Sphere

Sphere has developed augmented-reality (AR) software that helps employees collaborate more effectively.

Compatible with leading augmented- and virtual-reality devices like the Meta Quest 3 and Apple Vision Pro, and used by prominent customers like Pfizer, Volkswagen, and Micron, this software enables users to work together virtually as if they’re in the same physical space.

Remote work — at least in hybrid form — is here to stay. But current solutions for collaborating with remote employees often force a harsh trade-off: either absorb high costs and travel time to insist on in-person meetings, or settle for the limitations of video-conferencing tools.

Right now, the solutions aren’t working. Sixty-seven percent of executives consider virtual meetings to be a failure. And fifty-five percent of employees in remote meetings typically write or respond to emails instead of pay attention. Reports show that an estimated thirty-seven billion dollars is lost each year due to inefficient meetings.

These drawbacks mean there is a need for Sphere and its technology. Here’s how it works:

Sphere delivers purpose-built enterprise extended-reality (XR) deployments. XR is an umbrella term that encompasses VR, AR, and mixed reality (MR). It creates powerful network effects by acting as a virtual hub where users can collaborate and share ideas.

The software itself offers benefits depending on what a user is looking for. For example:

Spatial — Holographic objects recognize and interact with the real-world, enabling users to grasp ideas faster and accomplish more intuitive interactions.

Multi-User — The software supports collaboration between two or more users, enabling group projects to develop faster and more efficiently.

Knowledge hub — Data can be easily uploaded and content easily manipulated to keep ideas moving forward. The addition of Artificial Intelligence (AI) enables users to harness deep insights regarding their projects.

Network effects — This is the idea that a tool becomes more valuable the more people use it. Sphere offers cross-company support to streamline communication and collaboration.

Using Sphere, companies can do things like look at equipment to trigger maintenance workflows without manual processes. They can also expedite design reviews and provide real-time responses to questions.

There's also Sphere's use of AI, which until recently has been restricted to text-based interfaces. Sphere is offering a multi-model, context-dependent input system to AI.

Its software provides AI with contextual understanding of a user's physical environment, which leads to new applications — in other words, XR behaves as the "body" and AI as the "brain."

Micron (Nasdaq: MU), a semiconductor-manufacturing company, used Sphere to increase its machine availability and reduce costs by as much as ten percent that were normally attributed to re-working ideas and projects.

To generate revenue, Sphere operates under a software-as-a-service (SaaS) business model. Each customer pays a usage fee per user per month. Sphere generates additional revenue from premium services and referrals through its Device Partner Program.

Sphere has raised eight million dollars from investors. And more than forty business use Sphere’s software. The company generated $1.4 million in revenue in 2023 and is on track for ninety-three-percent revenue growth in 2024.

Team Background

Sven Brunner - Founder & CEO

Prior to starting Sphere, Sven was a software engineer with ETH Zurich, a Switzerland-based education company. Before that, he founded Comptex, a technology company.

Earlier in his career, he was a software engineer with Disney Research, part of the Walt Disney Company. Before that, he was a project manager with a Switzerland-based IT company and a teaching assistant at the University of Zurich.

Sven earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Informatics and a Master’s degree in Information Systems from the University of Zurich.

Colin Yao - Chief Technology Officer

Colin began his career as a research assistant at the University of Alberta. From there, he was an engineer with AMEC, an oil & gas company.

More recently, he was a technical-project manager with Dacuda, a company creating virtual-reality experiences on mobile devices that was acquired by Magic Leap. He then was a software developer with Jam3, a software and advertising company, where he worked on notable projects such as Google’s Invisible Highway, which involved controlling physical things in the real world by drawing them in an AR setting.

Colin earned a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of Toronto and a Master’s degree in Management from ETH Zurich in Switzerland.

Leon Laroue - Head of Partnerships

Leon has spent nearly a decade leading product strategy for XR companies.

Most recently, he was a software-product manager with Lenovo, a computer company, focusing on AR/VR applications. Before that, he was a technical-product manager with Epson, a computer-manufacturing business, where he managed the development team of the company’s AR smart glasses.

Leon began his career as a senior-software engineer with Goldman Sachs, an investment firm. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from UC Berkeley and an MBA from UCLA.

Co-Investors