Amsterdam — The VR/AR Beat Newsletter & Blog — VR/AR Association (VRARA)

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Gongslag door winnaar 17e KVK Innovatie Top 100

Vandaag, 16 januari, opende de winnaar van de 17e KVK Innovatie Top 100, SenseGlove uit Delft, met een flinke gongslag de AEX in Amsterdam. Het bedrijf heeft een handschoen, een 'robothand', ontwikkeld die het mogelijk maakt om een virtueel object aan te raken, te voelen en te manipuleren alsof het een echt voorwerp is. SenseGlove meet exact iedere beweging van elk gewricht in de hand en zo wordt een zeer gedetailleerde virtuele hand gesimuleerd.

De beurs werd vanmorgen geopend door het Delftse bedrijf, in het bijzijn van een aantal KVK-adviseurs. Johannes Luijten, CTO SenseGlove, over de KVK Innovatie Top 100: “Als winnaars van de KVK Innovatie Top 100 kunnen wij ons oprecht het meest innovatieve bedrijf van Nederland noemen. Dit is niet alleen een grote waardering voor ons team of erkenning op nationaal niveau. Het winnen van deze prijs geeft ons ook een internationale boost. De innovatiefste van Nederland zijn, zaait ook grote waardering bij onze buitenlandse klanten, partners en in het XR ecosysteem in het algemeen. Met meer dan 90% klanten in het buitenland is dit een waardevol predicaat om te mogen dragen.”

1700 prachtige innovatieve producten

KVK presenteert elk jaar de KVK Innovatie Top 100, een etalage vol succesvolle innovaties uit het midden- en kleinbedrijf. Zeventien jaar KVK Innovatietop 100 is terugkijken op 1700 prachtige innovatieve producten en diensten van Nederlandse bedrijven. De kracht van de KVK Innovatie Top 100 is te laten zien waartoe het Nederlandse mkb in staat is. Aan de KVK Innovatie Top 100 is bewust geen (geld)prijs verbonden. De afgelopen 17 jaar is deze prijs uitgegroeid tot de grootste en belangrijkste innovatieprijs voor het mkb.

Deelnemen?

Heb jij met succes een innovatief product of dienst op de markt gebracht? Dan maak jij kans om tot de top 100 meest innovatieve bedrijven van Nederland te behoren. We geven je graag meer over informatie over hoe je je kunt inschrijven en wat deelname jou op kan leveren. Laat dan je gegevens achter en een van onze adviseurs neemt contact met je op.

VRARA Netherlands Ecosystem Report featuring 78 companies! (Download here)

After the name change of Oculus to Meta, the media finally understood: we need to look into this VR and AR thing. So the next day I got almost a dozen emails in our inbox from television networks and newspapers. Most of them asking the question: do you have any sense of the Dutch ecosystem? How many companies are working in this field? What are they doing? And most importantly: what is this tech exactly? But I could offer only limited answers.

A year ago, I took over the VR/AR Association Netherlands Chapter with one mission: to get more recognition for the Dutch ecosystem and make it more visible to the world. My plan was to do this by organizing international events and to help Dutch companies participate in the general VRARA fora that are organized twice a year. And now with this report, we finally have a document for anyone in the world to find and read. Including the media who want to know what we are doing with this technology.

The VR/AR association is a worldwide organization for anyone who is working in VR or AR. The goal is to spread knowledge, offer a network of professionals and to help grow your company.

When I read the final report, I became incredibly proud: we have 26% more companies who participate in the report compared to three years ago in the 2019 report. Participating companies even filled in a questionnaire about their industry and products, giving us more insight into the industry. This report thereby includes an extensive look at these statistics and overall insights.

And I am incredibly proud of the Dutch VR/AR ecosystem. Last year, Vertigo Games was acquired by Enhanced for 85 million euros. As a next step, it was merged with another big VR studio ForcefieldXR. During the past Sony presentation, Dutch game company Guerrilla Games announced that they are the first who will launch a Triple-A game for the upcoming Sony VR system.

