SXSW Pitch Finalist: echoAR
The Forrest Four-Cast: February 7, 2020
AR apps don’t scale — these are single-user experiences with static content.
echoAR solves that problem for developers, creators, and companies who struggle to create dynamic AR/VR apps. It’s a cloud platform for augmented reality that provides tools and network infrastructure to help developers and companies quickly build and deploy 3D apps and content.
They’ve built an AR-first content management system (CMS) and delivery network (CDN) that allow developers to build their AR app backend in minutes, and allow their clients to easily upload, manage, and publish content to the AR apps without involving development teams.
echoAR is backed by Techstars, received grants from Y Combinator, Verizon, and NYC Media Lab, and was featured on “The Hill.”
A finalist for SXSW Pitch 2020 in the category of Augmented & Virtual Reality, echoAR co-founder and CEO Alon Grinshpoon will pitch at 3:30 to 4:30 pm Saturday, March 14), before a live audience and a panel of expert judges.
Winners in each of the 10 categories will be announced at the Pitch Awards Ceremony, at 6:30 pm Sunday, March 15. SXSW attendees are also invited to Meet the 50 Finalists from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm Monday, March 16. All SXSW Pitch events take place at the Hilton Austin Downtown.
Grinshpoon talked about tech trends, what he likes about being in New York City, and why he would go to Mars.
What is your top goal for echoAR for 2020?
Our vision is to become the №1 supplier of server-side services for AR/VR solutions. We are among the first to shine light on the importance of backend infrastructure in a frontend-heavy ecosystem such as AR/VR. We strive to help companies and developers create scalable AR/VR experiences anywhere and to have a long-lasting impact on the AR/VR community.
With the exception of echoAR, what tech trend is your team most excited about?
Human-computer interfaces and neural interface technology such as CTRL-labs, which was recently acquired by Facebook. Technologies like that can usher new interaction techniques for AR/VR.
Tell us your favorite thing about being based in New York City.
The sheer amount of people in NYC is incredible. The number of people per square feet makes this a perfect place for multi-user and multi-device AR/VR to flourish (e.g. Pokemon GO). Also, every person here is on a mission. Just by observing New Yorkers walking the streets or rushing to the subway you realize that everyone has something to do, something to achieve, a reason why they are in NYC. I find something inspiring in that fast-paced environment where people embrace a non-stop mentality. Also, pizza and bagels.
What’s your actual super power?
Going through walls — a common super power among startup founders.
What motto or quote do you live by?
“Just keep swimming” from “Finding Nemo” and “There is no spoon” from “The Matrix.”
What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten — or given?
Talk to as many people as you can about your venture. Avoid thinking “someone will steal your idea.” Getting a variety of opinions and understanding that you are on a quest to build something that people want is key. The more people you talk to the smarter you get about the market and business parameters while discovering more and more people who will support your entrepreneurial journey.
If you were offered the opportunity to colonize Mars (but with no guarantee that you would ever return to Earth), would you go?
Yes! As Chris Pratt said in the movie “Passengers” (it bombed in the box office, but I really loved it): “..on Earth when something breaks you don’t fix it, you replace it. On the colonies, there are problems to solve. They’re my kind of problems.” Colonizing a new planet like Mars holds amazing challenges for builders and makers — a.k.a entrepreneurs!
Which living person do you most admire and why?
My parents. They had to overcome countless adversities, which included immigrating to a new country without knowing the language or having much money, and they worked so hard for their kids to have the fortune of building a startup company. Who would have believed that in a single generation, parents who were fleeing the USSR with no access to phones or TVs would raise kids who are building cloud solutions for augmented and virtual reality?
Look for more interviews with other finalists in this space between now and the start of SXSW Pitch on Saturday, March 14. Visit this page to see all previous interviews in this series as well as a list of all finalists.
If you are an entrepreneur, check out the SXSW 2020 Startups Track, which runs March 13–17. This track brings together founders and funders and showcases exciting new companies, products, services, and business models across different verticals and industries.
Hugh Forrest serves as Chief Programming Officer at SXSW, the world’s most unique gathering of creative professionals. He also tries to write at least four paragraphs per day on Medium. These posts often cover tech-related trends; other times they focus on books, pop culture, sports and other current events.
