Switzerland startup CREAL, nestled in the world of light field displays, just closed an $8.9 million funding round. This big money move is supposed to shrink their light field tech into AR glasses faster. Gotta thank ZEISS (that German optical systems giant) for leading the way here, along with a bunch of new and old investors, including that UBS private investor network. It means CREAL’s piggy bank is now jingling with $32 million in total, thanks to folks like Swisscom Ventures and Verve Ventures. It’s quite a list.
They released a statement filled with tech dreams, talking about making digital visuals feel natural and comfy. They want to “advance” their light field display tech and make our digital gazing more like how we actually see the world. Could be cool, or it might be one of those things the tech world promises but struggles to deliver. Time will tell.
Quick geek-out (because I couldn’t resist): Light fields in AR and VR mimic how light behaves in reality. Unlike 3D tricks most headsets use, which are kinda like flattening a scene onto a pancake, light fields are the real deal. They solve that weird problem where our eyes work overtime to merge things into a single blurry but seemingly 3D image. Without getting too deep into eye mechanics — because frankly, it’s a rabbit hole — it all comes down to making digital experiences feel less like an eye-popping exercise.
Here’s what Creal’s boss, Tomas Sluka, is jazzed about: AI changing how we work, AR becoming this essential tool, and making sure these glasses aren’t just cool but wearable all day. Healthy and comfy — that’s the mantra. They’re amping up R&D in their Swiss hideout to attach this light field thingy to sleek enterprise AR glasses, dreaming of a consumer version down the road. Even ZEISS is in on the gig, with Creal cooking up something special for their future vision-care tech. Can’t imagine eye exams will ever be the same.
Anyway, enough tech talk. Split up a bit there. Back to Creal and their quest: they’re pushing ahead, trying to take a big bite out of the immersive world pie. Whether they pull it off (or if the market’s even ready for these techy glasses) is anyone’s guess. But hey, once someone gets it right, it might change how we see everything — literally.
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