
Gross Margin: ~85-90% (Zero server processing costs due to on-device algorithms).
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): Targeted at $2.00 – $5.00 through organic growth in Dev communities and targeted ads for 3D artists.
Break-even Point: Projected at 5,000 premium licenses sold.
5-Year Sales Expectations (Projections):
Year 1 (MVP Optimization): 2,000+ active users, $40k revenue. Focus on RuStore/Android.
Year 2 (Global Expansion): Launch on iOS and Global Markets. 15,000+ users, $350k revenue.
Year 3-5 (Scaling): Integration with major 3D marketplaces and offering B2B licenses for indie studios. Target revenue: $1.5M - $3M ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue) as we capture 1-2% of the global indie dev market.
Business Model, Chanells, Metrics
Для раздела Business Model (Бизнес-модель) на платформе Startup.Network важно показать, что ваш проект не только технологичный, но и финансово жизнеспособный.
Поскольку NACK3D Scanner работает автономно (на устройстве), у вас есть огромное преимущество: отсутствие затрат на серверы. Это делает вашу модель крайне масштабируемой и прибыльной.
Вот структурированное описание на английском:
Business Model Our business model is built on a High-Margin Freemium approach, targeting the professional and "prosumer" 3D market. Because our core technology is 100% autonomous (on-device), we eliminate the heavy server and GPU costs that burden our AI-cloud competitors, allowing us to maintain high profitability even with a large user base.
1. Revenue Streams:
Freemium (B2C): The app is free to download, allowing users to perform basic scans with standard resolution (up to 2K).
Pro Subscription/License: To unlock professional-grade features—such as 8K resolution, 16-bit PBR maps, and batch processing—users pay a recurring monthly fee ($7.99–$9.99) or a one-time lifetime license.
B2B/Enterprise Licensing: We offer specialized licenses for game development studios and architectural firms that require bulk deployment and priority technical support.
2. Distribution Strategy:
App Stores: Direct distribution through RuStore, Google Play, and future iOS versions.
Partnerships: Integration as a recommended utility tool for Unreal Engine and Unity asset marketplaces.
3. Competitive Economic Advantage:
Zero Marginal Cost: Every new scan performed by a user costs our company $0 in cloud fees. This allows us to offer more competitive pricing than cloud-based AI scanners while achieving much higher net margins.
Privacy-Driven Growth: Our offline nature attracts professional studios that refuse to upload proprietary data to the cloud, opening a niche B2B market that competitors cannot easily access.
Competitors and Existing Alternatives
Direct Competitors:
Polycam: The market leader in mobile 3D scanning. They hold a significant share of the prosumer market. However, Polycam relies heavily on LiDAR (for iOS) and Cloud/AI processing, which introduces subscription costs and latency.
KIRI Engine: A major cross-platform competitor. While they offer PBR export, their high-quality processing is cloud-based and increasingly utilizes AI-driven "hallucinations" to fill textures, which lacks the deterministic precision of NACK3D.
RealityScan (by Epic Games): Backed by Unreal Engine, this is a strong alternative for photogrammetry. Its main drawback is the requirement for hundreds of photos and mandatory cloud processing, making it unusable for quick, offline "on-the-go" texture capture.
Market Share & Alternatives: While apps like Polycam and Scaniverse dominate the "visual/AR" scan market (millions of downloads), there is no clear leader in the "Pure Math / Offline PBR" niche.
The Alternative: Currently, our target customers (3D artists) use desktop software like Adobe Substance Sampler or Quixel Mixer. These tools are powerful but require a PC and expensive subscriptions.
The Gap: NACK3D solves the problem for artists who need to capture unique real-world materials instantly without carrying a laptop or paying for cloud-based AI credits.
Why NACK3D Wins: Unlike 90% of competitors who are moving toward "Cloud-AI," NACK3D focuses on Edge Computing. We offer 16-bit precision and total privacy with zero server dependency, which is a critical requirement for professional game studios and secure architectural projects.
Advantages or differentiators
100% Autonomous Edge Computing: Unlike major competitors (Polycam, KIRI Engine) that rely on Cloud/AI processing, NACK3D uses proprietary, deterministic computer vision algorithms that run entirely on the mobile device. This level of optimization for mobile hardware acts as a significant technical barrier to entry.
Privacy by Design: Since no data is ever uploaded to a server, our solution is the only viable option for professional studios and corporate clients with strict Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) regarding their proprietary assets.
Zero Marginal Infrastructure Cost: Our technology does not require GPU server farms. This allows us to scale to millions of users without increasing operational costs, a feat that is financially impossible for cloud-based AI competitors.
