Startup Showcase: HoloMe
HoloMe founder Janosch Amstutz explains why his firm can offer the most realistic humanoid holograms and the future of VR and AR
What is your company and what do you do?
HoloMe creates holograms of people in augmented and virtual reality. Our holograms are life-like projections, something that has been missing in this field until now. HoloMe is the modern way of communicating and is a revolution, rather than an evolution, in this technological space.
We are trying to unbox the way people communicate with each other digitally. Until now, digital communication has been encased into rectangular screens which causes a disconnect between communicators, we want to open up this to new possibilities.
Tell us a bit about your career to date
I came from a relatively cash-poor upbringing, so achieving financial security and success as soon as possible was very important to me. I gained an entry-level position in a global commodities firm during the height of the global financial crisis, and recently left my position as Operations Manager at the world’s largest producer of Ferro Alloys.
My position in commodities has allowed me to micro-invest into exciting emerging technologies in the past few years, which ultimately lead to the founding of HoloMe along with two old friends, who are experts in their respective fields. I believe entrepreneurship is the most exciting field of work and has the pioneering energy that you can’t find in traditional career paths.
What services or products do you offer and how will businesses and/or consumers benefit?
At present, we offer client projects in the advertising and education sectors for customers like museums, gallery exhibits and the tourism industry. We bring their keynote speakers, presenter, products and ideas to anyone anywhere in augmented reality. Additionally, we are currently jumping through the R&D hoops for real-time hologram processing which will allow Hologram ‘Skype’ to become a reality.
Say one thing your company does that no one else can do?
We make the most realistic, life-like humanoid holograms in HD and cinematic quality which can be viewed on smartphones.
Where is the company based and why?
HoloMe is based in central London, as London really is the center of Entrepreneurs and Tech Startups in Europe – nowhere else even comes close. It is fantastic to be around such passionate and dedicated people creating the next disruptive technologies.
Additionally the business landscape in the UK is very supportive toward startups with minimal red-tape and generous government incentives, which don’t exist in other parts of Europe.
How big is your company and what are your technology demands?
At present, we are a relatively small team filling the roles of engineers, business development and marketing, though in the near future we are aiming for a seed round to boost our development team and shorten our timeline to product delivery. We are a software only solution and fully adaptable to all platforms and devices.
Where do you see your company in five years?
In five years I can see our holograms being the standard method of communication for business meetings, talking to loved ones across the globe, and receiving face-to-face customer service and educational coaching directly into the comfort of your home. We want to completely disrupt this space in time for the adoption of wearable technologies.
Which tech company do you admire and why?
The current hype in AR & VR technologies has been around gaming and removing yourself from the real world. However, I believe that although lucrative, these applications miss the mark on being able to fully exploit the amazing achievements made in this space. Augmented reality now has the potential to make us superhuman or to reactivate sensory functions that have been damaged or lost.
Wearable technology can provide humans with eagle-like vision and enhance and extract specific sounds from a user’s environment, for example the Eidos project at Imperial Collage London. Another company, Eyra, who is using computer vision and audio as a substitute for visual sensory inputs. I admire startups like this who have a vision to change and disrupt not only entire markets, but also improve the experience of being human.
