Trace
Trace is a spatial computing platform that lets individuals and enterprises create, publish, and view persistent AR experiences anchored to real-world locations via mobile, web, and headset clients (iOS, Android, Apple Vision Pro, Meta Quest).
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersColumbus, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Trace does
Trace (legal entity: Trace 3D Inc.) is a Columbus, Ohio-based spatial computing company that operates a no-code platform for creating, publishing, and viewing persistent augmented reality (AR) experiences anchored to real-world locations. The company's product surface consists of three interconnected components: (1) the Trace Creator App, a mobile application (iOS shipping, Android in pipeline) that lets users design and edit AR scenes in-situ with a single tap; (2) Trace Studio, a browser-based CMS for asset management, team permissions, and multi-location publishing; and (3) Trace Viewer, a lightweight client available on iOS, Android, Apple Vision Pro, and Meta Quest that delivers published content. Underlying technology leverages ARKit, ARCore, SLAM, LiDAR, plane detection, 6DoF tracking, world mesh, occlusion, image anchors, and a single-tap contextual 3D recording pipeline that captures volumetric performances anchored precisely to physical locations.
The platform serves a dual customer base: individual creators and SMBs who onboard through self-serve app store and web sign-up, and enterprise clients including Deutsche Telekom, Qualcomm, T-Mobile, ESPN, Lenovo, Telefonica, Microsoft, and Dell, which deploy multi-location AR activations, brand experiences, training modules, and visualization use cases. Trace monetizes through a freemium tier plus paid subscription plans (monthly, annual, or biennial billing) and separately negotiated enterprise engagements that include custom photorealistic avatars, AI workflows, and enterprise-scale deployments. Distribution runs through Apple App Store, Trace Studio's web self-serve, QR/link/code sharing, headset viewers (Apple Vision Pro, Meta Quest), and direct enterprise sales for HoloLens 2 and Lenovo ThinkReality A3 deployments. The company emerged from stealth in April 2024 alongside a $2 million pre-seed round led by Rev1 Ventures and Impellent Ventures, with participation from multiple VC funds and scout funds.
Trace firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Trace
- Legal name
- Trace 3D Inc.
- Website
- https://trace3d.app
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Trace is a spatial computing platform that lets individuals and enterprises create, publish, and view persistent AR experiences anchored to real-world locations via mobile, web, and headset clients (iOS, Android, Apple Vision Pro, Meta Quest).
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Trace industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Spatial Computing / AR Creation Platform
- NAICS
- Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (519290), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Enterprise Search, Indexing & Content Discovery (HDAEAGAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- POI, Local Listings & Business Directory Platforms (BPAMANAD), Local & City Guide Content Aggregators (MPACAKAJ)
Keywords
Where Trace is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Columbus
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Trace business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Freemium Platform Access: Trace offers a free basic service tier allowing users to create, edit, and share AR scenes. Paid plans add advanced features for professional and enterprise use cases. The platform's Creator App is free to download; revenue is generated through premium subscriptions with enhanced capabilities.
- Subscription Plans (Paid Services): Trace offers paid subscription plans with recurring billing (monthly, annual, or biennial intervals). Paid plans include advanced features beyond the free tier. Auto-renewal is enabled by default. Fee changes may occur with notice; enterprise or separately negotiated agreements are available.
- Enterprise & Custom Services: Custom photorealistic avatar creation facilitated by Trace team for enterprise clients, along with custom AI workflows and enterprise deployments. Organizations like Deutsche Telekom use Trace Studio to deliver immersive brand experiences across multiple retail locations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free basic tier for general creators |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Paid plans with advanced features |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Enterprise engagements and custom AI workflows |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels5 records
Trace product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Trace provides a no-code spatial computing platform that lets users design, publish, and scale persistent AR experiences tied to real-world locations. Its three integrated products include the Trace Creator App (mobile iOS/Android app for in-situ AR scene creation and 3D recording), Trace Studio (browser-based CMS for asset management, team permissions, and multi-location publishing), and Trace Viewer (mobile and AR headset app for experiencing published AR content on iOS, Android, Apple Vision Pro, and Meta Quest). The platform targets individual creators via a freemium tier and enterprises (Deutsche Telekom, Qualcomm, T-Mobile) via paid subscriptions and custom services.
Product overview
Trace is a spatial computing platform for creating, managing, and experiencing AR content tied to real-world locations. The platform consists of three interconnected products: the Trace Creator App (mobile application for iOS and Android enabling in-situ AR scene creation and editing), Trace Studio (browser-based web management platform for asset management, team collaboration, and project publishing), and Trace Viewer (lightweight mobile and headset application for experiencing published AR content on iOS, Android, Apple Vision Pro, and Meta Quest). The platform leverages spatial computing technologies including SLAM, LiDAR, 6DoF tracking, world mesh, occlusion, and spatial audio to blend digital content with the physical environment.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Trace Creator App
Quantifiable outcome
- Users engaging with AR experiences are 90% more likely to convert (brand experience use cases)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Trace
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Trace technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability7 records
Feature7 records
Trace partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.
