Phi

Highlights

• Raised $2M in pre-seed and seed-stage funding from Big Pi Ventures

• Revolutionizing the $16B market of CAD, which has failed to evolve

• Fully proprietary technology developed entirely in-house over the last four years

• Experienced team with decades of technical and R&D expertise in the CAD field

• Product validated through extensive beta testing and feedback from a pool of over 4,000 users

• Recognized by Develop3D as one of the top 30 technologies that can change the future of design

• Praised by Jon Hirschtick, Founder & former CEO of OnShape and Solidworks

Problem

In today’s design world, creating freeform surfaces for products, concepts, and industrial designs is a major part of 3D modeling. However, this process is notoriously difficult and inefficient. Despite advances in 3D design tools, freeform surface modeling remains a significant challenge.

The key issues surrounding the industry include:

• Hard to use: Most 3D freeform design software is difficult to learn and use, making the design process slow, complex and frustrating, even for experts.

• Inefficient: With over 50% of the time spent on CAD software estimated to relate to freeform surface design, there is significant resource wastage.

• Costly: The tools needed for high-quality design are often prohibitively expensive.

• Inflexible: Even after a model is created, making changes is difficult and time-consuming, which further hampers creativity and quick iterations.

• Technological Barriers: Existing technologies like polygon meshes, NURBS, T-splines, and Sub-D rely on outdated algorithms and mathematical infrastructures, which inherently have problems and limitations, such as non-intuitive and restrictive design processes, lack of interaction, and lack of precision.

• Non-cloud based systems: Virtually all existing CAD software is not cloud-based, hindering efficient team collaboration and design versioning, and having all the usual platform, compatibility, version and file system issues.

• Hardware Requirements: Costly high-performance hardware is often required to run these software packages, adding to the overall cost and complexity.

Solution

Phi is an innovative cloud-based 3D modeling application that allows quick, easy, and precise freeform surface design.

Intuitive Design

Phi’s state-of-the-art proprietary technologies and mathematics enable users to freely design and manipulate 3D shapes quickly and intuitively. By implementing the “curve-based design” principle, users can interactively create and manipulate curves reflecting their design intent, and the software automatically fits smooth, top-quality surfaces that contain these curves. This approach ensures that the design intent is captured instantly, making the process intuitive and efficient.

Short Learning Curve

No expertise or extensive training is needed because of Phi’s simple, menu-free, powerful, and intuitive UI (User Interface). Users can start designing right away. But don’t take our word for it, you can try it yourself at Phi3D App.

Cloud-Based Convenience

Phi runs entirely in the cloud (a novelty in the CAD industry), offering numerous advantages:

• Accessible from any browser or platform, including tablets.

• There are no installs, updates, or platform-specific issues.

• Facilitates team collaboration.

• No need for expensive hardware.

• Subscription-based model: Phi offers flexible monthly and annual subscription plans for more choice and affordability.

Interoperability

Phi is integrated with Onshape, the only product development platform that runs entirely in the cloud. Phi also offers interoperability with other CAD systems and 3D printers by supporting several standard file formats.

Phi’s advanced proprietary technology offers an unmatched combination of ease of use, precision and control, unlike other existing solutions. By eliminating technical burdens and promoting collaboration, Phi empowers designers to focus on creativity and innovation.

Team

Experienced and Diverse Leadership

Our team brings over 20 years of traction and experience in the CAD and software development sectors, having collaborated with industry leaders and holding advanced degrees from prestigious institutions. With expertise spanning software engineering, geometric constraint solving, and computational geometry, our technical foundation is robust and innovative.

Strategically, our team includes seasoned leaders with extensive experience in business development, marketing, and general management, as well as expert professional designers. This combination of technical prowess and commercial acumen positions us perfectly to drive Phi’s growth and success in the 3D modeling market.

Maintaining strong industry connections and staying at the forefront of technological advancements, our team is uniquely qualified to revolutionize the 3D modeling industry and ensure Phi's success.

Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

• Technological Superiority: Phi’s proprietary curve-based design approach uses advanced mathematics we developed to offer unmatched ease and precision in free-form design.

• User-Friendly Interface: Our intuitive, menu-free interface makes modeling easy for both professionals and beginners, requiring minimal training.

• Cloud-Based Convenience: Unlike most CAD/3D design applications, Phi is entirely cloud-based, providing simplicity, accessibility, and seamless collaboration.

• Interoperability: Phi integrates smoothly with Onshape and supports various standard file formats, ensuring compatibility with other CAD systems and 3D printers.

Traction

Since its incorporation in July 2019, Phenometry, the company behind Phi, has made significant strides. Following a successful $1M pre-seed round from Big Pi Ventures to develop our core deep tech algorithms, we secured an additional $1M in seed funding having achieved all development milestones to date. This funding supported the integration with Onshape, further product definition, development of a tablet version, completion of the standalone app and launch of beta testing for Phi.

Over 4,000 users have so far registered for Phi, thus validating our approach and highlighting the demand for such a product. Phi’s innovative capabilities have been recognized industry-wide, earning a spot in Develop3D's prestigious list of 30 technologies that can change the future of design. Furthermore, industry legend Jon Hirschtick, Founder and former CEO of Onshape and Solidworks, has acknowledged Phi as a groundbreaking solution for freeform modeling.

