A start-up which is claiming to be developing fully immersive 3D experiences without the need for virtual reality headsets has won $28 million backing.
Robert Bosch Venture Capital has backed Light Field Lab’s holographic display technologies with the Series A investment which will help take the tech from prototype to product.
“Holographic display technologies enable entirely new business opportunities across consumer and enterprise markets including automotive in-vehicle infotainment,” said RBVC MD Dr. Ingo Ramesohl.
“Light Field Lab has the leadership and technical expertise to bring this vision of the holographic future to life.”
Based in San Jose, California, the start-up’s display technologies could enable viewers to see holographic objects floating in space without the need for head-mounted accessories.
The company aims to bring real-world holographic experiences to life with up to hundreds of gigapixels of resolution, creating immersive environments and realistic-looking holograms.
Unlike other technologies that claim to be holograms, Light Field Lab’s displays don’t rely on visual tricks or spinning LEDs.
Instead, it recreates the way rays of light bounce off objects in 3D space, making virtual objects which can be indistinguishable from reality.
In addition to holographic displays, the company also provides the hardware and software platform required for content distribution.
Light Field Lab’s technology can be used for more than just entertainment, as the freedom from headsets will create opportunities in areas such as automotive, retail and public displays.
Jon Karafin, Brendan Bevensee, and Ed Ibe founded Light Field Lab in 2017 to build upon their collective experience as innovators in light field technology.
All three previously worked at Lytro, a pioneering light field camera company, where they developed technical expertise in the field.
The company also benefits from a wide range of strategic investors including Comcast, Liberty Global, and Verizon along with RBVC.
“The industry response has been extremely enthusiastic as evidenced by the strength of our investors,” said CEO Karafin.
“We look forward to working with our syndicate of manufacturing, content creation and distribution partners to uncover opportunities and alliances across a range of vertical markets as we take our development to the next phase.”