Seed7 October 2020

Condense Reality secures £800k in seed funding led by SFC Capital to expand research and development.

The Bristol based startup raised the capital from SFC Capital, grant awards, and other investors to commercialise its volumetric video technology.

£800KSeed

Condense Reality develops metaverse infrastructure that captures and streams live three-dimensional video into virtual worlds and gaming platforms. The company enables real-world events to be broadcast live into digital environments without requiring virtual reality headsets.

Bristol based immersive technology startup Condense Reality has secured an £800k seed round led by SFC Capital. The financing includes £220k from SFC Capital alongside nearly £500k from two grant awards and commitments from RLC Ventures and angel investors.

The company has developed a modular platform that combines proprietary software with standard hardware to capture and stream live volumetric video. The new capital will be used to increase research and development capabilities and commercialise the technology over the coming year.

From the founder

"Our technology aims to bridge real and virtual worlds by enabling broadcasters to record live events as volumetric video and instantly stream them to viewers. Our initial focus has been on recording sports, in particular boxing, so to be working on this project with BT, one of the biggest boxing broadcasters in the world, is a huge opportunity. At a time when many sporting events cannot be viewed in stadiums, enhancing the communal viewing experience in the comfort of your own home is more timely than ever. We see a bright future for volumetric video, with modern augmented and virtual reality technology providing consumers with the necessary hardware to enjoy volumetric content to its fullest. This hardware continues to improve at a staggering rate, and the mooted launch of an Apple AR headset in 2022 could see adoption explode."

Nick Fellingham

CEO and co-founder at Condense Reality

Investor perspective

"SFC Capital prides itself on investing today in the innovations of tomorrow at their earliest stage – by investing in Condense Reality, we are not only investing as augmented reality becomes part of the home viewer experience, but as we begin our investment commitment in the regions. For years SFC Capital has believed in the quality of innovation going on all around the UK, not just in London as the epicentre of the investment ecosystem – and we have the receipts in the shape of a geographically diverse portfolio spanning the length and breadth of the country."