Needle Engine is a development platform that lets creators build interactive 3D web experiences directly from Unity, with support for AR, VR, and standard web browsers. It combines a visual editor with TypeScript scripting, automatic asset optimization, and cloud hosting to streamline the entire workflow from scene creation to deployment. The platform is trusted by teams at Google, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Autodesk for applications ranging from product showcases to immersive learning tools.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Creating interactive 3D web experiences typically requires either writing complex WebGL/Three.js code from scratch or using game engines that don't translate well to the web. This forces developers to choose between deep technical expertise and limited creative control, while also struggling with performance issues like slow loading times and poor mobile optimization.
Solution
Needle Engine provides a comprehensive platform that bridges Unity's powerful editor with web technologies, enabling creators to build rich, interactive 3D scenes without writing code from scratch. The platform automatically converts Unity projects into optimized web experiences, with TypeScript components that hot-reload in the browser for rapid iteration. It includes FastHDR environment lighting that loads up to 10× faster than traditional EXR formats while using 95% less graphics memory, ensuring photorealistic visuals on any device. The platform handles automatic optimization through level-of-detail generation, texture compression, and progressive loading, while supporting deployment across iOS AR, Android AR, Meta Quest, and Apple Vision Pro from a single codebase.
Target Audience
Primary users are 3D developers, interactive design studios, and creative agencies building web-based 3D experiences, as well as educators and enterprise teams creating immersive learning tools, product visualizations, and AR/VR applications.
Features
- Unity editor integration that automatically syncs scenes, materials, and components to the web with TypeScript code appearing as C# components
- FastHDR environment lighting system delivering photorealistic image-based lighting up to 10× faster than EXR with 95% less graphics memory usage
- Automatic optimization pipeline that generates device-appropriate levels of detail, compresses textures, and enables progressive loading without manual remeshing
- Cross-platform XR support for iOS AR, Android AR, Meta Quest, and Apple Vision Pro from a single scene
- Cloud hosting and asset management through Needle Cloud with automatic file optimization and sharing capabilities
- MaterialX support for standards-based, portable materials alongside full PBR workflow including transmission, sheen, and anisotropy
- Composable content architecture allowing developers to split scenes into individually loadable 3D files
- Live TypeScript hot-reloading and EditorSync component for real-time material property synchronization between Unity and the browser