Following Amutri’s £1 million raise in grant and equity funding, we had a chat with CEO, Michael Calver and Product Manager, Masayuki Kishi, to hear their story…

Amutri at a glance: 

• Start date:  August 2021
• Market sector: Enterprise software
• Location:  Falmouth, Cornwall
• Number of employees:  11
• Company growth status:  Launch

Let’s start with Amutri’s elevator pitch

Amutri is building a revolutionary 3D Visualisation product that turns Computer-aided design (CAD) and Building Information Modelling (BIM) files into 3D experiences, in seconds.

Amutri’s product enables companies to quickly and easily create and share 3D content and view rich 3D experiences on any device. This will allow design teams to re-imagine how they work together and engage with their customers, as well as enhance stakeholder experiences to generate better engagement and increase sales.

Although the benefits of 3D Visualisation technology are clear, it’s currently difficult to adopt and expensive to maintain. Amutri is building a step-change product that delivers a simple path to adopting 3D Visualisation technology. It’s the first time that the technology has been made so easy to access, rapid and cost effective.

How will Amutri’s immersive 3D visualisation disrupt the industry?

Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industries are moving towards the adoption of 3D Visualisation technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), with design, marketing and sales industries standing to benefit from the technology first and foremost.

Amutri is targeting the Applied Visualisation space, which goes beyond image output by leveraging design data to address pain points and revolutionise product life cycles, from building design, through to marketing, sales, decommission and maintenance.

With its technology, Amutri will support stakeholder engagement of large architectural projects, facilitate the design of new transport hubs and clean energy power plants, as well as enable academic institutions to unlock the potential of 3D experiences and immersive visualisation technology.

How did your startup journey begin?

We first incorporated Amutri as part of the Falmouth University Launchpad Venture Studio programme in 2021. The incorporation of Amutri was driven by my (Michael’s) experience of over 20 years in the Applied Visualisation industry, pioneering the use of gaming technology in aviation, automotive, Formula One, architectural design, transport, and retail development.

I (Masayuki) have a product and interior design background and so have personally experienced the pain points and current holes in the technology. I think there is ample opportunity for software to enable designers and architects to be more productive when engaging with stakeholders. By lowering the barriers for stakeholder engagement, I believe we can create a more democratic future where more people can shape our future environment and allow architects and designers to make data-driven design decisions.

With advancements in the technologies that underpin Applied Visualisation, combined with a significantly increased demand for 3D visualisations and experiences, we decided it was time to build a simple, fast, and cost-effective path to this incredible technology.

How has SETsquared Bristol incubation support helped?

Our journey with Amutri began with a clear ambition to secure venture capital. However, given the challenging economic climate, we recognised the need for every possible form of business support.

SETsquared Bristol emerged as a crucial partner in transforming Amutri into a venture-backed startup. Its incubation programmes not only cover the fundamental aspects but have also introduced us to a super supportive peer network of founders who share similar goals. The ongoing support from SETsquared Bristol has been instrumental in our personal and business development, consistently pushing us to enhance our skills and stay focused on our objectives.

Our Entrepreneur in Residence has helped us formalise our message for investors and guide our go-to-market strategy with an enterprise-first approach. They’ve helped us to clarify a lot of complex thoughts and options into a simple, actionable plan for the next 6-8 months.

What funding have you raised and what advice would you give to other founders from the process?

We initially raised our first £300k from the Falmouth University Launchpad Venture Studio, and then last July an Innovate UK Smart Grant of £492k to offer a more scalable, flexible and accessible, solution to 3D visualisation, primarily within manufacturing and engineering. We’ve since raised £500k in equity funding from two VC funds.

Our community and supporters have helped us to get to this stage – having a network of allies has been instrumental in our success. The South West is a really supportive ecosystem, with SETsquared, Tech South West, the NatWest Accelerator, the list goes on. Make sure you connect with as many people as possible because this is not a single player experience.

We’d advise other founders to build resilience and put contingencies in place with regards to alternative sources of funding and plans for staff recruitment and remuneration. Trying to maintain wellbeing physically and mentally as a founder is also a must.

What’s next for Amutri?

Our next big step involves the expansion of our enterprise-focused customer pipeline. Our primary target is companies in engineering and architectural design to assist them in effectively engaging stakeholders and boosting sales.

We’re also accelerating product development by forming partnerships with engineering and manufacturing firms, including those in the furniture and lighting sectors, to create a robust 3D asset library accessible to users within our 3D experiences. Additionally, we’re collaborating with technology partners such as AWS and leveraging their GenAI product stack to address our current technological challenges.

To support growth, we’ll soon be recruiting in operations, engineering, sales and business development in the South West.

Find out about SETsquared Bristol’s incubation programmes.