Digital Catapult announces Augmentor programme to stimulate AR and VR investment in UK start-ups
On the 19th April 2018 Digital Catapult announced the next open call for Augmenter – a 10 week programme to discover and support early-stage businesses working in immersive technologies, aimed at the next generation of augmented and virtual reality businesses. Up to ten selected companies will receive 10 weeks of support from Digital Catapult and its partners, to help them shape their businesses ahead of pitching at an investor showcase in September. Propositions can be relevant to any sector, but the ideas must be commercially viable.
“The UK is a hub of innovation for immersive content and applications,” comments Aurelien Simon, Head of Immersive at Digital Catapult. “However, many early-stage companies working with immersive technology struggle to shape their businesses to make them commercially viable. That’s why we’re bringing together investors, commercial experts and early stage companies, to stimulate an immersive ecosystem that supports UK innovation and accelerates the creation of a VR and AR market in the UK economy.”
Participants in the 2017 Augmentor programme have gone on to receive significant investment: Gravity Sketch, a tool that allows designers to collaborate and develop 3D models in VR, has since raised £1.25 million. It will re-join the programme as one of eight mentors, helping this year’s cohort take their products to investors.
Reality Zero One, another Augmentor participant re-joining as a mentor, has since raised £285,000 of initial funding. It is developing an end-to-end solution for 3D capture – allowing real-world objects to be captured in 3D and placed into virtual environments within hours.
The open call is now live and will run until 23rd May. To apply, visit: www.augmentor.co.uk
