Macromedia alumni, Robin Sho Moser, managing founder of the eyecandylab tech start-up, is bound for success after a recent $1.5 million seed round. The start-up-investment is for eyecandylab’s AR application ‘augmen.tv’.
Less than a year ago, eyecandylab was accepted into the ‘German Accelerator Tech’ program in Silicon Valley. German Accelerator Tech aims to support German start-ups from tech-related fields to enter the U.S. market. Now, the funding eyecandlab has received will aid them in expanding into the Asian markets as well. The $1.5 million seed round comes from the Band of Angels, Silicon Valley’s first fishing investment group- with additional investments from LG Technology Ventures, an investment arm of the South Korean LG Group, and other fishing investors.
Both Sho Moser and eyecandylab’s marketing director, Tom Orzikowski, completed a Bachelor’s degree in Media Management at Macromedia University. They specialized in brand communication and advertising. Moser comments on his recent success as follows:
"Shortly after our founding, it was clear to us that innovators and early adopters of our technology were to be found primarily in the USA and Asia. That’s why the move to Silicon Valley was the right one. In the last 12 months, I have been able to build up a dense network of entrepreneurs, investors and advisors there, who support us in building up the company. Our investors for this round are also all there. Thanks to the ‘German Accelerator Tech’ we also have an office there, which we will now slowly equip with additional team members.
Next month we will have a commercial launch in South Korea. We will make it possible to see home shopping TV enriched with augmented reality for the first time. The viewers will then be able to place the product that is currently on view in their own living room with our technology, in order to make a purchase decision. AR apps such as those from IKEA or Houzz have already shown that customers who use AR features in the buying process have a significantly higher purchase probability. We take advantage of this to help drive linear home shopping TV into the augmented reality age".
‘augmen.tv’ combines the world of linear TV content with augmented reality. The application adds an interactive AR layer to the moving images to offer the user virtual elements: simulations, statistics, product information. The first and second screens are combined to create a seamless interactive experience. ‘eyecandylab’ has already won numerous international start-up awards for its technology. Customers and partners include Adidas, LG, Pro Sieben, and NBC Universal.
Good luck, Robin! Congratulations!
Click here for further information about the study programmes Media and Communication Management (B.A.), Film Directing (B.A.) as well as Media and Communication Design (B.A.).
(Tanslated by Rosie Hall)