What is UPcload

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UpCload
Once,
Fit Always.
1.
About the company (founders, history, milestones).
Where did the
idea for UPcload
come from ?
UPcload founders Sebastian Schulze (left) and Asaf Moses (right).
Founders :
Name : Sebastian Schulze.
Title : Founder,
Managing Director.
Responsibilities : Administration
and Customer Relations.
Email : schulze@upcload.com
Abstract :
Sebastian graduated with a B.Sc.
in Business from the Humboldt
University in Berlin and at ESCPEAP in Paris in 2009 ranked at the
top of his class. Prior to founding
UPcload he was the top-level
representative of the German NGO
Humanitarian Help. Sebastian
brings his strong analytic and
project management skills
to UPcload.
Name : Asaf Moses.
Title : Founder,
Managing Director.
Responsibilities : Business
Development.
Email : moses@upcload.com
Abstract :
Asaf Moses graduated from the
Humboldt University in Berlin in
2009 with a B.Sc. in Economics.
He worked at the Israeli Embassy
in Berlin for 6 years focusing on
technology and business. Asaf is
excited to combine his interest
in fashion with his business and
technology expertise to transform
idea into reality.
The idea for UPcload came
about when university
classmates Asaf Moses and
Sebastian Schulze where
discussing their mutual frustration
with buying clothes online. Asaf
had just received another item of
secondhand clothing from Ebay
that didn’t fit properly and couldn’t
be returned. The two agreed that
this was a common problem ; that
clothes they purchased online
often didn’t fit offline. Determined
to find a creative solution to this
problem they founded UPcload in
Berlin, Germany in January 2010.
How was it
developed ?
Private Investors : 550K euro
Federal Grants : 100K euro
Prizes and Awards : ca. 100K euro
2
Milestones :
January 2010
The initial idea
and beginning of development.
June 2011
Signing
TheNorthFace
as a partner.
June 2010
Adding Imagu to the team.
May 2010
Failing of preliminary model.
2.
November 2011
Beta testing.
February 2012
Launch.
December 2010
Foundation as a GmbH.
About the Product
What is UPcload ?
UPcload
initiates a
new era of
e-fashion.
The UPcload
passport
allows users
to create an
online profile
of their
dimensions
and styling
preferences,
ensuring
that clothing
items bought
online fit
« offline ».
What can I do with
UPcload?
The UPcload i-box integrated in Wokaholic fashion website.
How do I create an Where can I log in ?
UPcload account ? The
UPcload i-box is in the place
you need it most – the product
Creating an UPcload profile
takes less than 10 minutes and
only needs to be done once. The
UPcload measuring-app scans via
webcam and calculates the user’s
dimensions (chest, waist, hips,
arms, etc). This profile can then
provide size recommendations
in any participating online
clothing store.
page of your favorite retailer. While
shopping you simply click the
UPcload box to create a profile or
log into an already existing profile.
Once you are logged in you can
get all the information you need
to purchase the specific item
you want with surety.
3
What can I do with What else can
UPcload ?
I do in the
Once you have set it up your
UPcload i-box ?
UPcload profile can provide you
with a recommendation of the
best size for any item of clothing
in the online store. Based on
this recommendation you can
then purchase clothing online
assured that when it arrives at
your doorstep it will fit the way
you want.
1. Buy clothes for friends
and family.
2. See visualisation of yourself
wearing the items – see
mimicme/fits.me
3. See how items fit other people.
4. See which items go together.
The UPcload i-box.
UPcload
suggests
Size 42
How can UPcload What is next for
change how I shop UPcload ?
online ?
UPcload believes in the mobile
UPcload opens up a new world
of e-fashion. Window-shopping on
Ebay and find the perfect t-shirt
but unsure if it will fit you ? Your
UPcload profile can erase the
anxiety of buying items online and
not knowing if they will fit offline.
3.
revolution and is currently working
on three product innovations :
1. Feet measurement : UPcload
will be able to accurately measure
your feet using a mobile camera.
2. Body measurement via mobile
– Some people only know internet
through their smartphones. We will
now work on a solution that fits them.
3. UPcload mobile app – to avoid
taking 5 items to the change room,
photo the barcode to know which
items will fit you best.
The Measurement Process (technical info) :
the
t
u
o
b
a
What
tuff ?
s
l
a
c
i
n
tech
How was UPcload
developed ?
UPcload’s measurement app
was developed in partnership with
leaders in cutting edge object
recognition and segmentation
technology, Dr. Mor Amitai and
Dr. Naomi Keren. UPcload’s Chief
Scientist Dr. Mor Amitai, former
CEO of NASDAQ corporation
Compugen, heads up the
development team in Tel Aviv.
Dr. Mor Amitai.
Dr. Naomi Keren.
4
The measurement
process in brief ?
The UPcload program scans
the person’s body in a series
of different poses (front on
and profile). From these scans
the program then calculates
the person’s dimensions.
What is the reason
for the different
poses ?
Different data is taken from
each photo/scan. For instance, in
the first profile pose the subject
raises their arms high and from
this the chest, belly, and hips are
measured. In the second profile
pose the subject places their
hands on their thighs and from this
the measure of the neck and chest
(this time in a rested position)
is determined.
How is a person
measured via
webcam ?
The measurement app is hard to
explain without reverting to a lot
of technical language. Simply put
it is a process by which image
capturing devices (e.g webcam)
provide images that are then
submitted to a three step process
of recognition, segmentation and
measurement.
