Usually when we talk about VR startups and investment it’s unsurprisingly based around the Silicon Valley area. This year’s VR World Congress (VRWC) event wants to bring some of that money to Europe, however.
VRWC is a three-day event hosted in the UK city of Bristol. The show is set to gather a host of industry pioneers to showcase the latest content and talk about strategies, development tips and more. Debuting at this year’s show, however, is a new Investor Showcase that will allow startups working in VR as well as augmented and mixed reality to pitch their companies to a room full of potential investors. Startups can pitch for up to £2 million in investment.
Applications for the showcase are open this week and close at 6pm GMT on March 20th. You can apply if you’re looking for £25,000 – £500,000 in the early stages of your company, or looking for £500,000 to £2 million in the growth states. Anyone across the globe can apply, though you must be present for the showcase in the flesh on April 12th.
The selection process will consist of an initial review stage followed by a Skype pitch to a panel of judges at the end of March. A total of 10 finalists will be selected for the show. The session is sponsored by legal firm TLT and held in association with Silicon Gorge. So if you’re a new company looking to make a mark in the VR industry but in need of a little help to do so, this might well be worth your consideration.
The wider VRWC show, meanwhile, runs from 11th – 13th and sees speakers from Microsoft, Google, and Oculus Story Studio. On display at the exhibition will be the Microsoft HoloLens, Ultrahaptics, and more. Tickets to the show are on sale now.
