In a recent long form video interview with AGORACOM (see link at the end of this article)… Nextech3D.AI Corporation (CSE: NTAR | OTCQB: NEXCF | FSE: 1SS) CEO Evan Gappelberg walked investors through what he believes is a true turning point for the company: a successful pivot out of 3D modeling and into AI-powered event technology, underpinned by Q3 numbers and an AI-enabled M&A-driven roll‑up strategy in a rapidly modernizing events industry.
Gappelberg discussed how Nextech3D.ai has doubled its customer base to more than 1,000 organizations, added hundreds of Fortune 500 relationships through acquisitions such as Krafty Labs (an enterprise virtual and in‑person engagement platform), and launched Nextech Event AI – a unified, AI-driven operating system that brings together registration, ticketing, floor plans, experiential engagement and AI matchmaking (automated software that uses algorithms to match attendees with relevant contacts) into one environment.
AGORACOM Beyond The Mic Feature Article
February 20, 2026
Background / Context
The interview centers on Nextech3D.ai’s strategic pivot away from lower‑margin 3D modeling work and into software‑driven, AI‑powered event technology.
Key elements discussed include:
- Completion of the move out of the 3D modeling contract business, including work for Amazon
- Refocus on higher‑margin software and events
- Acquisitions of Eventdex and Krafty Labs (referred to in the interview as “Krafty”), both event technology platforms
- Launch of Nextech Event AI, which integrates Eventdex (registration/ticketing), Map D (interactive floor plans and navigation) and Krafty Labs (experiential engagement) into a single operating system for events
Gappelberg repeatedly frames Q3 as an “inflection point,” not just a good quarter, with the pivot now complete and early results beginning to show up in the numbers.
Key Topics Discussed
Breakout Q3 Financial Performance
The company reported:
- 59% year‑over‑year revenue growth in Q3
- 20% sequential revenue growth – the second consecutive quarter of 20% quarter‑over‑quarter growth
- 95% gross margins, up from 41% a year earlier
Gappelberg notes that sustaining 20% sequential growth for two quarters means the trend is more than a one‑off. He also stresses that these Q3 results do not include any contribution from the Krafty Labs acquisition, which closed on January 2, 2026.
On the margin side, Gappelberg says he asked his CFO multiple times to reconfirm the 95% figure, given how unusual it is. He explains the jump as a combination of:
- Exiting the lower‑margin 3D modeling contract with Amazon
- Pivoting into software and events
- Layering AI automation on top of those platforms to reduce cost of delivery
He adds that under “normal conditions” margins might be in the 80–85% range, and that AI provides the incremental uplift toward the 90s.
AI As An Engine For Efficiency And Scale
Gappelberg spends considerable time describing how AI changes the economics of Nextech3D.ai’s business. In his words, AI allows the company to:
- Turn a team of 40 into a team of 4 by giving a small group an “army of AI agents” to automate work that previously required dozens of employees
- Compress roadmap timelines – projects that used to take six to twelve months and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in development can now be built substantially faster and cheaper
- Automate large parts of coding, platform rebuilding and routine workflows
The core idea is automation: using AI to eliminate manual, repetitive work that limits scale and inflates costs. Gappelberg argues that manual processes have historically capped how big businesses could grow; AI removes much of that constraint.
AI‑Enabled M&A And The Event Tech Roll‑Up
Nextech3D.ai has executed roughly a dozen acquisitions over the last five years. Historically, those deals brought along:
- Founders
- Key employees
- Development teams with associated salaries and overhead
Today, Gappelberg says, Nextech3D.ai can approach M&A differently because it has built an internal AI capability and a small corporate team – he likens it to a “SEAL Team 6” – that goes into acquired businesses to:
- Automate key workflows
- Optimize platforms
- Strip out excess overhead
By relying more on internal AI expertise and less on large inherited teams, Nextech3D.ai believes it can:
- Acquire event‑tech businesses primarily for their customer bases and platforms
- Reduce the number of people required to run those businesses post‑acquisition
- Turn acquired units into “lean, money‑making machines” that generate cash flow rather than absorbing it
Gappelberg confirms the company is actively looking at additional M&A opportunities to further consolidate the AI event tech space.
Nextech Event AI And The All‑In‑One Event Platform
The interview also highlights Nextech Event AI, the company’s newly launched unified event operating system, built to integrate:
- Eventdex – registration, ticketing, badges, and AI matchmaking
- Map D – interactive floor plans and spatial visualization
- Krafty Labs – virtual and in‑person experiential engagement
The platform is designed as a single enterprise environment for Fortune 500 customers and government agencies, with modules that include:
- Blockchain‑enabled ticketing (ticketing systems that use blockchain technology to reduce fraud and enable programmable rules on secondary sales)
- Krafty Credits and a full credit system, now expanded at the corporate level as Nextech Credit – a dollar‑denominated internal currency that allows enterprises to buy credits once and spend across Eventdex, Map D and Krafty Labs
- Floor‑plan mapping and venue navigation
- Ticketing, badging and mobile apps
- Experiential and engagement programs for teams and attendees
Gappelberg emphasizes that large enterprises want one platform, not five vendors, for events and engagement, and that this unified approach is a key reason Nextech3D.ai is winning larger contracts.
AI Matchmaking: Fixing The Traditional Conference Experience
A major portion of the conversation focuses on how AI is being applied to improve the attendee experience at conferences and trade shows.
Gappelberg and host George Tsiolis describe the familiar problem: attendees receive a lanyard and a list of exhibitors, then “walk around hoping” to bump into someone relevant – a process Tsiolis likens to “1980s dating.”