The first step – recognition –
pertains to recognizing the
edges of the body, this is very
challenging using a wecam
at home conditions. Second
the body is differentiated and
segmented from the background
at a sub-pixel level (like an
automatic photoshop crop). And
lastly measuring the pixels of the
object by which the body size can
be determined (see the section
on CD and calculation for further
information).
The UPcload measurement process.
How are the
person's
dimensions
calculated ?
Using the CD as reference
object the application is able
to understand the size of other
objects in the picture. A CD is
a uniform 12cm in diameter. If a
CD is 24 pixels then every pixel
is equal to 0.5cm. Using this
equation then an arm that is 48
pixels long measures 24cm.
Background. Why ?
The background should be as bright
and homogenous as possible. to
create a clear distinction between
the body and the environment.
Why do you need a CD ?
As the conditions under which
measurements are taken will vary,
in order to calculate accurately
an object of consistent size and
shape is needed. A CD is a readily
available object of consistent size
and shape worldwide, hence the
reason it was chosen. Since the
CD is scanned held against the
midsection of the person it should
also be of a light color (white is
best) to ensure good contrast with
the person’s dark attire.
What is required ? How accurate
All that is required for the
is the
measurement process is a
computer (Mac or PC) and a
measurement ?
webcam.
Type of clothing. Why ?
The process requires the user to
wear tight fitting, dark colored
attire (tights and base layers are
ideal) in order to contrast strongly
with the background.
When done correctly the
measurement is accurate within
an average of 3 cm on large
circumferences (chest, hips, etc.).
5
4.
Statistics
What are the
reasons people
choose not to
purchase clothes
online ?
Surveys have shown that the main
deterrent to buying clothes online
is the uncertainty that the item will
not fit when it arrives in the post.
Consumers often look for fashion
online but buy offline in a store.
The UPcload measurement process.
Online shopping has seen a
stable growth rate in recent
years. The fastest growth rate
is in the area of footwear and
clothing. In Germany, online sales
of these goods have grown by
86% between 2006 and 2009. In
2009 footwear and clothing worth
more than 5.2 bn EUR were sold
online. In the U.S. online sales of
clothing and footwear amounted
to more than 24 bn EUR. High
growth rates are expected for
the future.
Why do people
return clothes
purchased online ?
The average return rate in the
e-fashion industry is 40%. This
staggeringly high proportion costs
businesses more than 1bn EUR
per annum in Germany alone.
The item not fitting is the main
reason for the return of clothing
bought online.
Brick &
Mortar Sales
Online Sales
U.S. Clothing market
$371 billion
50%
50%
U.S. Computer market
$40 billion
Item does
not fit.
• Item is damaged (41%)
• Wrong item delivered (24%)
• Other reasons (11%)
• Item arrived too late (10%)
• Poor quality (7%)
65%
h
The growth of
online sales of
clothing and
footwear.
Clothing has the largest
sales value of all eCommerce
categories. This year, clothing
sold by eCommerce is estimated
at $31bn in the US alone.
However, clothing is the most
difficult category for online sales as only 7% clothing is sold online.
In comparison, 50% of computers
and 61% of books are sold online.
7%
a rc
consumption.
93%
ir
es
e
How much is spent How many
on clothing ?
people currently
According to Statistisches
purchase their
Bundesamt, in Germany the
purchase of clothing and footwear
clothes online ?
makes up about 5% of private
sou
rc
e :
Ib
6
5.
Quotes and Awards
Quotes.
“With their idea, Schulze
and Moses will revolutionize
purchasing in Online-Shops.”
Berliner Zeitung
March 14th 2011
“One of the more interesting
companies I have recently
encountered is a Berlin-based
startup, UPcload.”
The Wall Street Journal
November 7th 2011
“In Bloomberg
Businessweek’s own test,
the results were spot-on !”
Business Week
December 08th 2011
“UPcload functions surprisingly
well, as SPIEGEL ONLINE
discovered in its own test
of the product.”
Spiegel Online
November 17th 2011
“Software that can end the agony
of online clothes shopping.”
The Daily Mail
November 14th 2011
“If UPcload succeeds in this
technical feat, it will add
a whole new dimension to
Virtual Dressing.”
TextilWirtschaft
November 27th 2010
“We know exactly what fits you.”
WVDI-News
January 24th 2011
“A start-up business from Berlin
that will make sure your tights
jeans and baggy suit are a thing
of the past.”
Die Welt
April 28th 2011
Overview
of contest
participation
and awards.
1. Winner of
Gründerwettbewerbes
(founder competition)
IKT Innovativ 2011
(Federal Ministry of Economics)
30,000 euro prize
5. Winner of rising stars 2011
(Bundesverband des Deutschen
Versandhandels & Fid-verlag)
10,000 euro prize
2. Winner of erfolgsgaranten
(success stories) 2011
(Agentur SK communikation)
50,000 euro prize in form of
marketing benefits
6. Winner of BPW
in the technology category
(Businessplan-Wettbewerb
Berlin-Brandenburg)
1,000 euro prize
3. Winner of 2nd
entrepreneurship competition
2011 (Unica Network)
20,000 euro prize
7. Participation in startupbattlefield in Beijing, China
(techchrunch disrupt 2011)
4. Winner of innovationspreises
(innovations prize) 2011
(Gesellschaft für Informatik)
2,500 euro prize
8. Germany’s Startup of 2011
(deutsche startups).