Giroptic

Giroptic Announces $4.5m in Seed Funding To Bring 360° Camera to Market‍

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Record breaking Kickstarter campaign from Giroptic, raises additional funds to bring new sense of focus to 360° cameras and virtual reality; Begins shipping to early backers

Giroptic, the company behind 360Cam’s immersive virtual 360° sensor technology, announces that it has now raised $4.5M in seed round funding from investors.

Led by Partech Ventures, along with contributions from 360 Capital, Pascal Cagni Founder & CEO of C4 Ventures, SOSV, Finorpa, Oleg Tscheltzoff, and even singer Aloe Blacc, GIROPTIC adds the $4.5M to its record breaking crowdfunding campaign, bringing its total seed round to $6M.  

Last year, GIROPTIC broke the record for the largest French Kickstarter campaign, securing $1.4M in only 45 days. They exceeded their goal of $150K by more than nine times. GIROPTIC has already received various awards, including Best of CES ‘15 Honoree – Digital Imaging, and Best of CES ‘15 Honoree – Smart Home.

From disposable cameras to handhelds and now camera phones, the next step in the video world is virtual reality, the sensation of being present at an event instead of observing it through framed images. 360Cam, with its three wide-angle lenses, three internal microphones, and seamless image fusion technology allows for an immersive virtual reality experience already being supported on platforms such as Youtube and Facebook, and virtual reality headsets like the Oculus Rift.

Rugged, waterproof, and compact, this 360° action camera can record videos and take photos, both live and in time-lapse, with no additional editing required for the output. 360Cam can provide an element of home security through its video streaming feature, connect offices during transcontinental meetings, or be used in any number of situations. Equipped with goggles, to prevent damaging light diffraction while under water, and the ability to screw into a light socket, effectively powering the device, 360Cam is made to adapt to any needs and lifestyle with ease. The camera is available for $499 and will start shipping to early backers this month.

“The 360Cam totally changes the way people record, upload, share and visualize video memories. With no post-processing and live streaming to tablets and VR headsets, as well as to native Facebook and YouTube feeds, the immersion is surreal and a single movie can be watched hundreds of time without seeing the same thing,” said Romain Lavault, Partner at Partech Ventures. “Over the last two years of scouting this emerging market in both Silicon Valley and Europe, the GIROPTIC team is the absolute best we have found in that emerging field. We are determined to help them become the undisputed leader of 360/VR consumer video.”

“We funded GIROPTIC seven years ago on a simple but bold idea. Photos and videos should be as immersive, absolute, and natural as reality itself,” said GIROPTIC Co-Founder and CEO, Richard Ollier. “This funding will allow us to bring our product to market faster and continue to advance our technology further.”

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