NEWS March 31, 2015

Virtual worlds for phobia training wins Startup Life Science program

Finalen_vt_2015

More than one million people in Sweden suffer from phobia that puts them in need of support and therapy to be able to cope with certain situations. Today, only a few thousand patients get treatment. Startup company Mimerse has developed a tool that provides phobia training − without the physical constraints of reality. At the STING Startup Life Science program finale, Mimerse was awarded 10 000 SEK for its innovation and was named “Startup of the Year”.

Mimerses solution means that all patients who want and need to get help can get it. The treatment can take place at the therapist, at home or at any chosen location, which provides great flexibility compared to the current situation where patients must make an appointment and wait a long time for treatment. With this treatment, the patient and therapist can easily follow the progress of the phobia training.

− Virtual reality is a grail for many areas of psychological research and something that will ultimately change the world. Initially, the treatment will be offered as an aid to therapists, and eventually the product will be offered directly to patients, said William Hamilton, founder of Mimerse and student at the Department of Psychology at Stockholm University.

Eleven innovative business ideas with high growth potential presented at the finale of the Startup Life Science program, a hands-on workshop series for entrepreneurs offered and organized by STING (Stockholm Innovation & Growth).

The jury consisted of Pontus von Bahr from Vinnova, Mona Wilcke from SU Innovation and Par Nordstrom from Almi Invest. The award was presented by Vice Rector Hans Adolfsson from Stockholm University. The jury’s motivation:

“This innovation creates the conditions for a more relaxed attitude of concerns. The innovation is scientifically based and the technology is an example of an innovative application in Virtual Reality.”

− Gaining recognition as “Startup of the Year” in this fine starting field feels great. I wish my brother had had the opportunity to be with me today since we founded the company together. Now we will continue working on completing the construction of our first prototype and to then test it in real life after the summer, says William Hamilton.

The Startup program is a practical training program for those who want help to formulate and refine their business models and create a good platform to potentially start a business. The program consists of six evening workshops and is based on LEAN Canvas, a strategic and visual template for the development of business models. Theory is intertwined with practical training, and experienced entrepreneurs and experts share their knowledge.

Stockholm University has hosted this year’s program, and KTH Innovation, Innovation offices at Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University have sponsored the program.

NEWS February 16, 2015

Moggles launches campaign on Indiegogo

On February 17, at 18:00 Swedish time, the Swedish virtual reality company Moggles launches a campaign on the global crowdfunding site Indiegogo. The aim is to secure financing for the production and to take Moggles to market.

Moggles is a foldable headset (the name comes from “mobile goggles”) with an associated controller that with a smartphone makes it possible via virtual reality technology to enter and experience other worlds.

− We are really proud to offer Moggles via Indiegogo. There are so many exciting application areas and that a VR headset for mobile phones should be portable is obvious, says Daniel Sandvik, co-founder and CEO of Moggles.

Moggles has been developed to be user-friendly and portable − you can put them in your pocket − without compromising quality. The lenses are proprietary and aspherical, providing good sharpness across the entire image. Partner on the software side is Goo Technologies, which will be the first to have Moggles API and app support.

− With the mobile phone’s own camera, we can also allow for positioning on the web, so you can not only watch but also walk around and move in the VR world, which has not been done before. The technique is called SLAM and will also be an important parameter in order to eliminate nausea that some feel during a VR experience. Our competitors who use the technology have an external camera to achieve the same effect, says Daniel Sandvik.

Since smartphones are constantly being updated with the latest technology, hardware and software will, and thus the VR experience, become better and better every time the phone is updated. Moggles works with all phones with a screen size up to 5.5 inches, so the headset will also work for future smartphones.

− The price for a headset and a controller is 1000 SEK, but there will be some really good “early bird” offers for those who want to support our product early, says Daniel Sandvik.

The team behind Moggles showed a prototype of the product at CES in Las Vegas in January and received positive feedback from both journalists and tech-savvy consumers. Now you can soon meet the team and test Moggles at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on March 2 to 5.

Review of Moggles
“Imagine a phone that LG G3 with really nice screen and resolution, or for that matter when it comes 4K-resolution phones. The experience will be really nice and with the right applications … it’s a really cool contraption that does not cost very much.” − Anton Karmehed, NordicHardware

More information
> www.moggles.com
> Moggles’ campaign on Indiegogo