Augmented reality startups are the next cool business idea after mobile app development and sliced bread. Ideas are flying around and some of them are actually put into practice and turn out to be useful and practical products. The industry is still new and angel investors are continuously looking out for opportunities to put their money into good use.
We looked around and selected some of the most interesting augmented reality startups to share with you. We believe that these are the next-tier top performers of tomorrow and that their ideas will come to fruition. Some of them are still crowdfunding to launch their first products while others have already secured financing.
HoloLamp
No goggles, no smartphone, no computer – this is how HoloLamp envisions the way we will soon interact with AR objects and apps. This is one of the augmented reality startups which is trying to make this technology more convenient and comfortable to use.
The concept proposed by HoloLamp combines pico projector cameras, machine learning and computer vision into a device which resembles a floor lamp and is capable of creating augmented reality experiences in holographic 3D. The company wants to make wearables go away and allow people to interact with AR freely, as if they were real life objects.
Right now, the status of the project is set on “coming soon”.
Augmedix
Healthcare has become more advanced than ever, but the doctors’ workload has also increased. There are lots of documents to fill in and the paperwork is actually taking more time than seeing patients and treating them. Augmented reality startup Augmedix wants to change that.
Doctors can now put on a Google Glass pair which connects with the Augmedix dedicated platform. The AR platform stores the patient’s file, which is easily displayed on the lenses of the smart glasses. Also, doctors can dictate notes which will be automatically recorded and transcribed by the Augmentix AR software.
According to testimonials on the company website, healthcare providers can see more patients on a regular business day and finish work faster. The Augmedix software and smart glasses works with all the major Electronic Health Record systems, being thus a viable option for most clinics, hospitals, and private practices.
RealCast
Realcast wants to change the way we interact with history, movies, and games. In short, this AR startup wants to celebrate a concept called extended reality: an immersive experience delivered through HoloLens which will make storytelling as real as if it were really happening before our eyes.
By adding the sense of touch to seeing and hearing, the project developed by Realcast, titled In Situ Experience, will add an enhanced sense of immersion to the augmented reality experience. Apart from this project, Realcast is also working on a platform where content creators can develop their own AR experiences.
WaveOptics
While one of the augmented reality startups we presented above wants to get rid of AR wearables, WaveOptics has a more traditional approach: it wants to develop a lightweight and comfortable model of augmented reality goggles.
They are working on a concept of AR lenses made of extremely thin waveguides and photonic crystals which can be adapted even to regular spectacle frames. By replacing traditional AR projection with the waveguides and crystals combo, WaveOptics hopes to make the lenses lighter in weight and more energy efficient.
In 2017 the company managed to raise £12 million in financing in a Series B round of funding from backers such as Robert Bosch Venture Capital, Touchstone Innovations, Octopus Ventures, and Gobi Ventures from China.
LyteShot
Augmented reality games should be as fun and exciting as complex VR and console games. At least this is what LyteShot believes and it decided to create a handheld gear which connects through the smartphone through a dedicated app. Thus, gamers can run around freely and experience the most energetic game play ever, without worrying about dropping their phone and cracking its screen.
This is LyteShot’s vision for the AR games of the future:
