123D Print – A Mobile 3D Printing Application

REVIEW: Hi Mark, your app addresses a legitimate pain point, one you justified quite convincingly. As a next step in your pitch, it would be really interesting to have a short video demo of a student photographing an item, the translation to code, the print of the item, and the utilization in an educational setting. As a teacher, your reasons for using this app in the classroom are compelling. I had a hard time hearing your voice in your elevator pitch but perhaps that's my computer? One thing I was not completely clear on are your pricing options so as an EVA I would want more clarification on those. Are there any competitors? Also, you are the founder of the venture but the rest of the team isn't really introduced (20 years of experience but who are they and what do they bring in terms of expertise and experience?). This is a really applicable idea overall but I wouldn't invest until I had more information on those elements.

Review: As mentioned by everyone else, the product name really nails exactly what you're going for. Your elevator pitch does well to capture my attention as you have clearly identified an important pain point in education: the lack of 3D printing training. I like your use of visuals and it is clear you have done your research as well on your full venture pitch. I wonder how compatible this concept would be with existing software like SketchUp - something that I use in the classroom regularly. As an investor, you have caught my attention but I would have liked to learn a bit more about where my money would go, the pricing plan and also the future of your venture. As a tech teacher, I identify with the pains of teaching and learning 3D printing and I hope that you continue this concept as I'm sure some refining will guarantee a quality venture.

Review: I believe the name of your venture and your slogan at the end captures the goal of your venture well. Your elevator pitch discusses the premises well and encouraged me to look further into your venture pitch. My concerns as an EVA began when I looked closely at your venture pitch and found that some important details were missing, or at least difficult to pick up. Without improving upon current smartphone cameras, how can a 3D image of an object be taken by a camera that takes 2D images? I am also uncertain about the differences between your free, and freemium options. What are the benefits of freemium and why should the users be enticed to make a purchase? Without learning about these things, it would be very hard to convince myself as an EVA to make an investment.

Mark, thanks for sharing 123D Print - a venture that will surely pick up in the education sector if you do choose to pursue it. Your detailed analysis was very impressive, as was the site. User testimonials is something that I did not think of and haven't seen in other A3s (yet) so I thought it was a very unique and convincing touch. Realistically I'm not sure how well a mobile device can scan and appropriately reproduce a picture into 3D, but from a venture analyst I would be interested in investing, but would need more details about the expenses and costs since this is clearly a for-profit business you are creating. The elevator pitch was difficult to hear even on full volume in my office, but other than that, good idea!

Mark, great work on your pitch. Like those below, I am enamored by your product name. I wonder to what extent a product's success depends on the name. In the make or break moment of the elevator pitch, it is certainly important to have something catchy. Luckily for you, your product is more than just a clever title. Your venture pitch is detailed and informative. I think your 123D U idea is a great way to add value to your product, especially given that part of your pitch is the ease at which a teacher can utilize your product. Having a community to rely upon with ready made lessons will be vital to drawing people to your product. Furthermore, testimonials added a level of confidence that your product has seen success already. Two areas where you could improve upon are management and competition. You mentioned that your team has 20 years experience, but if you expanded on the skills you and your team bring to the table, I would have more confidence investing in you. Finally, competition can be fierce in the app market given that almost any developer can enter the worldwide market rather effortlessly. Is your app different enough for consumers to seek it out and download it? 123D Catch, for example, seems to be a direct competitor. If you could show how you are different (and better) than the competition, I would be more inclined to invest.

This is a great product name and it expresses the idea of easy access to 3D modelling and 3D printing. I like the idea of being able to take an image of an object and then print it and can see how this technology could support learners who are studying field objects and need an artefact for learning. For example, students studying botany/plant id could use this app to take a picture of a plant, leaf structure, tree profile and then print in 3D as part of a presentation, learning tool and set of training objects for later review or comparison when out in the field again. I am not sure what the manipulation of objects would teach that an image manipulation would not but I am sure there is an application I have not thought where this could be of great benefit. One idea may be to make the image compatible with a CAD program so that students could base their model on the object and add, modify or adapt the design for the printer to a need or outcome of their own creation. I agree with Heather that there needs to be more discussion around cost, pricing and growth as well as competition and how this tool would augment or compete with other 3D printing apps and online tools. Great website and elevator pitch and the name reminds me of the book Harold and the purple crayon which is a great reference for someone who is creating the world around them with a purple crayon or filament based on what he sees and imagines!

Great product name, it is so catchy! 3D printing has become much more popular in the classroom recently and you did a good job at stating how this product could be used in that setting. I think you have presented an excellent venture. I like that you included testimonials also. I would love to have seen more photos of the app in use and greater detail about how it works, specifically any trials and tribulations through R&D. A more concise layout of pricing and future growth would have been beneficial also. Unfortunately, there are quite a few spelling mistakes in you venture pitch and for me that takes away some of the professionalism of your work. All together, great job!

Hi Mark, I love the name of your product. I think it’s a great idea and the a natural progression with where the market for 3D printing is at so this is a great fit. You did a really nice job of outlining key reasons to integrate this into the classroom and provided enough proof for me that this could easily become a legitimate application. I particularly liked how you highlighted the specific uses for the product within education and the ease of use is a key selling point to me. It seems that this is something that I could and would use in my classroom if this were available to me so that is worthy of my investment. The only area where I think this is room for growth would be the elevator pitch. It was a bit hard to hear at times and could benefit from some background music to make it a bit more engaging but otherwise, great idea.

Hi Mark, I think that this is a fantastic idea! I would invest in this product. I am very interested in using 3D printing with STEM or STEAM iniatiatives and I agree with you that many teachers would be interested, but feel intimidated by the technology. Nice work on the venture pitch! It is very detailed and convincing. The elevator pitch is very informative and effective, but could be made more exciting with music or visuals in my opinion.