Israel-based entrepreneur Alon Melchner is continuing his involvement with the immersive technology industry with the launch of his latest venture, a new mixed reality (MR) start-up called Mixed Place.
Mixed Place has closed a seed funding round totalling $750,000 (USD), led by Israeli company PPI Worldwide Group. Melchner’s new enterprise has filed 17 patent applications for technology which will allow users to create MR content.
Melchner was previously known for being the founder and CEO of augmented reality (AR) firm WakingApp, which was founded in 2012. WakingApp allowed non-developers to create interactive AR content. Mixed Place will similarly allow users to design, build and share digital overlays which will be accurately integrated into the real world.
Alon Melchner says: “The entry of Mixed Reality into our lives will be the greatest digital revolution in human history. Mixed Place’s vision is to map the world and create an infrastructure, which is also known as AR cloud, that will cover it with layers of 3D digital content. Mixed Reality will create a world in which digital consumption will function intuitively as part of the real world, rather than be limited to 2D screens. This will revolutionize every aspect of life and in countless sectors of the economy, from retail and entertainment, through manufacturing, events production, transportation and defense, to education.”
Melchner has revealed his certainty that MR technology will have a huge impact on a huge range of industries and sectors, including tourism, education, infrastructure and retail among others. Furthermore, he has predicted that AR or MR smartglasses will begin to replace smartphones as a preferred display device.
According to Isaias Miremberg, an owner of PPI Worldwide: “Our decision to serve as a strategic partner and first investor in Mixed Place is no coincidence. It not only reflects our deep confidence in Alon Melchner, a world-renowned expert in Mixed Reality with an integrated background in technology, strategy, and creative. This decision demonstrates the immense potential of Mixed Reality in a range of industries, including retail and sales promotion, which is the business of PPI Worldwide. We believe that this technology’s penetration into the retail industry will grow in the coming years, and we will be one of the spearheads of this technology.”
Further news on new and upcoming VR, AR and MR projects will be reported here on VRFocus.