Distance Technologies, a Finnish startup aiming to revolutionize mixed-reality experiences for vehicles and aircraft, has secured €10 million ($11.1 million) in funding from GV, Alphabet’s venture capital arm, alongside other investors.
This seed funding round was led by GV, with additional backing from existing investors FOV Ventures and Maki.vc, Distance shared with CNBC on Thursday.
Based in Helsinki, Distance develops innovative technology designed to transform any transparent surface, such as car windshields or airplane cockpits, into augmented reality (AR) displays. This technology allows users to view 3D digital objects seamlessly overlaid onto the real-world scene without the need for bulky hardware like AR glasses or mixed-reality headsets.
“One of the biggest hurdles for mixed-reality adoption is that as long as it requires wearing something on your head, it won’t be a simple or stylish solution,” said Urho Konttori, CEO and co-founder of Distance, in an interview with CNBC. Konttori previously served as the chief technology officer at Varjo, another prominent Helsinki-based mixed-reality company.
Distance is primarily targeting sectors like automotive, aerospace, and defense with its technology. The system works by using advanced tracking technology to determine where the user is looking and then adjusting the light field accordingly to ensure the 3D images align perfectly with the user’s vision.
The startup’s approach involves adding a set of optical layers to standard liquid crystal displays (LCDs), which project images directly onto the surface the user is focusing on. This setup separates light fields for each eye, creating a 3D effect without requiring external devices. It also adds an optical layer to enhance brightness.
According to Distance, its system can achieve “infinite” pixel depth, allowing for life-sized fields of view, whether you’re driving a car or piloting a jet fighter.
GV, formerly known as Google Ventures and backed solely by Alphabet, sees Distance’s potential to create the “next-generation user interfaces.”
“We’re especially excited about the near-term applications in the automotive and aerospace industries, which could bring this cutting-edge technology to users sooner,” said Roni Hiranand, principal at GV, in a statement to CNBC.
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