Play Labs – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

May 21, 2018

Play Labs Nets Support From Theta Labs In New Strategic Partnership

Play Labs, the incubator/accelerator for startups related to blockchain, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), as well as other areas such as eSports and Artificial Intelligence (A.I) has revealed a new strategic partnership with Theta Labs, a subsidiary of interactive eSports live streaming platform SLIVER.tv. A name showing up more and more on VRFocus.

As part of this partnership, the forthcoming Summer 2018 sessions from Play Labs, hosted on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – better known as MIT – by the MIT Game Lab, will be sponsored by Theta Labs. Theta Labs is itself a blockchain related project “creating a decentralized, user-powered video mesh network. Theta aims to provide higher quality streaming around the world while lowering costs for content delivery and helping content creators capture more of their advertising revenue”.

The sponsorship, however, looks set to benefit all creators at the event, which is expanded its focus this year particularly with blockchain, VR and AR in mind. Play Labs is dedicated to helping startups off the ground that utilise “playful technology”, providing them not just funding and facilities but also guidance. Such guidance comes from mentorship by MIT staff and successful entrepreneurs, often including MIT alumni. Startups will now be able to include ‘the Theta protcol’, as it is referred to, in their projects. Helping with plans for video streaming, music, entertainment, eSports and other media applications and which will also benefit both content acquisition and project costs. Theta Labs CEO Mitch Liu, himself an MIT alumnus, will become a blockchain mentor in the Play Labs program as well

“As we roll out the Theta protocol, we are already seeing applications across many industries – esports, entertainment, training, music and more,” said Mitch Liu, CEO and founder of Theta Labs, Inc. “We are looking to partner with great institutions around the world, and as an MIT alum myself, I believe that the innovative startups from the MIT ecosystem like those in Play Labs are terrific partners to invent new and value-driven applications for this powerful innovation.”

Virtual Reality

“A new decentralized video streaming architecture like Theta’s can be very disruptive to the entertainment and live streaming industries, especially when considering the surge in video content coming with the rise of esports, VR, 8K and more.” Adds Executive Director of Play Labs, Riz Virk. “Both streaming and blockchain are key technology areas for Play Labs this year and we look forward to fostering an ecosystem that delivers real value.”

“We are excited to see new innovations with blockchain beyond cryptocurrency,” said Rik Eberhardt, Studio Manager for the MIT Game Lab. “And we’re are very interested in what new applications Theta Labs and our startups come up with this summer!”

January 23, 2018

MIT’s Play Labs Accelerator Opens Applications for Startups

A year ago Bayview Labs, LLC and Seraph Group announced a technology accelerator programme called Play Labs, held on campus at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The first batch of startups took part in the summer of 2017, with 13 startups each receiving an initial investment of $20,000 USD from the PlayLabs Fund. Today, Play Labs, LLC and the MIT Game Lab have announced that applications are now open for the second batch of startups.

Rizwan Virk - Bayview Labs Director

Just like before, the accelerator is looking for specific areas of technology to promote and invest in. Both virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are still topics of interest, with Digital Currency/Blockchain, eSports and Machine Learning/AI now included. Candidate startups may apply these technology areas into any industry, including videogames, eSports, finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and more.

Startups that are accepted into Play Labs will each receive an initial investment of $20,000 in either cash or Bitcoin in return for common stock. Those startups that graduate from the program and meet certain criteria will be eligible for up to $80,000 in additional funding from the Play Labs Fund and its investment partners.

The program will be run by Bayview Labs and its executive director, Rizwan Virk, an MIT alumnus. “MIT has been the starting point for many successful startups over the years. We had a successful first batch and we are excited to see what exciting technology projects MIT students, alumni and the greater community will come up for this second batch,” said Virk in a statement. “We started the accelerator because a lot of focus for these areas has been on the West Coast, but I believe that the eco-system around MIT in Boston has great talent and startup ideas in these areas.”

Virtual Reality - Play Labs

Scot Osterweil, Managing Director for Ludus, the MIT Center for Games, Learning, and Playful Media, said: “MIT students thrive on innovation and creative exploration. We are pleased that through Play Labs we will help them move their most imaginative ideas into the realm of the possible.”

Deadlines for applications are due by 15th March, 2018, after which time, finalists will be selected, and a subset of those finalists will be given offers to participate in the program. Applications are open to both MIT-affiliated startups, and startups with no MIT affiliation that wish to come to MIT for the summer to participate. For further details head to the Play Labs website, and for any more updates keep reading VRFocus.

June 21, 2017

MIT’s Play Labs VR/AR Accelerator Unveils its First Batch of Summer Startups

Back in January VRFocus reported on Bayview Labs, LLC and Seraph Group, announcing the launch of a startup accelerator looking at developing playful technology across a broad range of disciplines, including virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in conjunction with MIT called Play Labs. Today, Play Labs @ MIT has revealed the first 13 startups for its summer accelerator programme.

Each of the 13 startups will receive an initial investment of $20,000 USD from the PlayLabs Fund, with those that graduate eligible for up to $80,000 in additional funding from the fund as well as outside investors.

Rizwan Virk - Bayview Labs Director

“We are excited at the quality and breadth of startups that we have in our first batch,” said Rizwan Virk, Executive Director of Play Labs @ MIT in a statement. “Being on campus at MIT gave us access to many innovative entrepreneurs and technologies, and while we had many applicants, the startups we selected in this first class represent the best applications of playful technology. I’m personally inspired to help the next group of MIT startups go on to great success.”

