Sturfee Inc. Company Profile

Background

Founded in 2015, Sturfee Inc. is a technology company specializing in spatial intelligence solutions. The company focuses on developing Visual Positioning Service (VPS) powered augmented reality (AR) solutions that deliver satellite views, city-scale visual fingerprint maps, and computer vision 3D recognition.

Key Strategic Focus

Sturfee's strategic focus is on creating a highly scalable, machine-readable representation of the world by leveraging satellite imagery and computer vision. This approach enables devices to accurately understand and match their surroundings, facilitating applications in navigation, tourism, ride-sharing, gaming, outdoor advertising, and marketing.

Financials and Funding

Sturfee has raised a total of $4 million in seed funding. The latest funding round, amounting to $4 million, was completed on December 4, 2017. Notable investors include Asahi Media Lab Ventures, CRCM Ventures, GFR Fund, Kenneth Denman, and Larry Waldinger.

Technological Platform and Innovation

Sturfee's proprietary technology utilizes satellite imagery combined with computer vision to create a 3D mesh of urban environments. This enables devices to recognize and interact with their surroundings in real-time, facilitating applications such as:

Visual Positioning Service (VPS): Allows devices to determine their precise location and orientation by analyzing visual data.

City-Scale AR Experiences: Enables the overlay of digital information onto physical environments, enhancing user experiences in navigation, tourism, and advertising.

Leadership Team

Anil Cheriyadat, Ph.D. – Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer: Dr. Cheriyadat has a background in computer vision and geospatial intelligence, having previously worked at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Laboratories.

Harini Sridharan, Ph.D. – Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer: Dr. Sridharan brings expertise in computer vision and machine learning, contributing to the development of Sturfee's core technologies.

Competitor Profile

Market Insights and Dynamics

The augmented reality (AR) and spatial intelligence market is experiencing significant growth, driven by advancements in technology and increasing demand for immersive experiences. The integration of AR into various sectors such as navigation, tourism, and advertising presents substantial opportunities for companies like Sturfee.

Competitor Analysis

Key competitors in the spatial intelligence and AR market include:

Descartes Labs: Provides geospatial intelligence solutions, focusing on analyzing satellite imagery for various applications.

INDE: Develops interactive and immersive products and experiences in advertising, entertainment, and education.

Dispelix Oy: Designs and manufactures optical see-through near-to-the-eye display technology for smart glasses.

Augmania: Offers a storytelling tool that enables marketers to build interactive AR campaigns.

Strategic Collaborations and Partnerships

Sturfee has established significant partnerships to enhance its market position and technological capabilities:

KDDI Corporation: Japan's second-largest cellular service provider has integrated Sturfee's VPS to geolocate AR experiences throughout major metropolitan areas, aiming to create new communication scenes linked to location information.

Deutsche Telekom and MobiledgeX: Collaborated with Sturfee to accelerate XR application development on a multi-access edge computing (MEC) platform, enhancing the scalability and performance of AR applications.

Operational Insights

Sturfee's unique approach of utilizing satellite imagery for creating 3D city models provides a distinct competitive advantage. This method allows for rapid and cost-effective scaling of AR experiences across large urban areas, differentiating Sturfee from competitors that rely on ground-based scanning methods.

Strategic Opportunities and Future Directions

Sturfee is poised to capitalize on the growing demand for AR applications by expanding its VPS coverage to additional cities and regions. The company's focus on integrating its technology with 5G services and wearables positions it to play a pivotal role in the future of spatial computing and immersive experiences.