You shouldn’t need a computer to use your computer.
In all my time working with XR products, I’ve always been chained to another computer. Not only by cables, but by the tools we’ve been given.
I’d been hoping for a laptop replacement, a creative tool with an infinite canvas. A true bicycle for the mind. But it hasn’t happened. These headsets are great products, but for developers, they’re a vision of the future still chained to the past.
So after 4 years working on the Vision Pro, I left. I wasn’t expecting things to move as quickly as they have, but in July I met Laurent, I shared my vision with him, and two weeks later we were working together on a demo and a pitch deck.
Today I’m writing this, telling you (the world) that we (Volumetrics) raised $1.1 million in seed funding from Abstract Ventures and Alt Capital.
We’re using the money to fix the problem
If you’ve never tried to create a spatial experience, here’s the workflow:
- Write code on a laptop
- Test it on a simulator
- Put your headset on, and test
- Take your headset off
- Go back to step 1
This process works for phones, but these aren’t phones. You’re not using a bigger screen to build for a small one that fits in your hand, you’re using a small screen to build for a 3D screen, effectively infinite in size, that weighs 1-2 lbs and rests on your face. This doesn’t make any sense! It’s like using your phone to build a desktop app. I’m sure it’s possible, but should you?
We believe that you should build for mixed reality, in mixed reality.
You should be able to reach out and tweak the interface and 3D content with your hands, or dive into the code with a bluetooth keyboard, seeing it all update in real-time, right in front of you. You should be able to design, develop, and deploy full spatial experiences without ever taking off the headset.
Why are we telling you this?
We want to build in the open. Open dialogue is paramount to innovation. From the chips in your phone to every aspect of the web, the underlying technology was built by a community working together and sharing ideas. We find this inspiring, and believe it’s crucial for the future of the spatial web. So from day one we’re choosing to build in the open. Our underlying framework is open source, and our daily communication is done primarily through Mastodon for all to see. We invite you to take part in the conversation.
We’re trying to get your attention.
We’re just getting started, and we want you to tag along. If we’ve manage to pique your interest, check out volumetrics.io. You can follow our day-to-day progress on Mastodon, watch our regular demos on our Youtube channel, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
We’re also growing our team. We’re looking for a full-stack engineer, excited about open source and the future of the spatial web. Become Volumetrics first founding engineer!
A word from our sponsors
“The investments from big tech companies will lead to
hardware that will be adopted by millions of people, and
equipping developers with tooling to create XR software will be
critical. There couldn’t be a better team to take this on than
Michael and Laurent.”
Jack Altman, Alt Capital
“The Volumetrics team is uniquely well-positioned to tackle
this opportunity. We are thrilled to be partnering with Michael
& Laurent, alongside our friends Jack and Bala at Alt
Capital, and are excited for what’s to come.”
David Kwon, Abstract Ventures
Press mentions
- Forbes — This week in XR
- Lowpass — Newsletter