Startup incubator Launch Academy is opening a new virtual reality and augmented reality hub at its 麻豆传媒映画headquarters.
The 12,000-square-foot facility features a device lab to test out new technologies and is aimed at assisting a wide spectrum of early-stage companies, according to CEO Ray Walia.
Dan Burgar, the 麻豆传媒映画chapter president of the VR/AR Association (Photo: Chung Chow)
鈥淚t鈥檚 all the way from people just starting out to [companies with] a product in market,鈥� he told Business in Vancouver.
鈥淥ther companies that are more established that don鈥檛 necessarily need to take desk space here but they want to be part of the community and be part of a founding partnership in helping cultivate and grow the ecosystem [will also take part].鈥�
The hub was created in partnership with the 麻豆传媒映画chapter of the VR/AR Association.
It will offer training and education programs, equipment rentals, workshops and mentorship opportunities for participants.
Mentors include investors in the VR/AR space, including Super Ventures, the VR Fund, WXR Fund, Outpost Capital and the GFR Fund.
Experts from Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT), Finger Food Studios, Archiact, LNG Studios, LlamaZoo Interactive Inc., Blueprint Reality Inc., Cognitive3D, YDreams Global Interactive Technologies Inc. and the 麻豆传媒映画Economic Commission will also offer mentoring.
麻豆传媒映画was home to just over a dozen VR companies in 2015 but has since growth to 220 organizations that are pursuing VR technologies, according to the VR/AR Association.
鈥淲e have all the right ingredients to make 麻豆传媒映画No. 1,鈥� Dan Burgar, the 麻豆传媒映画chapter president of the VR/AR Association, said in a statement.
鈥淲e believe it鈥檚 extremely important to keep the momentum up and build the support infrastructure now for companies to accelerate their growth. Launch Academy has a proven track record of incubating over 600 companies and we鈥檙e thrilled to work with them on this.鈥�
