Alex Porter, the Founder and CEO of Mod Tech Labs, Inc, is a serial entrepreneur on a mission to improve the world via technology. She hopes to build solid relationships and push the frontiers of visual technology to create digital worlds through Mod Tech Labs, Inc.
Mod Tech Labs assists businesses in easily scaling 3D content development by digitizing the current world for Web3 and the metaverse. From photogrammetry to volumetric video, the no-code processing tool cleans, refines, and enriches 3D images. MOD assets fit seamlessly into any workflow, saving time and money in the process. The MOD 3D Scanner is an Android and iOS app that guides users through the process of photographing an object in three dimensions. Users may tailor the output for AR, VR, film, mobile, and other devices via the online portal. Finally, the API provides direct access to firms that create content on a large scale. In addition to the metaverse, Web3, and immersive approaches, the MOD team provides managed services for 3D content development.
Below are highlights of the interview:
Share your background and what did you do before you founded Mod Tech Labs, Inc.?
I started running my own babysitting business in high school and then scaled that to working as a full-time nanny and solopreneur. After working with young families, I expanded into work as a doula, or birth attendant. While working in this business, I also began my college studies and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design and Construction Technology. After getting married, I will began work as a freelance 3D designer, creating interior visuals for other designers as well as staging homes. Essentially, my roots are in the visualization of spaces and places. Working so closely with families really helped me grow into my role as a first-time startup founder with Tim, my husband, when we lived in Los Angeles at the beginning of commercial VR. There was a ton of work and opportunity, so we decided to launch our company, Underminer Studios, making cutting edge custom virtual and augmented reality experiences for businesses like Intel, KPMG, Triggaer, and more.
Tell us about Mod Tech Labs Inc. and what was the idea behind establishing the company?
Between the two of us, we had more than 15 years in entertainment and immersive media, including social mobile, video games, movies, and XR. We saw a recurring need for realistic content. In fact, while running our XR (Extended Reality) Studio, we realized the biggest slow down was content creation. Inspired by an early product for virtual reality therapy in which each level increases in realism, starting at cartoony and progressing to photorealism, our team created the tools that eventually became MOD. As we developed internal automation for processes using real world photos and videos, it became clear that there was a product opportunity. So we formed Mod Tech Labs in 2020 and began to productize the in-house automation.
What gets you up in the morning? What are your responsibilities as the CEO of the company?
Usually, my 5 year old is the first smiling face I see every morning. As the CEO of a startup, my role is quite broad. The three pillars are funds- both fundraising and sales, team building—hiring and maintaining, and steering the ship—keeping the big picture in mind and helping keep everyone going in the same direction.
What is the best way to build a great team?
Create values that align across your founding team. Develop relationships with candidates before you need them when possible. Hire slowly and pay attention to the potential hire’s needs both personally and professionally to make sure they align with the core values. Startups are not for everyone and there are trade offs from a traditional job, so be very candid.
How do you maintain a balance between your professional and personal life?
I don’t believe in balance; instead, I believe in “work-life fusion.” My cofounder and CTO is my husband. We have worked together for 7 years now and compliment each other’s skill sets very well. Boundaries are very important so that every conversation is not business.
Kindly describe how you will specifically know what success looks like for you.
Success means that we have given millions of creators the opportunity to use easy software tools that allow them to make 3D content and scale businesses and opportunities by selling virtual goods, physical art and products with digital visuals, games, movies, and immersive content and beyond. Our tools unlock ways to extend the use of images and video to the next generation at scale. Getting it into the hands of the many will bring the magic of the metaverse and Web3 to the masses faster.
What advice would you give to the next generation of female entrepreneurs and executives?
Find a great mentor or two and learn! My background is not in tech, nor am I a coder or technical executor in my business. Find the business function that you are passionate about, whether it is accounting, marketing, or user experience, and then apply it to an industry you are excited about.
What are your future plans to sustain your and the company’s success?
As with any startup, it is a journey and success is not guaranteed. There are a lot of factors, including timing, funding, the market and more. I like to think of it as betting on racehorses. We have built a wonderful network of advisors, partners, investors, and clients and will continue to push for growth and success. Personally, I am excited about the shifts in the market opening toward metaverse and Web3, which are both dependent on 3D content, making many factors align in our favor. This company will continue to innovate and grow. I plan to work at Mod Tech Labs until I am no longer needed!
In the long term, the technology will be the standard for digitizing real-world data. Seeking to apply the technology to medical, geospatial, architecture, telemedicine, and other fields in order to accelerate the 2D and 3D visual creation processes.