Nextech3D.ai’s answer is AI matchmaking, which:
- Uses data on interests, profiles and objectives to match attendees, exhibitors and sponsors in a targeted way
- Identifies the people an attendee is most likely to do meaningful business with
- Automatically schedules meetings and books them directly on attendees’ calendars
- Reduces the odds that a trip produces only one “good deal” – or none at all
All of this is delivered through a mobile app, embedded into the company’s broader event suite. Gappelberg argues that once attendees experience AI‑driven matchmaking, they are unlikely to return to events that lack it.
Customer Base, Pipeline And Enterprise Momentum
Through Eventdex, Map D and Krafty Labs, Nextech3D.ai now has:
- More than 1,000 customers across associations, corporates and other organizers
- Roughly 400 Fortune 500 relationships, inherited largely through Krafty Labs
While specific names are mostly under confidentiality until contracts are finalized, Gappelberg references:
- Global technology giants such as Google, Netflix, Meta, Oracle and Microsoft as existing Krafty Labs clients (consistent with prior company disclosures)
- Major banking customer BNP Paribas (mis‑spoken in the interview as “BMP Parabas”) as one recently announced enterprise client, with 3–5 more large accounts expected to be disclosed once contracts are signed
- Active discussions with U.S. government agencies that host hundreds of events per year
He notes that:
- The pipeline entering Q4 is “larger, stronger and more enterprise‑focused” than at any time in company history
- The current quarter (Q4, ending March 31) is already about halfway complete and is tracking to be better than Q3’s 59% growth, with larger deal sizes and longer‑term commitments
Gappelberg also points out that inbound interest has grown, and that the company must selectively prioritize opportunities, especially large‑scale government and enterprise deployments.
The Role Of Customer Success And Human Touch
Despite heavy use of AI, Nextech3D.ai still invests in human customer success.
Key points from the interview:
- The company runs a dedicated customer success team that grew to five people with the addition of Krafty Labs staff
- This team focuses on supporting the more than 1,000 customers already on the platforms
- While AI can assist with support, Gappelberg believes that “decision‑making typically still happens between two humans,” particularly at the enterprise level
This mix of automation and human engagement is positioned as part of the company’s strategy to maintain service quality while scaling.
Founder Skin In The Game
Gappelberg underscores his alignment with shareholders by:
- Stating he is the single largest shareholder in Nextech3D.ai
- Highlighting that he purchased approximately 550,000 shares in November at around $0.14 per share on the open market
- Mentioning he is “seriously considering” buying more, given where he sees the share price relative to the underlying business performance
He frames the current situation as a “ground floor” opportunity in a turnaround story, noting that investors are often skeptical of turnarounds and may wait too long to participate.
On forward communication, he reiterates that management will follow regulatory guidance around when and how Q4 numbers can be released. Nextech3D.ai has previously attempted to publish preliminary quarterly figures and received regulatory pushback; this time the company intends to seek explicit permission before issuing any early Q4 update.
Strategic Significance
From Survival To Inflection Point
Gappelberg ties the company’s current position back to the broader small‑cap environment over the last bear market cycle. While many peers did not make it through, he argues Nextech3D.ai:
- Survived a difficult funding and market backdrop
- Used the period to pivot away from lower‑margin 3D modeling into AI‑driven event technology
- Continued “building and building” when others pulled back
In this context, Q3 is framed as:
- The starting gun for the company’s next phase
- Evidence that the pivot is translating into measurable revenue growth and margin expansion
- The beginning of what he describes as a “powerful, new and sustainable growth curve” built around AI and events
Positioning In A Large And Changing Market
The interview situates Nextech3D.ai within:
- A global event industry Gappelberg pegs at roughly US$1 trillion
- A broader global event technology and online ticketing market that management has previously referenced at around US$80–85 billion
He argues that:
- Remote work and AI‑driven automation are increasing demand for in‑person experiences, as people seek more face‑to‑face interaction
- Live events are likely to grow in importance over the next five years as a counter‑balance to automation and virtual work
- Nextech3D.ai’s focus on AI event tech, experiential engagement and unified operating systems positions it ahead of this shift
Profitability, Margins And Cash Flow Potential
With 95% gross margins reported in Q3 and a stated internal goal (from prior disclosures) of targeting around 90% gross margins longer‑term through automation and standardization, Nextech3D.ai is explicitly leaning into a high‑margin, software‑first model.
Gappelberg’s description of the AI‑assisted M&A playbook – acquire event‑tech assets, apply automation, remove excess headcount and run them lean – is framed as a way to:
- Increase recurring, platform‑based revenue
- Maintain or expand margins
- Build a portfolio of cash‑generating event‑tech properties under the Nextech Event AI umbrella
While no specific profitability timelines are given in the interview, the combination of sequential growth and margin expansion is positioned as the path toward stronger operating results.
Conclusion
For investors, the interview presents Nextech3D.ai as an AI‑first event technology company emerging from a multi‑year pivot with:
- A consolidated platform strategy in Nextech Event AI
- More than 1,000 customers and hundreds of Fortune 500 relationships
- Q3 metrics, including 59% year‑over‑year revenue growth, second consecutive 20% sequential growth quarter, and 95% gross margins
- A focus on using AI to both grow revenue (through AI matchmaking and unified event solutions) and sharply reduce costs (through automation and AI‑enabled integration of acquisitions)
- Founder‑CEO ownership and ongoing share purchases signaling conviction in the turnaround
Gappelberg characterizes Q3 as the beginning of Nextech3D.ai’s “comeback.” With Krafty Labs now integrated, Nextech Event AI launched, and additional enterprise and government contracts in the pipeline, upcoming quarters will give investors more data on how durable this new growth curve really is.
TO WATCH THE FULL VIDEO GO TO: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfL457LW0vdLfUsxUKlol_YZ1jWObS8HN
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