The Market

The 3D design market has a wide range of users, from hobbyists using accessible tools like Sketchup or Blender for simple, low-cost projects, to high-end professionals in the automotive and aerospace sectors who rely on advanced, expensive software such as CATIA for precise and complex designs.

6.4% CAGR, projected $28B market by 2030

Phi is strategically positioned to cater to mid-range users who utilize applications like Solidworks, Onshape, Fusion 360 and Rhino. These professionals need robust design tools that provide professional-grade capabilities without the high costs and complexities of high-end software ecosystems.

45 million 3D designers worldwide

Phi’s focus on interoperability allows users to integrate designs from various applications, add free-form components, and export them for downstream processing and manufacturing. This flexibility has proven valuable to our beta users, establishing Phi as a versatile and essential tool in the mid-range segment of the 3D design and printing market.

Four vendors dominate the market with $16B in sales

At the moment, the market is dominated by four large vendors that have established themselves as the “status quo” in the industry. As a result of low competition, they have been hesitant to innovate on their existing products, which has created the opportunity for Phi to disrupt the market with its innovative platform.

Go-to-Market Strategy

Our go-to-market strategy has begun with organizing our commercial operations by building a strong sales and marketing team and establishing a global online billing system.

We will communicate our value proposition through tiered offerings and a revamped website focused on conversion. This approach will help us address different user segments and make it easy for potential customers to understand and purchase Phi.

To drive demand and growth, we will implement comprehensive marketing strategies, including digital marketing, an affiliate program, and B2B lead generation. We will also continue our strategic partnership with Onshape, offering Phi as an integrated app through their store.

Additionally, we will emphasize product-led growth by enhancing collaboration capabilities and integrating with other popular design tools, ensuring Phi becomes an essential part of our users' workflows. We have already identified several highly demanded features to develop:

1. Boolean Operations (Parasolid integration, increasing interoperability)

2. Solutions for ensuring surface smoothness and better curvature control

3. Expanded cloud capabilities (save and share online)

4. Advanced collaboration tools (“The Figma of 3D”)

5. Layer features (easier manipulation of complex models)

Competition

Our competitors range from high-end, expensive, and complex packages like CATIA, to mid-range options such as Solidworks, and low-end, budget-friendly tools like Sketchup that offer minimal support for freeform design.

Each of these tools has any number of (different) significant limitations, from a set that includes lack of direct interaction, difficulty to use, non-intuitive modeling, inability to handle multiple surfaces as one, insufficient or hard control over surface shape, non-guaranteed ‘water-tightness’ of design etc.

Phi stands out through its revolutionary n-sided surface patches technology, featuring proprietary and unpublished advancements. Unlike the triangulated meshes, subdivision surfaces, NURBS and T-splines used by our competitors, our approach offers superior performance and capabilities.

Financials

With a scalable model, a large addressable market, and a tiered pricing system, Phi is well-positioned for rapid growth. The funds raised will be deployed in an aggressive go-to-market strategy targeting B2C and B2B segments.

B2C Segment

For our B2C segment, we project an initial customer acquisition cost of approximately $250 per user. With an estimated customer lifetime of 14 months, the Lifetime Value (LTV) of new subscribers will be around $529. We anticipate acquiring 300 paid users in the Pro and Essential plans within the first 12 months, generating $10,000 in Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR).

B2B Segment

In the B2B segment, while conversions are less predictable and involve longer sales cycles, we aim to secure 14 Enterprise users by the end of the first 12 months, adding $11,000 in MRR. Combined, these efforts should help us achieve $250K in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) by the end of year one.

Expenses and Break-Even

Payroll and marketing will be our most significant expense. According to our financial projections, we expect to break even by June 2026.

The complete financial model is available under the Campaign Documents tab.

Future Funding

Future funding rounds are planned, with the next phase targeting venture capital raise by mid-2025 to sustain growth.

The Ask

Our €500K funding request is strategically allocated across four key areas to ensure effective scaling and advancement:

Technology Development (33.3%):

• Development of new features and capabilities

• Optimization of solid modeling operations and overall performance

• Development of solutions for ensuring surface smoothness

Customer Experience Organization (30%):

• Enhance customer support processes

• Expand operational capacity

Marketing (20%):

• Launch multi-channel digital marketing campaigns (including Reddit, LinkedIn, and Google search)

• Invest in B2B lead generation, affiliate marketing, and conferences.

Operations (16.7%):

• Ongoing infrastructure maintenance

• Cover 3rd party subscription or licensing fees

This balanced allocation ensures we can scale effectively while advancing our technology and improving customer experience.

Exit Strategy

Phi presents several attractive exit opportunities for investors. The primary exit strategy is the potential acquisition by a major player in the CAD and 3D modeling industry. Companies such as Dassault Systèmes, PTC, Autodesk, Siemens and Adobe have a history of acquiring specialized technology firms to enhance their product offerings and expand their market reach. As an innovative solution in the 3D modeling space, Phi is a prime candidate for such an acquisition, promising a lucrative return for our investors in such a scenario.

Secondly, there is significant potential for acquisition by companies in adjacent industries seeking to incorporate advanced 3D modeling capabilities into their portfolios. This includes major players in sectors like 3D printing, manufacturing, aerospace, automotive, and consumer electronics, all of which can benefit from Phi's cutting-edge technology.

The diverse range of potential acquirers, from industry giants to leaders in related fields, underscores Phi's strong exit potential. This ensures that our investors have multiple pathways to achieving substantial returns on their investment.