Brands and marketers are always looking for new and innovative ways to reach target audiences. The convergence of technology and mobility solutions like rideshares has enabled a new wave of ad units. For example, taxis for several years have had ads in cars and on top of vehicles, which now have become digitized from analog. This LA startup takes it one step further. Adway is a digital advertising platform that uses proprietary projection technology to display ads on the side of any vehicle without any major modifications. The projectors are affixed to a vehicle’s mirrors and ad buyers can purchase slots based on geography in real-time, enabling sophisticated targeting. The platform also tracks the number of cellular devices in and around the vehicles through Bluetooth to provide measured reach metrics. Adway drivers are given a share of the advertising revenue based on the number of hours they drive. LA TechWatch caught up with CEO Sasha Krylov to learn more about how the idea for the business came to fruition, the company’s strategic plans, latest round of funding from investors that include Upfront Ventures, Revel Partners, Watertower Ventures, and Inflection Capital.
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Mapped Raises Another $6.5M for its Data Infrastructure Platform for IoT
IoT devices in industrial and commercial settings have become increasingly accessible and more sophisticated with the data that they record and collect. Given the number of disparate sources, how the data collected flows through an organization’s data stack is now a significant concern. Solutions that can streamline the data to provide actionable insights are growing in popularity. Mapped is a cloud intelligence software that centralizes the data from devices from commercial and industrial environments. With a single API, the platform communicates with and extracts data in the device’s native language. For organizations using Mapped, there are a seemingly unlimited number of use cases but at its core, the platform makes connectivity for data collection and analysis seamless. LA TechWatch caught up with CEO and Founder Shaun Cooley to learn more about how Mapped empowers organizations to make next-generation software-powered industrial automation possible, the company’s strategic plans, latest round of funding from investors that include MetaProp, Allegion Ventures, Singtel Innov8, Greycroft, and ANIMO Ventures.
TRIPP Raises $11M for its Digital Psychedelic VR Platform
Meditation for self-healing has been transformative for both physical and mental ailments. Similar to meditation, the controlled use of psychedelics has been shown to be effective in relieving your body of the stress that accumulates in the mind. This LA startup is fusing the two with technology. TRIPP is a digital psychedelics platform that uses XR to immerse users into alternative realities to improve their mental, physical, and emotional state. Available for mobile, Oculus, and Playstation VR, the data-focused company is working towards tailoring its mixed reality offering to individuals to deliver more effective solutions. 2.5M+ sessions have been completed on TRIPP since its launch in 2018. The service starts at an accessible price point – $4.99 per month. LA TechWatch caught up with CEO and Cofounder Nanea Reeves to learn more about the intersection of innovation and mental health treatments, the company’s strategic plans, and recent round of funding from investors that include Vine Ventures, Mayfield, AlphaBridge Ventures, Beni VC, Berkeley Club, CJ Group, CTR Capital, Evolution, Robert Goldberg, Tony Greenberg, Grit VC, Incisive Ventures, Inflect Health, Iter Investments, Joanna Popper, Jim Dew, Joe Polish, JLS Fund, Lionheart Ventures, Matt Mullenweg, Mike DeLuise, Murtaza Hussain, NeoKuma, Presence Capital, PsyMed Ventures, Redbeard Ventures, Re.Mind Capital, Social Leverage, WhatIf Ventures, Mike Wilson, and Mark Zittman.
Robotic Startup Now Cuisine Takes On Ghost Kitchens and Drone Deliveries
The robotics industry is at an inflection point where the baton is being passed from the scientists to the practitioners. In historical terms, we are witnessing the Edisons of the world harness the innovations of the likes of Faraday to create life-changing businesses and wealth. Automation has moved from smart manufacturing and logistics to fry cooking and salad tossing.
Robot Stomachs: Powering Machines With Garbage and Urine
The World Bank estimates that 3.5 million tons of solid waste is produced by humans every day, with America accounting for more than 250 million tons a year or over 4 pounds of trash per citizen. This figure does not include the 34 billion gallons of human organic materials that are processed in water treatment centers across the country each year.
Arcturus Raises $5M to Allow Volumetric Video to Scale
Volumetric video captures a three-dimensional space or object using computer graphics, photogrammetry, and computation-based methods. Since these videos are recorded in 3D, they can be viewed on web or mobile without any specialized hardware or equipment. Arcturus is a suite of software that allows content creators can to easily record, edit, and distribute native volumetric content at scale. The company’s platform can be used in sports, gaming, e-commerce, live performances, real estate, or any other applications where dimension and perspective on depth and space can enhance the viewing experience. LA TechWatch caught up with Head of Marketing Piotr Uzarowicz to learn more about volumetric video, the company’s traction, future plans, and recent round of funding from investors that include BITKRAFT Ventures, HBSE Ventures, NTT Docomo Ventures, Build Ventures, Marc Merrill, and Craig Kallman.
Popl Brings Contactless Sharing of Any Type of Information to the Masses with its NFC Devices
The pandemic has propelled the adoption of NFC-powered contactless technologies for retailers and restaurants with everyone focusing on public safety. With the public now familiar with these technologies, new use cases will emerge post-COVID. Popl brings the benefits of NFC technologies to the general public. The product lineup of stickers keychains, and bands all enable the seamless sharing of information. The company focuses on making it easier for people to exchange contact information wirelessly, reducing the need for business cards in a contactless world. The software allows you to include social media profiles, payment info, links, etc., making the use-cases versatile.. LA TechWatch caught up with CEO and Cofounder Jason Alvarez-Cohen and COO and Cofounder Nick Eischens to learn more about the company’s offering, traction, and future plans.
Are Robo-Butlers Really Handy?
“I am extremely skeptical about the quality of the artificial intelligence behind the housekeeping robot in Samsung’s CES video. They show it performing an extremely wide variety of tasks, from pouring wine to loading the dishwasher to doing laundry. Developing an AI robust enough to go into an unknown consumer home and learn from them how they want to pick up toys is already a hard problem.”
What is Clubhouse App, and Why Does it Matter?
Let’s talk about Clubhouse app. The app is the beginning of a wildly underrated, emerging, social media platform. Why is it underrated? Because most people don’t know about it yet. While many of you might already know about Clubhouse, in the scheme of 300 million-plus Americans and 7.5 billion people on earth, very few do. The […]
ForeVR Raises $1.5M to Bring Popular Real Life Games to VR
The virtual reality gaming market is expected to reach $45B/yr by 2027. The increased affordability of VR sets like Oculus’s Quest 2 will contribute to this massive growth. ForeVR, founded by two ex-Zynga employees, is seeking to capitalize on this trend with its VR-focused gaming studio. Emerging recently from stealth, the company’s first title, launching in early 2021, is focused on bowling and ForeVR plans to build new games that are based on popular games in real life. LA TechWatch caught up with CEO and Cofounder Marcus Segal to learn more about the genesis of the company, its future product pipeline, first institutional round of funding from investors that include Galaxy Interactive Fund, Presence Capital, Emmett Shear, Justin Kan, Mark Pincus, and Justin Waldron.
The Next Stage in the Financial Revolution: AR and VR Solutions
The next step in the financial evolution has welcomed the applications of immersive Augmented and virtual realities. AR and VR can transform traditional banking and financial services into staggering, visual experiences by developing a personalized, face-to-face virtual environment.