- Apple (App Store)coreTrace Creator App is distributed through the Apple App Store. Trace Viewer is available on iOS devices. Apple Vision Pro viewer is available as early access for immersive spatial computing experiences.
- Meta (Quest)secondaryTrace Viewer is available on Meta Quest headsets (Quest 3) for passthrough AR experiences, targeting immersive headset users.
- Google (ARCore / Android)coreTrace platform is built on Google's ARCore framework for Android support. Android app support is currently in pipeline for the Creator App.
- Apple (ARKit)coreTrace platform is built on Apple's ARKit framework for iOS AR capabilities including world tracking, plane detection, LiDAR support, and 6DoF motion tracking.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Trace competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- 8th Wall (Niantic): 8th Wall is a web- and mobile-based AR development platform offering no-code tools, image anchors and cross-device AR experiences. It is the closest direct competitor to Trace in the no-code/managed AR authoring space, now backed by Niantic's AR ecosystem.
- Zappar: Zappar provides a no-code AR creation suite (Zapworks) for marketers and brands to build WebAR and mobile AR experiences. Like Trace, it targets retail, packaging, brand activation and training use cases with multi-device deployment.
- Blippar: Blippar is an AR content creation platform with web-based tools (Blippbuilder) and AR SDKs for brands and agencies. It competes directly with Trace on no-code AR authoring for marketing, retail and brand experience use cases.
Broad incumbents
- Adobe Aero: Adobe Aero is Adobe's mobile AR authoring app for designers, integrated with Creative Cloud. It overlaps with Trace in mobile AR creation but is part of Adobe's much broader creative software portfolio rather than specializing in persistent spatial anchoring.
- Snap Lens Studio: Snap's Lens Studio is a no-code/mid-code AR creation tool with a massive creator community and Snap's camera distribution. It overlaps with Trace for AR effect creation but is deeply tied to Snap's social platform rather than independent spatial CMS use cases.
- Meta Spark AR: Meta's Spark AR is the dominant no-code AR effects platform across Instagram, Facebook and Meta's Ray-Ban/Quest devices. It is comparable to Trace in creator tooling but with vastly larger distribution and a social-effects focus.
- Niantic Studio: Niantic (owner of 8th Wall and Lightship VPS) operates the most production-scale location-based AR platform. Comparable to Trace on persistent world-anchored AR, but Niantic has its own game IP and significantly more capital to invest in the AR cloud.
- Unity: Unity is a leading real-time 3D engine with growing AR/MR capabilities and a large developer ecosystem. It is comparable to Trace as a 3D content creation foundation, though Unity targets professional developers rather than a no-code mobile authoring flow.
- Apple Reality Composer / RealityKit: Apple's Reality Composer and RealityKit provide native no-code and code-based AR authoring tightly integrated with iOS and visionOS. They represent both Trace's underlying technology foundation and its biggest native-platform competitive threat.
Emerging players
- Threekit: Threekit is a 3D product visualization platform used by retailers and brands for AR/3D commerce. It overlaps with Trace's retail and product-configuration use cases but focuses on catalog-level 3D rather than location-anchored spatial experiences.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Trace social profiles
Digital presenceTrace financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Trace leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Trace funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors10 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Trace M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Trace
What does Trace do?
Trace provides a no-code spatial computing platform that lets users design, publish, and scale persistent AR experiences tied to real-world locations. Its three integrated products include the Trace Creator App (mobile iOS/Android app for in-situ AR scene creation and 3D recording), Trace Studio (browser-based CMS for asset management, team permissions, and multi-location publishing), and Trace Viewer (mobile and AR headset app for experiencing published AR content on iOS, Android, Apple Vision Pro, and Meta Quest). The platform targets individual creators via a freemium tier and enterprises (Deutsche Telekom, Qualcomm, T-Mobile) via paid subscriptions and custom services.
Is Trace a public or private company?
Trace is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Trace founded?
Trace was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Trace based?
Trace is headquartered in Columbus, United States, in the North America region.
How does Trace make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Freemium Platform Access are the primary driver. The others are subscription Plans (Paid Services) and enterprise & Custom Services.
Who are Trace's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are 8th Wall (Niantic), Zappar and Blippar. Broad incumbents are Adobe Aero, Snap Lens Studio, Meta Spark AR, Niantic Studio, Unity and Apple Reality Composer / RealityKit. Threekit is listed as an emerging player.
Does Trace have an API?
No public API is recorded for Trace.
What industry is Trace in?
Trace's product category is Spatial Computing / AR Creation Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAEAGAH, Enterprise Search, Indexing & Content Discovery, with a secondary code of BPAMANAD, POI, Local Listings & Business Directory Platforms. Its NAICS code is 519290 and its SIC code is 7371.