Pengyu Hong, Danfeng Li,

Jun Li, Zhaoyu Liu, Zhen Wen

—— Multimedia Converting InterfaceMultimedia Converting Interface

Company OverviewCompany Overview

Mission:

Innovate computer character animation.– Multimedia-driven face animation – Reconfigurable virtualization

Company: – Hi-tech animation software company

– Based on years of research supervised by Prof. Thomas S. Huang at UIUC

Product Description Product Description – Technology

IFaceSpeech to face

animation

Speech streamText stream

Text to face animation

Video to face animation

Video stream

Face Modeling

Product DescriptionProduct Description – Product line – Product line

IFace Software Development Kit (SDK)

IFace Basic – Low cost & quality IFace Professional – Moderate cost & quality IFace Enterprise – High cost & quality

Future products

– Importable engines & function calls.

IFace Software

Full body animation

Product Description Product Description – Applications– Applications

Video GamesVideo Games

TV/Movies

Visual Communication

Electronic Art’s WCW wrestling game

Tomb raider

Product Description Product Description – Applications– Applications

Video Games

TV/MoviesTV/Movies

Visual Communication

Toy Story

Product Description Product Description – Applications– Applications

Video Games

TV/Movies

Visual

Communication

(Source: Newsweek)

– Visual email– Internet chatting– Web advertising– Very low bandwidth handheld device communication– Web-based real-time customer supports

Product Description Product Description – Value Proposition– Value Proposition

We bring competition advantages to our customers by helping them:

Multimedia driven face animation.– Increase flexibility

Automatically create high-quality face animation.– Save time & cost

Enable face-based,vivid information delivery.– Attract buyer’s attention.

Achieve reconfigurable virtualization– Create more realistic and appealing products

Market Analysis Market Analysis – Video game– Video game

Video games represent the fastest growing segment in the U.S. entertainment industry

3.74.4

5.56.1

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1996 1997 1998 1999Year

$Bil

lion

105

133

181 187.7

50

70

90

110

130

150

170

190

210

1996 1997 1998 1999Year

Mil

lion

Revenue Growth Unit Sales Growth

(Source: PC Data)

Market Analysis Market Analysis – Video game– Video game

Video games represent the fastest growing segment in the U.S. entertainment industry

3.74.4

5.56.1

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1996 1997 1998 1999Year

$Bill

ion 105

133

181 187.7

0

50

100

150

200

1996 1997 1998 1999Year

Mill

ion

Revenue Growth Unit Sales Growth

(Source: PC Data)

1Q of 2000: unit sales grew 20%, revenue increased 16%.

Market Analysis – Market Analysis – Animation Tools

(Source: M2 Research)

Million

$152MAGR 12.6%

$358MAGR 14.8%

Market Analysis Market Analysis – Customer analysis– Customer analysis

Our potential customers include:

Companies that integrate IFace SDK into their products for reconfigurable virtualization:

• NINTENDO

• Sony

• Electronic Arts

… …

Market Analysis Market Analysis – Customer analysis– Customer analysis

Our potential customers include: Companies that integrate IFace SDK into their products for

reconfigurable virtualization.

Companies that use IFace software as development tool in their business:

• On-line news or information providers (e.g. Ananova, CNN).

• Online advertisement producers (e.g. Advertising.com, Direct-Web Advertising, Y&R Advertising).

• Web-based real-time customer support providers (e.g. FaceTime Communications Inc., LivePerson Inc).

Market Analysis Market Analysis – Customer analysis– Customer analysis

Our potential customers include: Companies that use our products to design or manufacture their own

product.

Companies that use our products as development tool in their business.

Millions of end users.

