The Challenge

Managing large files and embedded 3D

Matterport’s initial challenge lay in building a minimum viable product (MVP) to help them attract first-time customers, test the viability of their product, develop a more informed strategy, and attract additional funding from potential investors.

Their technology needed to allow users to upload extremely large files with 360-degree imagery. They also needed to be able to embed a 3D engine in their user portal. At the time of development, these were not insignificant challenges.

Once the original platform had evolved, Matterport also looked to add a new suite of features to the tool. They would need a developer that could work in Angular, a platform for building applications in HTML and TypeScript. As early adopters of this platform, Matterport needed someone who could execute on Angular without an existing knowledge base of how to troubleshoot or debug issues.

The Solution

Big-picture investment

Matterport turned to Cloud City engineer Alfie La Peter to help them build an MVP that would address both technical and big-picture challenges. To meet the large data issue posed by 3D imagery, Alfie worked around web requests timeouts for large file uploads, giving users smoother, faster uploading and an overall better experience. He successfully embedded a Unity player within the app, allowing users to view 3D images of homes and properties right on their laptop, tablet, or smartphone.

Alfie delivered the MVP in a timely, cost-effective manner by drawing on technical know-how and big-picture investment in the end result. Matterport was able to launch their pioneering product and begin offering real estate customers a brand-new service that would become the industry standard.

Matterport was so impressed with Cloud City’s work and investment into their platform that they approached them again for another round of development, shifting from backend development to frontend work. Drawing on previous experience with Angular, Alfie was able to build out new front-end features for Matterport with zero follow-up required to the initial delivery of the new features.

The Outcome

Industry-leading 3D imaging

Lead engineer Alfie La Peter worked fluidly with Matterport’s team to ensure productive decision-making and overall alignment on objectives. Working with individuals from both the product management and development teams, he was able to deliver on their goals and offer constructive feedback.

Cloud City helped set up Matterport for exceptional success in their space. In 2019, Matterport raised an additional $48 million (after raising just under $63 million) to ramp up their platform. They’ve also expanded to industries outside of real estate, including insurance and design. 90% of real estate agents say that Matterport helps them build a stronger brand, and 74% say that they win more listings because of Matterport.

Through expert development and productive partnership, Cloud City helped Matterport become one of the longest-standing industry leaders in 3D imaging for real estate.