ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Avalon Holographics has a vision, and the St. John’s company is sharing it with others through its unique and immersive 3D technology.
For the months of January and February, the startup firm is focusing on a virtual trade mission of sorts. It’s one of 10 Canadian enterprises — including fellow Newfoundland tech firm Engage Creative Technologies — taking part in the inaugural Canadian XR (Extended Reality) Startup Market Accelerator in Seattle.
Avalon Holographics, which got its start in Memorial University's Genesis innovation hub, uses a light-field display to offer an immersive and natural 3D experience without the need for glasses or a headset. It replicates the experience of seeing real objects, and the company believes its product has considerable applications when it comes to the medical and defence sectors. The company has developed a prototype, which was launched last year.
"Basically, we're the world's most advanced holographic displays," explained Dana Brewer, marketing manager for the company, which also has a lab in Edmonton and a sales office in Ottawa. "Here at Avalon, we're actually leading the next wave of display technology, with light field displays that will revolutionize the way people produce, view and understand visual content."
Growing company
Founded in 2015, the company has grown in leaps and bounds since then, now employing 50 staff. Avalon Holographics wants to use the market accelerator event to make connections and attract the attention of venture capitalists who can fund that expansion. It is run by the Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA), Global Affairs Canada and British Columbia Trade & Investment.
The eight-week event, which kicked off in early January, gives the 10 virtual- and augmented-reality companies a chance to enhance their entrepreneurial skills through curriculum and mentorship opportunities. All of this come with the goal of helping companies expand into the United States market. An opportunity also hovers over the event to connect with potential investors.
"We're basically trying to get as much resources as possible and meet as many people," Brewer said. "Connections and introductions to investors is the number one thing that's going to be valued for us in this workshop."
Significant tech area
There will be opportunities to learn from experienced tech veterans based in the Pacific Northwest, an area known for nurturing major companies like Microsoft and Electronic Arts. Facebook and Google also have offices in Seattle.
There are also workshops in the market accelerator on sales and fundraising. Through the event, Avalon Holographics will become a WTIA member, giving the company ongoing access to its resources beyond the market accelerator.
"Normally, right now, we'd be going on a bunch of trade shows and going to different events in Seattle and California and trying to meet these different industry people, but COVID has really put a hard stop on that," Brewer said.
Similarly, the lack of in-person selling opportunities is not ideal for a specialized company like Avalon Holographics. The nature of its product makes a virtual presentation restricted to a two-dimensional display a less effective way to show off the full scope of what the company has to offer.
"Where our device is 3D, it's extremely, extremely difficult to show it on a 2D screen," Brewer said, adding the company is eager to get back to in-person pitches.
