Thangs: The World’s Largest 3D Art Community
Thangs, the 3D art community created by Physna, has experienced exponential growth, surpassing 20 million monthly active users. In just a year, Thangs has seen a significant increase in users, growing from one million to 20 million. This surge in popularity can be attributed to Thangs’ unique offerings, including access to 3D model search, collaboration features, intellectual property protection, and monetization options.
Thangs has quickly become the go-to platform for 3D creators and enthusiasts, with an additional four million users joining in the past month alone. The subscription service allows users to find, share, and sell 3D models for both the real world and metaverse. Fortune 500 companies have also recognized the value of Thangs, further solidifying its position in the industry.
One of Thangs’ standout features is its core technology, which enables unmatched geometric search and collaboration capabilities. According to Paul Powers, CEO of Physna, Thangs is breaking new ground by automatically protecting creators’ intellectual property. This means that even if the name and image of a 3D model are changed, Thangs can still identify unauthorized use on the web.
The concept of intellectual property protection has traditionally been a challenge within the 3D space. However, Thangs has turned this weakness into a strength, leading to its rapid growth. As the creator economy continues to expand, with estimates suggesting it will double in the next five years, the demand for IP protection within the 3D industry will only increase.
Thangs has also become a valuable platform for creators to monetize their work. Subscribers can access Thangs’ vast library of 3D models and utilize them in various ways. Creators are then compensated for their contributions that are used by subscribers. This income potential has attracted many designers and animators to Thangs, with some earning over $500,000 a year and projected to exceed $1 million annually in the near future.
Physna, the creator of Thangs, is driven by its core technology, which involves a geometric search engine. This engine bridges the gap between the physical world and digital code, providing a deeper understanding of real-world objects’ physical properties and their relationships. By codifying the 3D world, Physna’s technology creates a matrix of all geometrics and spatial relationships within an object or model. With the application of AI, the data is normalized, models are classified, elements are compared, and tags are suggested.
Physna’s technology addresses several challenges faced by the 3D industry, including standards, collaboration, discoverability, and IP protection. Unlike other platforms that require a standardized file format, Physna’s platform eliminates this need by preserving the geometric logic of the model. The image can be instantly reconstructed in any format required by the buyer. This flexibility has made Thangs a hub for 3D printing, with many objects being printed by subscribers.
Thangs’ success has attracted significant investment from top venture capital firms, including Drive Capital, Sequoia Capital, Tiger Global, and GV Capital. To date, Physna has raised $82.9 million in funding. While Physna retains a percentage of each transaction on Thangs, the platform is seeing a shift towards subscriptions rather than individual purchases. This change benefits both creators and Thangs, with Physna keeping 50% of the subscription fees for certain artists.
Thangs’ main competitor is Sketchfab, which was recently acquired by Epic Games. However, many Sketchfab images are available on Thangs, highlighting its growing influence in the 3D art community.
In conclusion, Thangs has become the leading 3D art community globally, attracting millions of users and Fortune 500 companies. Its unique offerings, including IP protection, monetization options, and a powerful geometric search engine, have propelled its growth. As the creator economy and the demand for 3D content continue to expand, Thangs is poised to maintain its dominance in the industry.