It’s another exit via acquisition for serial founder Raven Zachary. His latest company — the Microsoft Hololens agency he helped cofound, Object Theory — has been acquired by ARound. Small Society, the iOS development shop Raven cofounded prior to Object Theory — a preeminent player in the then burgeoning Portland mobile scene — was acquired by Walmart Labs in 2012.
Read MoreTag: virtual reality
The Wild wants to give you a tour of Tours
For all of the multitude of negatives that have come along with being submerged in a global pandemic, there are a few bright spots, here and there. Like the creativity inspired by the constraints of our current lives. We’re seeing any number of new platforms and companies coming into being. And some of those are appearing locally. Like Tours in The Wild.
Read MorePortland startup The Wild in the running for Auggie AR & VR award
It’s always nice to see Portland companies getting the recognition they deserve. Especially when that recognition happens on a global stage. And that’s why it was great to see Portland startup The Wild in the running for the 2020 Auggie Awards.
Read MoreCould practical applications of virtual and augmented reality be the next big market for Portland startups?
We’ve seen it time and time again. The next big thing. Web, open source, cloud, mobile… And time and time again, Portland, with its early adopter culture, has been at the forefront of nascent industries, patiently waiting for their markets to form. I’ve been waiting to see what the next big thing might be. And with today’s news from RealWear, I’m inclined to think augmented reality may be the next industry that Portland is known for.
adidas enables collaboration by going into The Wild with HTC Vive
While we’ve all been geeking out about VR for a while now, it’s not always easy to understand the practical and needed applications of that technology. Until we see them. And then we’re like “Ohhhhhhh. Yeah. That makes sense.” Like the work Portland startup The Wild did with adidas and the HTC Vive.
Psyched about SketchUp? Get ready to explore The Wild
In the early days of any new technology, there is always the challenge of compatibility. As various file formats, schemas, and structures spring to life, interoperability is often the last thing to consider. So it’s always nice to see this sort of thing happening sooner rather than later. Like Portland startup The Wild enabling folks to work with SketchUp files within The Wild VR environment.
Big week for reality in Portland startups: Torch and The Wild both launch products
If you’ve talked to me about markets that have a lot of potential in Portland, we’ve no doubt discussed reality of some flavor or another. Virtual, Augmented, Immersive, Experiential… whatever you want to call it, folks in Portland have been exploring creating content with those technologies for years. And now, XR is inspiring a new crop of products in town that enable folks to create that content more easily.
Immerse yourself in a discussion about Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times: Portland has an incredibly promising AR/VR/Mixed Reality community. From folks who create content to companies that are building the infrastructure and tools to deliver it, we’ve got a wealth of interesting startups and creatives in this still nascent market. And it’s always good to get all of those folks together. Which is what’s happening during Portland Startup Week with Immersive Startups.
Portland startup Provata Health, makers of a digital health VR offering, acquired by Merck StayWell
Looks like we have another acquisition to talk about today. Portland startup Provata Health has been acquired by StayWell, a division of healthcare giant Merck.
Want an early look at the Torch 3D virtual/augmented/mixed reality editing environment? You can make that a reality
We love our shiny new tech around these parts. Even if it’s not quite ready for mass consumption. That’s why I was excited to see that Portland’s Torch 3D was accepting applications for an early sneak peek at its virtual/augmented/mixed reality editing environment.