This report makes the Dutch VR/AR ecosystem visible. Use our network and this report to find your next business partner, investment opportunity or work place.

Enjoy!

Freek Teunen

VRARA Chapter President, Netherlands

LAST CALL – Just over 24hrs left to submit for Aurea Award in Immersive Entertainment

The next Aurea Award ceremony and professional conference will take place on Jan. 15 - 16, 2020 at Europa-Park, where shortlisted state of the art experiences will not only show where the industry is all headed, but will also be pitched live on stage in front of an all-star Jury. All stakeholders from the entertainment sector from startups to investors, and creatives to corporates are invited to get involved and help the community grow.

Interested in applying? Submissions are open until midnight November 15, 2019!
Interested in attending? By invitation only. Request a spot here.

About Aurea Award
With just 5 AUREA awards up for grabs, film projects, music experiences, live events, games, mixed reality experiences as well as enabling technologies receive center stage in front of a crowd VR & AR enthusiasts. Besides showcasing and awarding the most exciting products and experiences, the conference also delivers thought-leader talks, candid discussions on panels and a slew of workshops, while leaving room plenty of room for networking and enjoyment. In the setting of one of the world's leading theme parks, the conference offers multiple opportunities for groundbreakers to be heard and seen, to connect to the most relevant pioneers in the ecosystem and to become a part of the vibrant AUREA community. 
https://aurea-award.com/

About VRARA
The VR/AR Association is an international organization designed to facilitate collaboration between innovative companies and people in the VR and AR ecosystem that accelerates growth, fosters research and education, helps develop industry standards, connects member organizations and promotes the services of member companies. Over 4500 companies, brands, school and 27,000 professionals are registered with VRARA and more than 20 committees are working on best practices and guidelines for the industry.
https://www.thevrara.com/

The VR/AR Association publishes the Netherlands Ecosystem Report featuring over 50 Companies

Come meet us at the VR/AR Global Summit Nov 1-2

VRARA Netherlands Dutch VR AR.jpeg

We have published the first VR and AR Ecosystem report for the Netherlands! Over 50 Dutch VR and AR companies present their products and services in one clear format. See attached report.

Many thanks to our partner StickyLock who shares our ambition to put Dutch VR and AR organizations on the global radar. StickyLock creates concepts and develops apps and games. They have created AR solutions for architecture, advertising, business cards, e-commerce and furniture and are committed to making high quality games and VR/AR applications using cutting-edge technology.

If you are interested in finding reports from other regions, like the UK, Belgium, Canada, SF, NYC, or Taiwan, please see here.

In case of any questions, please don't hesitate to contact our Netherlands chapter president Maarten van der Lee via Netherlands@thevrara.com

Best regards,

Maarten van der Lee

Chapter President - The Netherlands

E: Netherlands@thevrara.com

W: www.thevrara.com

Submit your information for the Netherlands VR/AR Ecosystem Report

Dear member of the Dutch VR and AR community,

The submissions for the first Dutch VR & AR ecosystem report have officially been opened.

The ecosystem report is a simple yet effective way to show what’s happening in The Netherlands. It will be distributed through the global VRARA network, grabbing attention on a global level with proof that there's something to say about VR/AR/XR in The Netherlands. We would like to invite you to be part of this report.

We found a partner that shares this ambition to put us on the global radar. StickyLock creates concepts and develops apps and games. They have created AR solutions for architecture, advertising, business cards, e-commerce and furniture and are committed to making high quality games and AR/VR/MR applications using cutting-edge technology. Thanks to their sponsorship we have the means to give all submissions a full page in the report, normally only available to VRARA members.

You can submit your response for free. All we ask you to do is to fill out the form by clicking the button below before the final submission deadline: August 16th. The first 35 submissions will have a guaranteed place in the report. Any additional submissions will be subject to review.

