When it comes to analyzing data, having accurate visualizations can make the the task infinitely easier. And new technologies like augmented and virtual reality can potentially help businesses create those visualizations.
And that’s exactly what Virtualitics specializes in. Read more about the company and how it uses new technology to create better data visualizations in this week’s Small Business Spotlight.
What the Business Does:
Provides data visualization services.
Co-founder and CEO Michael Amori told Small Business Trends, “Virtualitics Inc. is a data visualization company that merges artificial intelligence, Big Data and virtual/augmented reality to gain insights from complex data sets. Its collaborative environment for data exploration is suitable for both data scientists and non-expert users, allowing them to uncover multidimensional relationships in data, which may not be discoverable by any other means.”
Business Niche:
Integrating virtual and augmented reality into its visualization services.
Amori says, “To our knowledge, no one else provides VR/AR to visualize multidimensional data with easy-to-use machine learning tools, Natural Language summaries and a streamlined data analysis process. Additionally, our adaptable VR/AR platform can provide practical methods for translation, rotation, remapping, selection, replotting and toggling while immersed in data. Users can collaborate in a shared virtual environment online, sharing insights and giving guided tours of data.”
How the Business Got Started:
By bringing together several different specialties.
Amori explains, “Starting in 2007, George Djorgovski and Ciro Donalek began their work on an Immersive Data Visualization and VR platform, called iViz. Scott Davidoff joined the team in 2013, bringing along his AR expertise, and that following year (2014), Caltech awarded the team with an Innovation Initiative (C12) grant. At that time, I was the head of a large data science team, and in 2015, I joined the team after I saw what the other co-founders were building and thought their work could also be very useful in a business setting. In August of 2016, the company officially started and moved into the Pasadena office.”
Biggest Win:
Getting a positive response from users.
Amori says, “Building groundbreaking technology is a great achievement but it means very little if it cannot be used in a practical environment. With that said, our biggest win has been the enthusiastic response we’ve received from our beta users, as this reaffirms our mission and overall potential.”
Biggest Risk:
Becoming its own entity.
Amori says, “Leaving Caltech and becoming a stand-alone business was probably the biggest risk we took, but doing so has also given us more freedom and mobility to grow.”
How They’d Spend an Extra $100,000:
Working capital or a vacation fund.
Amori says, “We’d likely be practical and just put it toward working capital. Or maybe we’d put it in a vacation fund for the team and (someday) treat everyone to a well-deserved company vacation.”
Favorite Quote:
“I sent my soul through the invisible, some letter of that After-life to spell: And by and by my soul returned to me and answered: I myself am both heaven and hell” ~ Omar Kayyam
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Images: Virtualitics
Top Image: (from front row, left center to right) George Djorgovski (Co-Founder & Chief Virtual Reality Officer), Ciro Donalek (Co-founder & CTO), Michael Amori (Co-founder & CEO), Kate Cameron (COO), surrounded by most of the Virtualitics staff