Mobile Scanning + AI Customized Footwear: Shoe-Finding Platform Launches Seed Round Financing
01 Core Pain Points
The traditional footwear industry has long adopted a standardized production model, establishing a sizing system based on average foot shape data and requiring consumers to adapt to existing shoe styles. While this model meets the basic needs of the general public, it also brings obvious limitations. Athletes, people with flat feet, and consumers with high requirements for foot health often have difficulty finding shoes that truly fit their feet. The resulting foot discomfort not only affects daily activities and sports performance but also increases potential foot health risks. Meanwhile, the return rate of footwear products on e - commerce platforms has remained at a relatively high level for a long time, and the traditional production model is also accompanied by problems such as inventory backlog and resource waste.
In terms of market trends, domestic footwear consumption is evolving from standardization to personalization. As consumers' demands for health, comfort, and personalization increase, and the size of the sports population expands, the acceptance and willingness to pay for customized shoes are gradually rising. Currently, the global footwear market is worth approximately $500 billion. Among them, the market size of the customized shoe segment is expected to reach about $7.4 billion in 2026 and is projected to grow to $16.8 billion by 2033, with a compound annual growth rate of approximately 12%. The compound annual growth rate of the 3D - printed customized shoe sub - segment is even higher, reaching around 18%. However, in the domestic market, the proportion of intelligent 3D - printed customized shoes is still relatively low, and the overall segment is in its early stage, with no leading players yet.
02 Solutions
The "Shoes Find People" project aims to change the traditional footwear production and consumption models through technological means. The project plans to allow users to complete foot shape scanning via their mobile phones. The system will then conduct multi - dimensional analysis of users' sports habits, foot pressure distribution, and arch shape in combination with an AI model, and finally output personalized shoe shape parameters. In the production process, a hybrid manufacturing method of 3D - printed soles and traditional uppers will be adopted to control costs while ensuring performance.
Different from some existing customized shoe solutions, this project emphasizes the analysis of dynamic sports habits rather than relying solely on static foot shape data. This design direction aims to improve the fit and comfort of shoes in actual use scenarios.
In terms of the technical path, the project relies on the 3D scanning ability of mobile phones, AI algorithm models, and the hybrid manufacturing ability of the supply chain. Currently, the penetration rate of smartphones in China is relatively high, AI technology has become quite mature in the fields of posture estimation and data analysis, and the cost of 3D printing has also decreased significantly compared to before. These factors provide a technical and cost basis for the implementation of the project.
03 Business Model
In terms of the business model, the project plans to take product sales as the core source of revenue and at the same time explore the incremental space brought by accessory upgrades and repeat purchases. On the customer acquisition side, the project intends to combine content marketing and DTC conversion, with Douyin, Xiaohongshu, and private communities as the main traffic channels. The project team's calculations show that there is room to achieve a reasonable profit rate under the current pricing and cost structure.
Currently, the proportion of intelligent 3D - printed customized shoes in the overall footwear market in China is still relatively low, while the proportion of traditional standardized shoes is relatively high. The segment is still in the blue - ocean stage. The project hopes to reduce the difficulty for users to obtain personalized customized shoes through the low - threshold method of mobile phone scanning. At the same time, relying on the mature footwear supply chain in China, it can form certain advantages in terms of cost and delivery efficiency.
04 Project Stage
Currently, the project is still in its early stage. The verification work of core functions is in progress, and the formal team has not been fully established, nor has product mass production been completed. Sui Yingjie, the founder of the project, is currently the core person - in - charge, responsible for the overall product direction and technical implementation planning. The project has no historical financing records and is still in the stage of product and business model verification.
Judging from the current progress, the project has conducted some exploration in the core logic of the product and the technical path, but there is still a long way to go to form a stable business closed - loop. The team plans to gradually promote product iteration, team building, and market verification after completing this round of financing.
05 Financing Requirements
To promote the development of the project, the "Shoes Find People" project plans to launch a seed - round financing, aiming to raise 8 million yuan. This round of financing will be mainly used for core product R & D, team building, and the first - round market verification. The project has no historical financing records. Previously, the customized shoe segment was difficult to achieve large - scale commercialization due to technical costs and infrastructure limitations. However, the popularization of smartphones, the maturity of AI technology, the decrease in 3D printing costs, and the upgrading of consumer demand are creating a relatively favorable window period.