“The inaugural class began with teams of creative, passionate and determined people. This is history in the making,” said Tuff Yen, President of Seraph Group and Partner at Play Labs @ MIT.

The following is a list of the startups in the first batch:

Coresights: Coresights provides evidence-based training to improve wellness and enhance resilience. The platform combines VR and AR technologies with clinical-grade wearables to make training engaging and capture real-time data.
Datavized: Datavized looks at advancing enterprise and big data with 3D visualization. Combining the immersive power of VR with the delivery of the mobile web, the software enables cross platform collaboration and enhanced decision making.
Empathy Box: The Myth Machine is a first-person mystery-adventure set in the weird, magical world of tech start-ups. It is the first project by Empathy Box.
Escape Labs: Escape Labs uses AR and mixed reality (MR) technology in experiences for escape-rooms, team-building exercises and room scale puzzles.
Esports One: Esports One is an esports company, comprised of esportspedia, one of the largest esports information resources in the world, providing an advanced computer vision and real-time data analysis platform for esports
Hidden Switch: Hidden Switch is developing a digital card battler, Spellsource, whose new gameplay lets you connect with the biggest stars in eSports. Based on research at the MIT Media Lab, its mission is to make everybody part of a great player’s journey.
Minda Labs: Minda offers VR diversity training to companies who are looking for fresh, research-driven approaches to improving company culture. Its videogame simulations help employees build empathy and communication skills through practice and feedback from peers.
RidgeLine: RoVR is a realistic VR dog simulator.
SavvyStat: Deep learning and predictive tools and dashboards for managing virtual economies and virtual goods.
Team Future: Black Hat Cooperative is a stealth game that pits you and an ally against robot agents that seek to remove you from the system. Explore complex levels filled with hidden dangers, and work together to survive.
Total Respawn: Total Respawn creates real-life shooter games for action sports arenas with AR. The product lineup will feature experiences from shooting your way out of the zombie apocalypse to military-themed laser tag.
VRemedy: VRemedy Labs creates new, empowering locomotion for VR. The MIT startup is focused on mitigating nausea through movement design and training sequences that are specialised to teach motion in the most comfortable manner. Providing development tools alongside a “VR motion acclimation” app will allow developers to provide new levels of immersion for users prone to motion sickness.
Wonda VR: Wonda VR develops tools to turn 360° videos into engaging VR experiences. It provides a drag & drop interface and a one-click publishing solution that puts the power of experiential storytelling in the hands of every video creator.

This first batch of startups run from June-August, with a demo day held on 15th August, 2017 at 6:00 pm EDT at MIT in classroom 10-250. The Demo Day will be open to investors, members of the MIT community, and the general public. In addition to the physical event, Play Labs Demo Day will be streamed live on the web.

For any further updates from Play Labs @ MIT, keep reading VRFocus.

January 18, 2017

Play Labs Tech Accelerator to Launch VR/AR Startups from MIT

Today Bayview Labs, LLC and Seraph Group have announced the launch of a tech startup accelerator for MIT students and alumni called Play Labs, focusing on playful technologies.

With the aim to help those wishing to start their own venture, the focus of the first batch of applications will be virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), although the incubator will also consider tech startups including 3d modeling, rendering, streaming, gamification, artificial intelligence and machine vision. Industries such as online/mobile/VR gaming, esports, entertainment, education, healthcare, finance, and more are all viable.

Rizwan Virk - Bayview Labs Director

Run by Bayview Labs, and its executive director, Rizwan Virk, an MIT alum and a Silicon Valley angel investor, advisor and mentor, in conjunction with the Seraph Group, a seed stage venture capital investment firm founded by Tuff Yen, the programme will run from June – August, 2017 on campus at MIT in Cambridge, MA. During which time startup teams will be mentored by the Executive Director, and by faculty and staff from the MIT Game Lab. Additional speakers and mentors for the accelerator will include entrepreneurs and experts in product design, sales and marketing, and fundraising, drawn from MIT alumni and Seraph Group.

“MIT has been the starting point for many successful startups over the years,” said Virk. “Recently, a lot of focus or playful and gaming technologies, particularly VR/AR, has been on the West Coast, but I believe that the eco-system around MIT in Boston has great talent and startup ideas in these areas.

“When I graduated from MIT and thought of doing my first startup, I wish I had this kind of accelerator program, with support from both MIT staff and industry entrepreneurs and mentors. That’s why I designed the program in this way.”

Startups accepted into Play Labs will each receive an initial investment of $20,000 USD from the Play Labs Fund in return for common stock. Graduating startups that also meet certain criteria will be eligible for an additional investment, up to $80,000, from Play Labs and its investment partners.

“MIT students thrive on innovation and creative exploration,” said Scot Osterweil, Managing Director for LUDUS, the MIT Center for Games, Learning, and Playful Media. “We are pleased that through Play Labs we will help them move their most imaginative ideas into the realm of the possible.”

“We see tremendous opportunity to invest, support and partner with the MIT community of outstanding people,” said Tuff Yen, the founder and President of Seraph Group, a seed stage technology investment firm. “Our network of successful investors will bring valuable experience, access and resources to startups.”

The deadline for applications is 20th February, 2017. Further information on the program, eligibility, and benefits can be found here.

For all the latest VR news from around the world, keep reading VRFocus.