With $2.5M seed raise, Cognitive3D plans to double headcount

Cognitive3D, a spatial analytics platform for 3D immersive environments, has raised a USD $2.5 million seed round led by Konvoy, with participation from Space Capital and Boost VC. This brings its total funding to date to USD $3.5 million, and comes “after a six-year journey in R&D for the spatial analytics category,” according to Cognitive3D founder and CEO Tony Bevilacqua.

Founded in 2015, Cognitive3D uses immersive technology to help research consumer behaviour within a 3D extended reality (XR) setting. As users move from content consumption on 2D web and mobile platforms towards more interactive content participation in 3D apps, the company is the company is helping developers understand what happens within a 3D space, including how users interact with objects in the chosen environment.

“The interest and use of 3D applications is on the rise as it creates a simulated environment that can fully immerse users and be easily adapted and improved,” explains Bevilacqua. “As with all platforms there needs to be a way of assessing its effectiveness and efficiency, and this is where Cognitive3D’s innovative and unique methods come in.”

The money talks: “Cognitive3D’s ability to collect and measure spatial data to bring visibility to user participation, and help organizations optimize their games and apps, is a game changer for all of those involved in creating immersive 3D environments,” said Taylor Hurst, principal at Konvoy, in a statement. “From training simulations to consumer and academic research, and entertainment, the adoption of immersive 3D applications is increasing exponentially, and Cognitive3D is poised to be the market leader in this new category of spatial analytics.”

Growing aims: Over the past few months, the company has nearly doubled from 5 to 9 employees, and with the new funding, aims to double its headcount again over the next 18 months.

Product roadmap: Through the launch of a freemium offering, the company wants to create an industry-standard benchmark for the performance of applications that evaluate wireless data transmission from XR devices. The goal is to enable developers to make decisions on how to optimize apps, while giving them insight into how their app compares against others in their category.

Personnel matters: Konvoy’s Hurst and Jim Preston, a lead technical producer at Electronic Arts (EA), are joining Cognitive3D’s board.

Situational awareness: Cognitive3D is one startup among many in Vancouver’s rich cluster of virtual, mixed, and augmented reality firms. By some estimates, there are more than 250 companies in the ecosystem, leveraging the city’s legacy in the film and VFX industries.