[Solution Report] Their Startup and Future
③ Hajinwoo, CEO of Urbanbase
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] "It took 4 hours to create the Sewol ferry blueprints in 3D, but now it only takes 10 minutes."
During the Sewol ferry sinking incident, the government’s Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters had to conduct rescue operations while looking at the 2D design drawings of the Sewol ferry made in Japan. Hajinwoo (38), CEO of Urbanbase, felt sorry for this situation and created 3D blueprints to assist the headquarters in rescue activities.
At the time of the Sewol ferry accident, it took 4 hours to convert the large ship’s design drawings into 3D, but now it only takes 10 minutes. The technology has advanced so much that converting a single apartment blueprint into 3D takes only 1 to 2 seconds. Urbanbase developed technology that automatically converts 2D blueprint images into 3D space and builds augmented reality (AR) where interior simulations can be tried in this virtual space. This technology has been patented in Korea, the United States, Japan, and Europe.
Currently, 80% of apartments nationwide (5.6 million households) have 3D blueprint data, and over 7,000 modeling products have been digitized and are actively used in the furniture, home appliances, and interior industries. With this technology, users can check the structure of their current or future apartments and pre-arrange furniture, home appliances, daily necessities, flooring, wallpaper, and windows to try out interior designs.
One company actively utilizing Urbanbase’s technology is the furniture company 'Illoom.' Illoom was the first in the furniture industry to adopt Urbanbase’s augmented and virtual reality (VR) services. High-spec PCs were installed in all stores nationwide, allowing customers to preview how their interiors would change when placing furniture in their apartments, thereby increasing customer satisfaction.
CEO Ha said, "Illoom’s online sales in the first half of the year grew 44% compared to the same period last year, and Urbanbase’s technology played a key role in this." He added, "Illoom is our first and most appreciated client, and I’m very happy to see them doing so well."
An employee of the furniture company Illum using Urbanbase's '3D Home Design' program. Furniture can be arranged in a virtual space to preview interior design. [Photo by Urbanbase]
CEO Ha was a game enthusiast. He confessed, "I memorized the spatial structures of famous overseas cities I had never visited through games. Then I thought that creating virtual spaces identical to reality would have many applications. Games greatly helped me understand space and learn coding skills."
Majoring in architecture, CEO Ha wanted to reduce the effort and time spent on manually creating architectural models after design. He developed AR and VR construction technology because he believed that if it could be realized in 3D, there would be no need to make physical models.
It would be a mistake to think Urbanbase only has AR and VR construction technology. The performance difference between the free service version available to customers on Urbanbase’s website and the 'B2B (business-to-business) version' provided to partners is significant.
The B2B version is linked with ERP systems, which efficiently and automatically manage all business workflows such as finance, accounting, purchasing, production, and sales. When a customer simulates through '3D Home Design' and selects a product, a quotation is generated, and inventory is automatically checked. Once ordered, sales are automatically recorded, eliminating the need for additional work.
With guaranteed operational convenience, many companies are seeking Urbanbase’s system. Major partners include Illoom and Deskker of the Persys Group, Ace Bed, LG Electronics, Casamia, Lotte Hi-Mart, and about 40 others. Shinsegae I&C and Woomi Construction have formed strategic partnerships. The Japanese branch provides services to four major companies in Japan, including real estate and furniture firms.
CEO Ha said, "We have applied for patents in China and are negotiating copyright issues for blueprint databases in overseas markets such as the U.S. and Europe. Companies like Samsung, Google, and Microsoft are also rushing to develop AR and VR technologies. The true golden age of AR and VR technology is coming."
Urbanbase was established in 2014 with an investment of 25 million won from SparkLabs and is expected to surpass the break-even point this year. In just six years since its founding, it has grown into a global company with overseas branches. In China, 'Kujiale,' a company with similar technology to Urbanbase, has become a unicorn. Urbanbase’s technology is ahead of Kujiale’s. Urbanbase’s goal is to grow into a unicorn company surpassing Kujiale in Korea.
Urbanbase’s next target is the shipbuilding industry. Except for some parts of the hull, creating internal spaces in ships is similar to architecture. CEO Ha said, "Learning from the Sewol ferry accident, if ship blueprints are also converted into 3D, it could be beneficial for building luxury cruise ships and rescue operations during accidents." His attention is focused on every place that has space.
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