For other reports we have published for UK, Belgium, SF, Toronto, Taiwan, among others, please see here

The data you submit will solely be used to generate The Netherlands Ecosystem report. Here's how it will look

Please sign up before August 16th

SUBMIT YOUR INFO HERE

Any questions, email netherlands@thevrara.com

Call for Participation in the Netherlands VR/AR Ecosystem Report

The VR/AR Association (VRARA) Netherlands Chapter is producing an industry report on the country's VR AR ecosystem to promote Dutch companies and organizations involved with immersive technologies and media. The report will be promoted by VRARA and our media partners around the world.

As an example, you can see our Reports for other ecosystems around the world here.

Would you be interested to have your company featured in this report? If yes, then please email netherlands@thevrara.com

The report will specifically highlight the following:

  • Size of the market

  • Number of relevant companies in region

  • Company info (size: number of employees, revenue; vertical, customers)

  • Reasons why company is based in the region

  • Needs and hopes from and for the regional ecosystem

The report will be promoted via VRARA channels and our partners, which includes:

  • Our global newsletter to 27K emails, on our website (20K unique visitors per month), and social media (1M user reach)

If you are interested in being featured or sponsor, please email netherlands@thevrara.com

Get your Company Featured in our VR AR Ecosystem Reports

VRARA's 50+ Chapters are producing industry reports on the regional VR/AR ecosystems to promote companies and organizations involved with immersive technologies and media from NYC to Sydney, across the world.  The reports will be promoted by VRARA and our partners reaching potentially a 1M audience. 

Would you be interested to have your company featured in these report or sponsor the report? If yes, then let us know at info@thevrara.com 

Each report will specifically highlight the following:

  • Size of the local ecosystem market

  • Number of relevant companies in the ecosystem

  • List of companies and company info (size: number of employees, revenue; vertical, customers)

  • Reasons why company is based in the local ecosystem

  • Needs and hopes from and for the ecosystem

If you have any questions or are interested in being featured or sponsor, please reply to this email or email info@thevrara.com

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VRARA Netherlands & VRX Rising Stars First Edition 2018 (5 startups will be given a unique opportunity!)

To enter the competition, please click here

To attend the event RSVP here

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What is the VRARA Netherlands Rising Stars?

Showcase outstanding achievements in VR/AR/MR

Selected Startups will have the huge opportunity to showcase their achievements to thousands of attendees and decision makers on the 17th of May during the afterparty of VRX Europe in Amsterdam.

Attendees will include some of the biggest names in VR and offer a night of learning, entertainment and celebration.
 

OUR EXPERT JUDGING PANEL

Our experts are going to select 5 of the best startups.

They will showcase their solution during our event on the 17th of May.

 
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CRITERIAS FOR STARTUP SELECTION

Our jury members will assess the startup submissions against several criteria.

The 5 startups reaching the highest scores will be the ones selected to present at the event on the 17th of May 2018.

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DURING THE NIGHT – 17th MAY 2018

More details coming soon !

 

SPONSORS

The success of the VRARA Netherlands Rising Stars event is tightly linked to the generosity and support of its sponsors and partners.

If you want to take part in the adventure, please contact  isa@thevrara.com

 

PARTNERS

 

COMPETITION AGENDA

Jury Members Announced – 15th April

Recruitment startup campaign launch – 16th April

Deadline Startup Submission – 6th May at 23:59

Selected Startups Announced – 11th May

 

INTERESTED IN JOINING THE EVENING?

The 5 selected startups will showcase their products and solutions on the 17th of May 2018 during a fun after party event. If you want to have the privilege to discuss with those rising stars and meet VR/MR/AR biggest influencers in Europe, please book your ticket now.

This event is free for all VRX Europe attendees (Our event is built in partnership with the VRX Europe conference), you will receive an email to proceed to registration soon.

If you are a member of the VRARA Netherlands Association, this event is also free for you. Members will receive an email to proceed to registration soon.

Limited Tickets:

If you are not part of the VRX Europe conference, you can register here. Only few tickets are sold outside of the VRX event, we would like to encourage you to register as soon as possible if you want to be sure to secure a spot.

 

QUESTIONS?

Get in Touch

isa@thevrara.com

 

ELIGIBILITY AND GUIDELINES

 

Guidelines see here

VRARA Netherlands Chapter Launch Event

The VR/AR Association finally comes to the Netherlands !

