SketchSoft: Drawing the Future on a Blank 3D Canvas

"Why is 3D still so difficult and inconvenient?" Sketchsoft's bold question.

In an era where generative AI goes beyond text to create images, voices, and even videos, progress is particularly slow in the 3D/spatial field. The primary reason is the critical shortage of high-quality 3D data , and existing 3D creation tools are too difficult and time-consuming . Accumulating a large and effective 3D data base is a key competitive advantage in the AI era, but this has been blocked from the very beginning.

Sketchsoft's "Feather" starts right here. It offers an intuitive tool and platform that allows users to quickly and easily draw their three-dimensional thoughts directly in 3D space, not on a 2D screen. It's like sketching on paper, but with the experience of drawing in space. It's like giving a new weapon to countless creators who have been hindered by technological barriers from expressing their ideas.

A team that has been with us from the beginning and shares all the contexts

In fact, my connection with SketchSoft goes back even before the company was founded. In late 2019, when CEO Yong-Kwan Kim was preparing to launch, we met once a week for business consultations and even helped him establish the company. I still vividly remember the CEO's delight at February 13, 2020, saying, "It's a date that has all three of them." And on February 20, just a week after the company was founded, we made our first investment. I've been with the team since the beginning, starting from a small study room-like office.

That belief led to a follow-up investment in October 2021 with SoftBank Ventures and SV Investment. Since then, the team has been diligently working to refine the product and achieve product-market fit. Feather targets a professional audience, and the product's completeness directly impacts its usability and value proposition. Just before the results of such long-term development were about to be unveiled to the world, I met the team again at BASS Ventures and decided to invest. Having witnessed the entire process from the beginning, I was more confident in their tenacity and potential than anyone else.

Why is founder Yong-Kwan Kim a 'crazy person'?

At our company (BASS Ventures), we always ask when investing:

"Why is this founder crazy?"

SketchSoft CEO Yong-Kwan Kim is the perfect fit for this question.

First, his dream and ambition aren't simply about creating a "successful tool." CEO Kim Yong-kwan has always pondered, "The world we live in is three-dimensional, and our thoughts are also three-dimensional, so why is it easier to express things in 2D?" In other words, his competition isn't existing tools or companies, but rather paper and pen, the tools people naturally turn to when visualizing their imaginations. He hopes to change the habits of creators around the world to express their thoughts and imaginations in three dimensions, and he hopes that Feather will be the way to do that.

This is a grand ambition that goes beyond simply making money; it's a vision to change the very way people think and express themselves. Like Pixar or Epic Games, it depicts a world where tools shape culture, and that culture, in turn, moves the world. His words, "If it weren't going to have this level of impact, I would have started a one-man business, sold it, or released it as open source," reveal a determination that transcends mere ambition.

Second, his tenacity is uncompromising. As the first PhD recipient from the KAIST lab, the birthplace of 3D sketching technology, he endured the dropouts of many of his colleagues and seniors under his high standards, becoming the first to graduate, a testament to his tenacity. Even within the company, he refused to tolerate the "80% is enough" attitude, instead retaining only those who consistently aim for 200%, fostering a strong organizational culture. His constant pursuit of improvement, fueled by the product's inherent shortcomings, gives the impression of a "person with a lot of callousness and tenacity, despite his outward appearance."

Third, his leadership stems from a clear set of values for the organization. He doesn't want "yes men" within the organization who simply say "good enough." Instead, he honestly points out problems, saying, "Our product is poor," and seeks to build a team of people who strive to improve. As CEO, he believes his role is to nurture and make these individuals happy. The anecdote about personally discovering the early members of Hongik University's College of Fine Arts who would most enthusiastically utilize Feather exemplifies his philosophy that "tools are made by those who use them."

Beyond simple tools, sculpting the future of creativity.

SketchSoft and Feather are more than just 3D drawing tools. Here's why we decided to invest in them.

It pinpointed a market pain point: content is key in the XR and metaverse era, but the existing 3D production environment presents a high hurdle even for experts. Feather could be the key to solving this clear-cut "content shortage."

Overwhelming Team Expertise: Led by CEO Yong-Kwan Kim, who has dedicated over a decade to 3D sketching research and development, the SketchSoft team possesses world-class research experience and design expertise. They maintain high standards for product quality and consider this a key part of the product-market fit process.

A smart strategy for accumulating "data": Feather is securing enthusiastic early users through an initial paid subscription (OTP, One-Time Purchase) strategy and accumulating the high-quality 3D assets and usage data they generate. This will be a key asset in the future development of 3D generation AI models.

A Grand Long-Term Vision: Sketchsoft will not let Feather remain a mere tool. Their expansion strategy, which includes a web-based gallery service, enhanced AI capabilities leveraging user data, and even the creation of original IP, demonstrates the magnitude of their vision for the future. This evolution goes beyond simply selling software to encompass platforms, data, and content.

And the world answers that belief: Winner of the 2025 Apple Design Award.

The tenacity and dedication we've seen has finally paid off in the most brilliant way. At Apple WWDC 2025, a global developer festival, Sketchsoft's Feather won the Apple Design Award, given only to apps that represent the pinnacle of design and technology . This honor is the first and only Korean developer to do so.

Even Apple, with the world's most demanding design standards, has recognized the magic of the Feather: its aesthetic of simplicity, which is both powerful and accessible. This is the very possibility we saw from the beginning.

As if the award wasn't the end,

We will continue to evolve it until it becomes a natural and natural creative tool for everyone.

CEO Kim's pledge reaffirmed the character we knew him to be: even at the top, he still looked to higher ground.

A dream that began in a small study room has now reached 50,000 creators worldwide, and now, finally, Apple's recognition. This moment reaffirms our initial belief that SketchSoft will rewrite the history of 3D creation.

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