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Last Updated: 04/02/2026
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720 Northern Blvd, Brookville, NY, USA
11-50
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ABSTRACT 3DWooW Technology Co., Ltd (3DWooW) is a professional 3D image content supplier founded in 2015 by Li Gangyue. The company is based in Shanghai, China, at the National Public Pilot Base for Entrepreneurs, one of the country’s most prominent incubators. 3DWooW focuses on one-stop solutions for film and television series, medical images, commercials, and corporate image displays. The company boasts a patent in the self-developed Pixel and Depth Auto-Retrieval Technology (PADART), which is able to convert the video signals shot by the common single camera into vivid 3D equivalents. The company is establishing itself as the thought leader in virtual reality, augmented reality, 3D content production, and technological innovation. 3DWooW flourished in the National Public Pilot Base for Entrepreneurs (the incubator). The incubator boosts a 50.5% success rate, and 618 of the 1,224 startups grew to become full-fledged enterprises. Due to a $ 1 billion investment from the government, 3DWooW was able to take advantage of human resources and social public space. 3DWoow was able to successfully soft launch its business by focusing on the movie and film industry. However, given the expected growth of other segments and future market challenges, Mr. Li Gangyue and his executive team are interested in identifying its most lucrative direction to scale the company for rapid growth and first-mover advantage. Keywords: 3D Technology, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Incubator, Technological ChangeThe direction of technological innovation, Page 1. 193001 – Journal of Business Cases and Applications INTRODUCTION 3DWooW is a professional 3D image content supplier that focuses on one-stop solutions for films and television series, medical images, commercials, and corporate image displays. It is one of the few companies equipped with the most vanguard graphic processing workstations and a non-linear editing system (NLE) with patented technology. The Pixel and Depth Auto-Retrieval Technology (PADART) can be seen as a milestone in relieving the pressure caused by inadequate video sources, high production costs, and long working periods. The company developed a disruptive technology based on intellectual graphic algorithms and created the 3D element natural alignment that has been proven an effective replacement for manual frame-by-frame retouching. The new technology allows for a zero-step delamination transition from 2D to 3D signals, applicable to any films or telefilms available now. The company has expanded over the last few years. The team grew from two founders to sixteen employees. In addition, they have attracted experts with more than 30 years of experience in a variety of fields, including film and television special effects, animation CG integration, Ph.D. experts in the field, and talented marketers. The company has substantially benefited from these experts due to their familiarity with both domestic and international experience. The company structure today has grown into five major departments; R&D, HR, Marketing, Sales, and Finance. 3DWooW has been acknowledged as one of the market leaders with potential applications in a variety of segments: ✔ Visual tracking, virtual interaction, real-time 3D modeling, multi-thread rendering, psychology of vision, overcoming motion sickness, and 360° immersive image syntheses. ✔ Technical support for online interactions such as content transmission, displaying, and 3D bullet screens (words, cartoons, or images). ✔ Comprehensive support for 3D displaying and broadcasting, including 3D cartoons, 3D screen production and syntheses. ✔ 3D contents produced/transited by 3D element natural alignment compatible with almost any 3D-embedded displayers. ✔ With the application of self-developed mathematics modules and exclusive algorithms, pixels of the original images are enhanced simultaneously during the process of being transited from 2D to 3D, thus bringing spectacular visual effects. In 2017, Li Gangyue and the management team evaluated the possibility of expanding the business and using its state-of-the-art technology to enter the medical market, specifically in minimally invasive operation display. 3DWooW teamed up with International Consulting Group (“ICON”) to analyze the probable path to success in entering this market.The direction of technological innovation, Page 2. 193001 – Journal of Business Cases and Applications 3D IMAGING SEGMENT The global 3D medical imaging segment is growing exponentially, as indicated in figure 1 (Appendix). The segment includes applications in movies, design, healthcare, entertainment, defense, manufacturing, and construction. In 2014, The global 3D medical imaging segment was valued at $3.5 billion. By 2021, the market is expected to reach $18 billion. 3D Imaging in healthcare has a compound annual growth rate of 26.8%. When examining the 3D imaging by region, North America has the highest current market share of 49%. This dominates the other regions, Asia Pacific at 20%, Europe at 26%, and ROW (rest of the world) at 5%. Asia Pacific is the fastest-growing market consisting of electronics, healthcare equipment, and industrial equipment, with a compound annual growth rate of 28%. 3D TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS BY SEGMENT 3D Movie Segment The 3D movie segment is mature and highly concentrated. The major players in this segment are NBC Universal, Sony, Time Warner, Walt Disney, and FOX. The 3D movie segment revenue was $6.2 billion in 2016. Although the industry’s current decline experienced in recent years is -0.9%, the future projection turns positive with a +2.2% annual growth rate by 2020. The disruption is being caused by players such as Netflix and Hulu’s consumers opting to stream video from home versus going to theaters or facing the lack of 3D capabilities in most televisions. Television Segment The global television segment has a fragmented market of new and old players. The projection of the television segment has growth leading to $16 billion in revenue by 2020. More specifically, the movie segment currently has $6.2B in revenue, with revenue expected to increase, as indicated in figure 2 (Appendix). At-home streaming boosts home viewing, making this segment a growth market with emerging players. Projections find that younger generations prefer cord-cutters, defined as getting rid of landline phones. The penetration stands at 76% of households now have streaming technology. Of these subscribers, 57 million are in the United States. As the popularity of Netflix's streaming service has increased, the company has seen its DVD segment decline. Having reached 5 million subscribers in the 3-month period ending in June 2018, Netflix has reached 130 million streaming subscribers worldwide. |
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This case focuses on evaluating growth opportunities for a technology-driven company operating across multiple emerging 3D imaging segments. Students will develop skills in market selection, innovation strategy, and commercialization while determining how 3DWooW can achieve scalable growth and first-mover advantage.
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