Eighteen start-ups from around the world have been selected for HTC Corp’s (宏達電) Vive X accelerator program, as part of its efforts in virtual reality (VR) development.
The start-ups are the fourth batch of companies to join HTC’s Vive X accelerator program in its offices in San Francisco, London, Taipei, Shenzhen, Beijing and Tel Aviv, as part of the company’s efforts to build a global supply chain for its VR operations.
Visby, Primitive, Modal, ybVR and MyndVR are to join the San Francisco office; Immersive Factory, LIV and KageNova are to join the London office; Inload, Yaoan, ifGames, Shiny VR and Yuanji are to join the Shenzhen office; Sixdof.space and Ayayu Games are to join the Tel Aviv studio; and 360Stories, Z-Emotion and Pumpkin Studio are to join the Taipei office, HTC said.
The Vive X accelerator program was launched in July 2016. HTC uses it to invest in about 100 start-ups around the world that are focused on the development of VR and augmented reality.
The selected companies are given access to opportunities, such as investment from venture capital firms, expert advice on development and mentorship from experienced VR professionals, as well as other networking and support benefits, the company said.
“As we head into our fourth batch of Vive X companies, we’re looking toward mass-market drivers in the consumer space, but also placing a large emphasis on how companies integrate VR into their work,” HTC Vive vice president Marc Metis said in a statement.
“We have selected companies in this batch that will help deliver on that promise and elevate the enterprise experience by developing toolsets that train employees, increase workplace safety and improve collaboration and customer acquisition,” Metis said.
HTC’s VR headset, the Vive, is one of its gambits to diversify away from its core smartphone market.
However, VR operations only account for a small fraction of HTC’s revenue and have failed to boost the company’s bottom line, which saw a net loss of NT$2.62 billion (US$84.82 million), or a loss per share of NT$3.18, in the third quarter, worse than the previous quarter’s net loss of NT$2.09 billion, or a loss per share of NT$2.53.
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