Wellington
77 Pieces is a platform technology, that every potentialinvestor who has looked at it reckons is a great idea and will be a great enterprise according toits founder.
The globally unique software, allows a 2-D pattern to be imaged as a moving 3-D item, be itclothing or an inflatable wing. Adjustments to the rendered image translate back to an alteredpattern, and vice-versa. (See fuller explanation of the CAD software's capability in an earliersticK story,
There's nothing like it in the world says chief executive, Wellington-based American SebastianMarino, applied mathematician and film industry animation expert.
The start-up company is now on the hunt for outside investment capital. Marino, who in an earlierlife has been part of U.S.A-based CAD-oriented software start ups, says ideally the $1 millionrequired will come in large part from his original homeland.
This will provide a secure base on which potential kiwi investors could syndicate, "withoutnecessarily requiring any more reporting," he says.
The capital injection will also enable patent protection of some of the heavy-duty mathematicalmodeling and algorithms associated with the software.
Marino intends testing a Beta version of the software within a network of friends in fashion; andinitially staying within the fashion industry roll out its distribution through traditional CADsoftware sellers, firstly in America. He describes the product as a traditional application, not onethat is in the cloud or particularly internet based.
"We're costly software that requires training," Marino says. "Finding the right partners who canprovide support and training is crucial. We'll train them, they'll train our customers."
Though the clothing industry is the first that 77 Pieces is going to target, it is by no meansthe only market - there being many vertical within a broad horizontal range of business types.
"New Zealand is not a market that could support us," he says, "though being a developer in NewZealand has many advantages."
He expects many customer inquiries to come from other industries, and 77 Pieces will be "morethan happy to customise it for them." An example could be hot air balloon makers, or upholstery andfurniture makers.
In a year's time he envisages the company being in a comfortable office, with perhaps 10 staff,creating an environment that is happy, creative and focused.
And while Marino sees himself as being the 'ring master' at this early stage of the company, hecan also see that later on another type of chief executive may be more suitable to sustain 77Pieces' growth.
The fledgling company kicks off in earnest early next year. And while Marino may have apreference for an initial U.S. investor, anyone with a spare million would be sure to get a goodreception.