Deep technology company VividQ has completed a financing round of £11m – taking its total funding to date to £17m – and that means computer-generated holography is set to enter realms previously occupied largely by science fiction writers.
By Mike Scialom
Holography involves engineering laser light to create three-dimensional projections and VividQ has become very good at developing the required software and IP.
The business was set up in 2017 by expertise from the University of Cambridge Photonics Department. The eight co-founders developed a revolutionary way of integrating holographic display in consumer electronics.
In 2020, the company discovered a way to turn LCD screens into holographic displays, meaning digital screens, from in-vehicle displays to gaming laptops and television, will provide interactive 3D holographic projections mid-air.
The new funding round involves the biggest VC out of Japan, UTokyo Innovation Platform, the fund of Williams F1 team – Foresight Williams Technology – plus Miyako Capital, APEX Ventures, and Silicon Valley-based R42 Group, among others.
Castle Park-based VividQ has already worked with Arm, demonstrating mobile holographic display for the first time, and other partners include Compound Photonics, Himax Technologies, and iView Displays.
The funding round will further advance the adoption of VividQ’s solutions for computer-generated holography across three applications.
The first is an Automotive HUD (head-up display), which places content in your line of sight. A holographic HUD, powered by VividQ, will be ready to go to original equipment manufacturers next year.
Secondly, VividQ is working to improve experiences offered by head-mounted displays (HMDs), and smart glasses. VividQ’s technology projects actual 3D images with true depth of field, making displays more natural and immersive for users.
Finally, as LCD screens become able to host holographic displays, digital screens – from in-vehicle displays to gaming laptops and television – will provide interactive 3D holographic projections mid-air. The funding will support the prototyping of HoloLCD systems.
TOP STORIES ON CAMBRIDGE INDEPENDENT
Darran Milne, co-founder and CEO of VividQ, said: “Scenes we know from films, from Iron Man to Star Trek, are becoming closer to reality than ever.
“At VividQ, we are on a mission to bring holographic displays to the world for the first time. Our solutions help bring innovative display products to the automotive industry, improve AR experiences, and soon will change how we interact with personal devices, such as laptops and mobiles.
“This new investment allows us to complete the next, critical phase of implementation projects and supports further innovation efforts to bring holography to new display applications.”
Mikio Kawahara, chief investment officer of UTokyo IPC, said: “The future of display is holography. The demand for improved 3D images in real-world settings is growing across the whole display industry. VividQ’s products will make the future ambitions of many consumer electronics businesses a reality.”
Hermann Hauser, one of the founding fathers of modern-day Cambridge as a global technology force, said: “Computer-generated holography recreates immersive projections that possess the same 3D information as the world around us.
“VividQ has the potential to change how humans interact with digital information.”
Originally published at Cambridge independent