Key Differentiators:
High-Fidelity 16-bit Output: While most mobile scanners produce 8-bit textures with visible artifacts, NACK3D is engineered to generate professional 16-bit PNG maps (Normal, Displacement), meeting the high standards of Unreal Engine 5 production.
No Internet Dependency: NACK3D is the only professional PBR scanner that works in "field conditions"—remote locations, underground sites, or secure zones without network access.
Deterministic Precision: AI-based tools often "hallucinate" or blur fine surface details. Our math-based approach ensures that the digital texture is a mathematically accurate representation of the physical surface, essential for realistic 3D environment design.
Risks
В этом разделе инвестор проверяет вашу адекватность. Если вы напишете «рисков нет», вам не поверят. Нужно показать, что вы понимаете угрозы и знаете, как на них реагировать.
Вот профессиональный вариант на английском:
Risks and Mitigation Strategy 1. Rapid Evolution of Generative AI:
Risk: Generative AI models (like Midjourney or specialized 3D AI) could eventually learn to generate high-quality, tileable PBR textures from simple text prompts or low-quality photos, potentially reducing the need for physical scanning.
Mitigation: AI often "hallucinations" details and lacks the mathematical precision required for professional architecture and high-end gaming. We position NACK3D as a tool for "Ground Truth" scanning—where accuracy and real-world authenticity are non-negotiable.
2. Behavior of Major Competitors:
Risk: Market leaders like Polycam or Adobe could release fully offline versions of their tools, leveraging their massive marketing budgets and existing user bases.
Mitigation: Our advantage lies in being a "lean and focused" tool specifically optimized for Unreal Engine workflows. We focus on niche professional features (16-bit depth, specific map types) that larger, general-purpose apps often overlook to remain "simple" for the mass market.
3. Hardware Restrictions & Fragmentation:
Risk: Changes in mobile OS (Android/iOS) privacy policies or hardware limitations (camera API access) could impact the performance of on-device processing.
Mitigation: By using cross-platform computer vision standards (OpenCV-based), we remain flexible and less dependent on specific proprietary hardware like LiDAR, ensuring a wider reach across various device tiers.
4. Economic Crisis & GameDev Budget Cuts:
Risk: A global recession could lead to a decrease in indie game development activity.
Mitigation: In a crisis, studios look for ways to cut costs. NACK3D is a cost-saving tool that replaces expensive studio scanning and reduces manual labor hours, making it an attractive investment for studios looking to optimize their budgets.
Incubation/Acceleration programs accomplishment
Incubation or Acceleration Programs Status: No, I have not participated in an incubation or acceleration program yet.
Additional Information: The project has been developed as a "bootstrapped" startup. I focused my efforts on building a functional MVP and proprietary on-device algorithms independently. This allowed me to maintain full control over the technology and reach the current development stage (live version on RuStore) with zero external equity dilution.
I am now open to acceleration programs that can help scale the product globally and provide access to the international game development and VR/AR markets.
Won the competition and other awards
Milestones & Market Recognition: While we are currently focusing on product development rather than startup competitions, we have achieved several significant milestones:
Successful Launch: Successfully released the MVP on RuStore, gaining organic traction among 3D artists.
Technical Breakthrough: Achieved a stable 16-bit PBR export on mid-range mobile hardware, which is a significant technical victory over standard 8-bit mobile solutions.
Community Feedback: Received positive validation from professional Unreal Engine developers regarding the speed and privacy of our offline processing.
Presence of invention or patent
Yes
Invention/Patent
Pending / Trade Secret stage
Money will be spent on
Use of Funds & Expenditure We are seeking investment to transition from a functional MVP to a market-leading professional 3D scanning ecosystem. The funds will be allocated as follows: 1. Research & Development (R&D) – 50%: iOS Version Development: Porting our proprietary algorithms to iOS to access a high-value market of mobile creators. Optimization: Enhancing processing speed for high-end 8K textures. 2. Marketing & User Acquisition – 30%: Direct Outreach: Targeted advertising within the Unreal Engine and Unity developer communities. Partnerships: Collaborating with 3D influencers and environment artists for product demonstrations. SEO & Content: Creating a high-quality library of scanned assets to demonstrate the software's capabilities. 3. Operations & Infrastructure – 20%: Legal & IP: Filing international patents for our core computer vision methods and trademarking the NACK3D brand globally. Cloud for Gallery: Developing a lightweight web platform for users to showcase and sync their offline-generated assets.
Offer for investor
We are offering between 10% and 15% equity for this round, depending on the investment amount and the strategic value the investor brings to the table. Our goal is to ensure enough runway for 12–18 months while maintaining a healthy cap table for future funding rounds.