This is a call to all lovers of virtual, augmented and mixed realities in Amsterdam and the Netherlands in general to join us at this launch event. 

We are thrilled to welcome you at Ordina, one of our founding members.

We are putting together an exciting program for you where...

  • you will discover what the Dutch chapter of the association intends and does

  • you will hear insightful case studies in VR / AR / MR

  • you will network with our local VR / AR / MR community

  • you will have a chance to play with some material and demos :-)

VR/AR are all about experiences. At VRARA, we want to make sure you have an opportunity to discover with your own eyes what it has to offer… and what our partners & friends in particular have created.

For our launch event, the Play Zone will be awesome:

  • Demo of the Dutch Navy VR experience (provided by Ordina)

  • 2 Hololens devices on display (provided by Ordina)

  • Game corner with PS4 & VR headset (provided by AkzoNobel)

  • Rovr, geographic virtual simulation (provided by VROwl)

  • Demo of Dutch Railways VR experience (provided by DigitasLBi)

Highlights from the launch event of the Amsterdam Chapter

Amir-Esmaeil Bozorgzadeh, Amsterdam Chapter President at the VR/AR Association

An eclectic crowd of local startups and companies in Holland, as well as visitors from neighboring countries like Belgium and Germany, came together last night to celebrate the launch of the VR/AR Association in Amsterdam.

Chapter President, Amir-Esmaeil Bozorgzadeh, spoke alongside Benjamin de Wit, co-organizer of the VR Days Europe conference happening on November 3rd to 6th and Robert Breton, CEO of the VRappstore, who announced the VRackathon that takes place at VR Days Europe. The hackathon is part of a series in which 6 challenges are presented to teams that are based on using immersive technology to make a difference in positively impacting societal ills like fear and violence.

The event was run in partnership with StartupAmsterdam, the government initiative that works to evangelize, catalyze, and rally the creative energies of the startup and tech community in the Netherlands' capital while continually building new bridges and resources to help foreign startups and companies plant their roots in the iCapital of Europe.

All of this magic was hosted at VRBASE, the incubator, accelerator (the first in Europe), and studio dedicated to supporting the VR/AR industry, and leading the mission to mark Amsterdam as the VR Capital of Europe.

Robert Breton, CEO at VRappstore

Amsterdam presents VR Days Europe on Nov 3-5

For the second year running, Amsterdam's VR Days Europe presents four-days filled with the latest VR trends and hardware, inspiring keynotes, content creation and all varieties of demos to experience. Locations this year include the striking VondelCS building in Amsterdam’s beautiful Vondelpark, the Stadsschouwburg in the city centre and the city’s newly opened VRBase, the co-working space for VR companies that has now expanded as Europe's first VR accelerator and incubator. 

VR Days is the place where creators meet creators. Where they connect in a relaxed setting. Where they meet the people who they know are out there. To shake hands, look each other in the eyes and become professional friends. Where developers from all shapes and sizes, from software to hardware, from nerd to creative director meet to forge relationships so they can develop more easily, quicker, and co-create richer, with more tools and more knowledge. 

Albert 'Skip' Rizzo will be speaking during this year's event. He will talk about the design, development and evaluation of virtual reality (VR) systems targeting the areas of clinical assessment, treatment rehabilitation and resilience. This work spans the domains of psychological, cognitive and motor functioning in both healthy and clinical populations.

Another speaker is Dana-Maria Faneker, the the first coach in the Netherlands who is working with Virtual Reality. She has won the Samsung VR Challenge for the best VR idea in the Netherlands. That means that Samsung is going to help her to launch this idea first as a pilot in the Netherlands and then, fingers crossed, worldwide! The idea is called: "Fear or Love!” Along with her start-up, coined ”CaptainVR”, she plans on developing VR applications and train coaches, trainers, therapists and psychologists to work with this technology, so they can help people to get rid of all their fears and realize their goals and dreams. 

And of course there are many more interesting speakers. Check out www.vrdays.co to learn more.