Media reports, holographic video technology company 8i has just announced that they have completed B round of $ 27 million in financing. 8i also released Holo, a hybrid reality application powered by Google Tango technology. In 2015, 8i completed a round of financing of US$13.5 million. Now, 8i announced that they have completed a $27 million financing, including Baidu, Verizon and Time Warner.
As early as 2015, the New Zealand startup launched a 360-degree video capture system that can stitch together images and data captured from different viewpoints, allowing users to watch video from different perspectives.
Previously, 8i's focus has been on virtual reality. They introduced an earlier version of the "3D Video" player for the Oculus Rift, and the consumer version of the Oculus Rift was not yet available. However, the company has turned its sights on the latest wave of consumer equipment, including Google’s depth sensing and capture technology Tango. The application launched by 8i is named Holo, which can “bring holograms to consumers†through prerecorded asana videos and augmented reality.
Steve Raymond, executive director of 8i, said: "As more and more consumers are enhancing, mixing and creating new content on their smartphones, mobile provides an unparalleled opportunity for the distribution of holograms. We are very pleased to have access to the media. Strategic expertise and support in the areas of technology, communications, and communications because we bring new ways for viewers to create and participate in content. In this global financing, we look forward to working with investors from the United States, China, Europe, and Australia. Cooperation to bring our technology to consumers around the world."
Holo is currently in beta testing and is expected to be released this year. The application allows users to use Google Tango compatible phones (such as Lenovo Phab 2 Pro) to capture real-world video, and "incarnate" pre-recorded asana videos into the scene, and then pan and rotate in real time to match the camera's movements. . The 3D video avatar is provided by the 8i because capturing such a 360 degree "hologram" requires some huge, professional studio equipment.
Although Holo looks very interesting, what is 8i's interest in virtual reality? Steve Raymond, executive director of 8i, said: “Our investment in mobile AR will not diminish our excitement about many use cases in the high-end VR hologram field. We have seen various types of content creators embracing different forms of content for different consumer platforms.†Holo is the first low-cost entry-level product, but the company has produced more ambitious projects with Realistic visual effects.
Scott Levine of Time Warner Investments stated: "With VR and AR, we have seen the beginning of a new generation of immersive media. 8i has made holographic human content a reality in this new era through its breakthrough stereoscopic capture technology, and they have also reduced The threshold for the creators. We are very excited to support this world-class team as they continue to push the limits of data compression and deep acquisition and use Holo to make holograms the mainstream on smartphones."
We are not yet clear about Holo's working principles and equipment, but since the VR industry is still in its infancy, 8i may be a smart move to bring their immersive technology to the mass market through a multi-pronged approach.
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