DigitalCarbon

What do they actually do

DigitalCarbon converts ordinary phone photos and videos into interactive, photoreal 3D scenes and virtual tours. The product is in early access: the site hosts demos and an access request form that lets you choose either an end‑user app or a developer API; there’s no public pricing or full API docs yet. Their demos are currently desktop‑only with “mobile support coming soon,” and they claim the rendered scenes run at over 100 frames per second on everyday devices (website, demo, YC listing, YC LinkedIn post).

Today’s workflow is simple: capture a property or product with a phone (photos or video), upload through the early‑access flow, and receive a shareable, interactive 3D scene or tour that runs on the web (desktop today). They’re recruiting beta users—particularly in real estate and e‑commerce—and haven’t published paying customer logos yet (website, YC listing).

Who are their target customer(s)

• Real estate agents and brokers: Photos and static floor plans don’t show how rooms connect or the true feel of a property, forcing many time‑consuming in‑person showings with unqualified buyers. (website, YC listing)
• Vacation‑rental hosts and property managers: Unclear listings lead to repetitive guest questions, booking friction, and post‑arrival surprises that increase support workload. (demo, website)
• E‑commerce merchants and product managers: 2D photos often miss size, detail, and context, which hurts confidence pre‑purchase and drives returns post‑purchase. (website, YC listing)
• Construction, inspection, and facilities teams: They need accurate visual records of sites/equipment; sending people for frequent checks is costly, slow, and can be unsafe. (website, YC listing)
• PropTech platforms and marketplace developer teams: They want embeddable 3D tours without special hardware or complex integrations; current options can be expensive and slow to implement. (website, YC listing)

How would they acquire their first 10, 50, and 100 customers

• First 10: Run hands‑on pilots with 10 local agents and hosts, converting 1–2 active listings each for free or a deep discount in exchange for feedback, a short quote, and permission to publish the tours. Personally onboard to remove UX friction and capture conversion/time‑saved data for case studies. (website, demo)
• First 50: Recruit real‑estate photographers, virtual‑tour vendors, and property managers as resellers/referrers with a margin and simple handoff. Use the initial case studies in short email sequences and one‑pagers aimed at brokerages and vacation‑management firms. (website, YC listing)
• First 100: Open an invite‑tier developer API and a self‑serve web app with clear pricing; land 2–3 integrations with listing sites, property‑management tools, or e‑commerce CMSs for distribution. Run targeted content/ads and automate onboarding to keep support load low. (website, YC listing)

What is the rough total addressable market

Top-down context:

Near‑term, the company maps to the virtual‑tour market (~$11.06B in 2024) plus AR/3D in e‑commerce (~$5.88B in 2024), for a focused ~$16–18B opportunity today (Grand View – Virtual Tour, Grand View – AR in E‑commerce). Longer‑term, platform integrations (PropTech) and digital‑twin/inspection workflows expand the pool into the tens of billions to >$100B reported by industry trackers (IMARC PropTech, Fortune PropTech, MarketsandMarkets Digital Twin).

Bottom-up calculation:

Bottom‑up, a conservative product‑aligned TAM sums virtual tours (~$11.06B) plus AR/3D e‑commerce (~$5.88B) = ≈$16.9B in 2024, matching what the product delivers today (web‑ready interactive tours and 3D product views) (Grand View – Virtual Tour, Grand View – AR in E‑commerce).

Assumptions:

• Use 2024 global market sizes; figures are directional and from third‑party reports.
• Count only spend aligned to interactive virtual tours and 3D/AR product visualization; exclude broader AR/VR and gaming.
• Treat PropTech and digital‑twin markets as expansion pools requiring enterprise features and integrations; avoid double‑counting.

Who are some of their notable competitors

• Matterport: Established leader in 3D capture and virtual tours for real estate and facilities; offers capture apps/devices and a hosting/distribution platform (site).
• Zillow 3D Home: Phone/360‑camera virtual tours and floor plans integrated into Zillow’s marketplace, widely used by agents for listing exposure (site).
• Luma AI: AI software that turns ordinary video/photos into 3D scenes and assets (NeRF/GS‑style capture) with web/mobile viewers and APIs emerging (site).
• Polycam: Mobile photogrammetry and LiDAR scanning app that creates and exports 3D models from phones and drones; used across creative and business workflows (site).
• CloudPano: Virtual‑tour software for real estate and local businesses using 360 photos; offers white‑label, MLS features, and simple web embeds (site).