His name is Bond, Bond Lai -- and he works at one of the coolest startups in the city. It's called H+ and it's the company behind Holus, an interactive holographic display platform. In simple terms, Holus fits on your desk and allows you to view content from your phone, tablet or computer in 3D. From gaming with your friends to have a virtual assistant you view from four angles, the possibilities are endless. H+ is one of several innovative companies that will be featured at the Canadian Tech Showcase at the first-ever Startup City. We caught up with Bond to talk 3D display, how to crowdfund a cutting-edge business and, you guessed it, Tupac at Coachella.
Tell us about your company? What do you do?
Our vision is to humanize technology. We create immersive holographic experiences that utilize gestures, voice and other forms of interaction. Our mission is to create human-adaptive systems that are natural to use. We believe in collaborative, non-isolating computing environments that allow users to be engaged with flat, 2D information in a 3D form. The purpose of designing these systems is to feel no barrier between human and digital information and be immersed in the digital world we are creating.
How did H+/Holus start?
H+ was founded in 2012 by Dhruv Adhia, Vincent Yang, and Yamin Li after completing their Master's at the Centre for Digital Media in Vancouver, BC. Together, they worked out of a garage to create and test their very first holographic platform. Since then, the platform has undergone a host of iterations, before it became known as the current product, "Holus." After three years, the company has grown from 3 individuals to a group of 20 dedicated, eager, and passionate people with unique backgrounds.
What makes Vancouver an awesome city to launch and grow a startup?
I think Vancouver is a great place for a startup right now because it offers an abundance of diverse talent both in the technical and creative fields. Recruiting global talent is a also a lot easier in Canada than it is in the States. Culturally, I feel like Vancouver lifestyle complements the startup lifestyle. I had dinner with a friend recently, who was visiting the city on a work trip and he mentioned Vancouver felt a lot more “start-uppy” than corporate. Maybe I’m biased as I grew up in the city, but Vancouver is just the perfect balance of professionalism and fun. I think that’s what a startup should be like. And have you seen Vancouver? It’s beautiful.
Most people equate holograms with Tupac at Coachella (or maybe that's just me). Where do you see Holus fitting into day-to-day life? What is the potential of it?
We see endless possibilities with Holus and how it can integrate into everyone’s day-to-day life. Imagine having Holus as a central digital hub inside your home, with a personal assistant that can track to do lists, weather, and many other things. In particular, Holus has applications in education (children’s especially), 3D modelling, and gaming.
Are there any cool uses for holographic technology people might not know about?
As cool as it is to beam images of ourselves calling for help from Obi-wan, our only hope, H+Technology’s reason for creating Holus is to encourage more real-life interaction between people. We wanted to create a platform where people can share one experience, rather than focusing on their own screens. This is what we really hope holography technology can help achieve.
Amazing Star Wars reference. Let's talk about crowdfunding. You guys did well with this. Do you suggest this route for aspiring entrepreneurs?
Our Kickstarter campaign launched back in June and it ran for a month. We reached our goal of $50K within the first 19 minutes and raised just a little shy of $300K by the end of the campaign. I think crowdfunding is definitely a good route to take for entrepreneurs. It was a really good way for us to validate our product and gave us a lot of exposure. As a brand just starting to enter into a market, especially with a product that is so niche and unique, it is hard to build a community and crowdfunding sites are a great place to start.
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What will you be doing at at Startup City?
We will be at the Canadian Tech Showcase on the evening of Thursday, Sept 24th. Our office is also one of the stops for the Startup Open House on Friday so everyone is welcome to check us out.
Favorite Vancouver "Get out of the office" activity?
The H+ crew loves food. Our team always grabs lunch together (another thing you don’t see often in a corporate company) and we are always trying different food trucks and restaurants. Our favourites are Fujiya for take-out or you can usually see us hanging at LeTigre on Thursdays.
You can check out Holus at the Canadian Tech Showcase at the Imperial (319 Main) on Sept 24th. V.I.A. is a proud sponsor of Vancouver’s first ever Startup City. To see the full list of Startup City programs visit: http://www.vancouvereconomic.com/vancouverstartupcity
