Epson Expands Support of Augmented Reality Industry with Inaugural Sponsorship of Super Ventures AR Incubator

SAN FRANCISCO, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Epson, providers of the Moverio^® augmented reality smart eyewear platform, today announced its inaugural corporate sponsorship of Super Ventures, the first combined incubator and investment fund dedicated to driving innovation and growth in augmented reality. This expansion of Epson's long-time support of the AR ecosystem will assist startups in the Super Ventures incubator by giving them insight and access to next-generation smart eyewear, such as the Epson Moverio BT-300.

Based in downtown San Francisco, Super Ventures is on a mission to accelerate industry growth in technologies giving people superpowers: augmented reality, virtual reality and wearable tech. The Super Ventures fund invests in early-stage startups developing fundamental technologies that augment the human experience. The incubator provides extensive business and technical mentoring to passionate entrepreneurs to help them successfully launch and fund their companies. Both the fund and the incubator are supported by the Super Ventures community of over 150,000 professionals, one of the largest AR and wearables community in the world.

"Over the past five years, our AR partners have built thriving businesses around the Moverio platform in such fields as dentistry, remote support, manufacturing, drone piloting and more," said Eric Mizufuka, product manager, New Ventures for Epson America.  "The AR space is maturing rapidly, with many of our partners having already raised significant capital. Epson has chosen to invest in the Super Ventures incubator to support the accelerating growth of the AR ecosystem."

"We also appreciate the deep AR industry knowledge of the Super Ventures management team," Mizufuka said.  "Having known Ori and his team for many years, we believe they bring the skills, network and mind-set to the AR space that no traditional VC firm can match."

As Super Ventures' inaugural corporate sponsor, Epson will provide pre-production versions of the Moverio product to entrepreneurs to communicate the unique benefits and technical details of the platform. Leveraging the deep ties the Super Ventures team has to the AR community, Epson will also evaluate and develop potential partners as well as expand its connections to the growing AR universe. 

"With its long legacy of R&D and commitment to the AR glasses space, we are extremely proud to have Epson as our initial corporate sponsor," said Ori Inbar, Founder and General Manager, Super Ventures.  "We know our invested companies are excited about the prospect of working closely with such a hugely respected and well-established global tech brand.

"We believe the synergies created by our management team and the expertise of a leading smart glasses developer will help our entrepreneurs deliver ground-breaking innovations in AR," said Inbar.

Launching its first-generation smart glasses in 2011, Epson recently announced the Moverio BT-300, the world's lightest binocular, transparent smart glasses with an OLED display. Combining breakthrough silicon-based OLED digital display technology, the Intel Atom processor, and Android OS 5.1, the Moverio BT-300 enables a truly transparent mobile AR experiences for business and consumers. The Epson Moverio BT-300 will be available in late 2016 and may be pre-ordered at Epson.com/Moverio. For a complete product overview of the Moverio BT-300, please visit the following link.

About Super Ventures
We believe that Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and Wearable Technology are giving people real superpowers and are on a mission to accelerate industry growth.  Our fund invests in startups developing technologies that augment human performance. Our incubator works hands-on with passionate entrepreneurs to help them successfully launch and fund their companies. Learn more at www.superventures.com or on Twitter @Super_Ventures.

About Epson
Epson is a global technology leader dedicated to connecting people, things and information with its original efficient, compact and precision technologies. With a lineup that ranges from inkjet printers and digital printing systems to 3LCD projectors, smart glasses, sensing systems and industrial robots, the company is focused on driving innovations and exceeding customer expectations in inkjet, visual communications, wearables and robotics.

Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the Epson Group comprises nearly 72,000 employees in 93 companies around the world, and is proud of its contributions to the communities in which it operates and its ongoing efforts to reduce environmental impacts.

Epson America, Inc., based in Long Beach, Calif., is Epson's regional headquarters for the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. To learn more about Epson, please visit: epson.com. You may also connect with Epson America on Facebook (facebook.com/Epson), Twitter (twitter.com/EpsonAmerica), YouTube (youtube.com/EpsonAmerica), and Instagram (instagram.com/EpsonAmerica).

Note: Specifications are subject to change without notice.  EPSON and Moverio are registered trademarks, and EPSON Exceed Your Vision is a registered logomark of Seiko Epson Corporation. All other product and brand names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Epson disclaims any and all rights in these marks.

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