Market Analysis Market Analysis – Competitor analysis– Competitor analysis

CompetitorsCompetitors Our AdvantageOur Advantage

Companies use traditional approaches (e.g. Discreet, SoftImage, Maya )

New technology which saves at least 90% time, therefore saves cost

Market Analysis Market Analysis – Competitor analysis– Competitor analysis

CompetitorsCompetitors Our AdvantageOur Advantage

Companies use traditional approaches (e.g. Discreet, SoftImage, Maya )

New technology which saves at least 90% time, therefore saves cost

Face2Face – Video driven

LIPSinc – Speech driven

Companies use new technology

Complete solutions Text driven Speech driven

Video driven (better)

Market Analysis Market Analysis – Competitor analysis– Competitor analysis

CompetitorsCompetitors Our AdvantageOur Advantage

Companies use traditional approaches (e.g. Discreet, SoftImage, Maya )

New technology which saves at least 90% time, therefore saves cost

Face2Face – Video driven

Companies use new technology Complete solutions Text driven Speech driven Video driven (better) LIPSinc – Speech driven

Potential competitors in the future (research labs)

More advanced technology

Early move advantageMore energetic &

motivated

Marketing Plan – Marketing Plan – Target marketTarget market

Video game as main target• Large ($6.1 billion in 1999); high growth rate (16%

in 1Q 2000)• Benefit most from our technology

Pricing: License – charge by video game unit sold

• Well-defined market: ~20 major companies;

the largest four take 50% of the market share

Product: IFace SDK – importable engine

Marketing Plan – Marketing Plan – Target market (cont.)Target market (cont.)

Animation software

Pricing: Charge by software unit

• TV/Movie studios – currently the largest market in animation software industry (42%, 1999)

Products: Different versions of software products

• E-commerce – emerging market along with the growth of Internet industry.

• End users – large potential customer base

Marketing Plan – Marketing Plan – Advertising & PromotionAdvertising & Promotion

Advertising

• Magazine and online ads– Game Developer– Computer Graphics World– Yahoo– eBay– …

Marketing Plan – Marketing Plan – Advertising & PromotionAdvertising & Promotion

Advertising• Magazine and online ads

• Trade shows and conferences– SIGGRAPH– ACM Multimedia– COMDEX

Marketing Plan – Marketing Plan – Advertising & PromotionAdvertising & Promotion

Advertising• Magazine and online ads• Trade shows and conferences

• Product reviews– Digital Producer– Gamasutra– cnet– zdnet

Marketing Plan – Marketing Plan – Advertising & PromotionAdvertising & Promotion

Advertising• Magazine and online ads• Trade shows and conferences• Product reviews

• On-line MCIFace community– announce news– provide services– exchange ideas among the end users

Marketing Plan – Marketing Plan – Advertising & PromotionAdvertising & Promotion

Advertising• Magazine and online ads• Trade shows and conferences• Product reviews• On-line MCIFace community

Promotion• Free license of IFace SDK for the 1st year• Time-limited free trial of IFace software products

Operations and DevelopmentOperations and DevelopmentOperations – Quick reacting to the market demands

– Good relationship with customers– Competent engineer team– Continuous R&D

Development timeline

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Sep Oct Nov Dec

DevelopingDeveloping

Testing Testing

ReleasingReleasing

Management TeamManagement TeamFounders with competent technological expertise

– Pengyu Hong (CTO) and Zhen Wen are the key researchers of the project leads to MCIFace tech. at UIUC.

– 10 accumulative years of software development experience in face modeling/animation

An external experienced CEO, VP Marketing, VP Sales and CFO.

Strong board of advisors

Financial PlanFinancial Plan

In Year 5, sales of $71.6 million, with an after-tax net profit of $29.1 million, and a staff of about 105.

$20,000 seed fund from the founders. Financing round

financing Date Amount Shares IRR

1st round Jan-01 $1.6 mil 24% 85%

2nd round Jan-02 $2.0 mil 8% 55%

Breakeven at the end of the 3rd year

Exit StrategiesExit Strategies

Buyout– By animation software companies (e.g.

Discreet, SoftImage)– By large companies (e.g. Microsoft, AT&T)

IPO– Solid products– Sound market share

Demo Demo – Text driven face animaton– Text driven face animaton

“We strive to make the meter on animation production, and are always looking for new technology that will enable faster, more appealing character creation,”

said Joel Kransove, Digital Director of Nickelodeon. (Source: Digital Producer)

Demo Demo – Speech driven face animation– Speech driven face animation

“Game characters have become synthetic actors and dialogue is an essential element of the effect we create. The quality of the lip-synching can make or break the sense of reality,”

said Scott Cronce, vice president and CTO at Electronic Art (Source: Gamepro)

Demo Demo – Video driven face animation– Video driven face animation