“I’D LIKE FOR US TO BECOME PART OF POP CULTURE”, SAYS THE CO-FOUNDER OF 3D TECH STARTUP MPORT

For the uninitiated, the term ‘3D body-mapping’ might conjure up images of futuristic cartographers (which, to be fair, isn’t entirely off the mark). It’s the technology which has helped Sydney-based startup mPort land a reported $80m deal with America’s largest gym chain LA Fitness, secure $12 million in funding from high-net-worth Australian investors and onboard Westfield as a shareholder.

Founded in 2012 by Melody Shiue, Dipra Ray and Andy Wu, mPort enables people to generate a 3D avatar of their body with the aid of an ‘mPod’, a booth that uses non-invasive infra-red technology to map an individual’s body shape by capturing 20,000 data points. People can then access their avatars via the startup’s mobile app, which allows them to visualise and track physical changes in their body shape, including the progress of their fitness input, and otherwise monitor their health.

According to Shiue, mPort’s Chief Design Officer, the startup’s 3D body-mapping platform is “the first product in the world that actually shows you holistically the output of your activities, not just your weight scale (we all know BMI is not the only indicator of health) or the results of your daily step tracker, which you can vigorously shake on your wrist.” Read more

James Harkness - Dynamic Business - 4 Aug 2017