Eye-Interaction Pioneer Eyefluence Announces Company Launch, Series B Funding

An Eyefluence news release

First Vision-Driven Interface for Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality Will Power Next-Generation Smart Glasses

Milpitas, Calif., Nov. 11, 2015 – Eyefluence today announced the development of the first eye-interaction technology platform for augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) devices, as well as $14 million in Series B funding led by Motorola Solutions Venture Capital. 

Eyefluence’s technology is the first to go beyond traditional eye-tracking, harnessing natural eye movement and intent, enabling users to do anything they can do with fingers on a smartphone or tablet with their eyes on smart glasses, but faster and easier -- with no waiting, no winking, but just by looking.

“Smart glasses are expanding human performance by changing the way people interact with technology, communicate with others and engage with the world around them,” said Jim Marggraff, CEO and founder of Eyefluence. “By combining biology and technology with a deep understanding of the eye-brain connection, Eyefluence enables a radically new form of human-computer interaction that is natural and intuitive and will allow consumers and enterprises to realize the full potential of Head Mounted Display (HMD) technology.”

Currently, dozens of companies are racing into the smart glass and broader HMD market, and they all face the same barrier: clumsy user interfaces. Today’s tap, swipe, nod, point and talk methods for controlling first-generation smart glasses are unnatural for most applications.

Eyefluence is partnering with product development teams within consumer electronics companies, mobile companies and HMD manufacturers to provide an entire eye-interaction solution for next-generation VR, AR and MR devices, including hardware design, licensing of their proprietary suite of robust eye-tracking algorithms, and a groundbreaking vision-driven iUi^TM interaction model.

As the lead strategic investor in Eyefluence’s Series B funding round, Motorola Solutions sees potential for eye-interaction to drive a seismic shift in how people interact with technology. Motorola Solutions is working with Eyefluence on integrating eye-interaction into its innovative “smart public safety” applications. 

“Imagine if police officers could get information on an unfolding crime scene without visibly moving a muscle,” said Paul Steinberg, chief technology officer, Motorola Solutions. “Instead, they would use only the motion of their eyes behind sunglasses, leaving their heads up and their hands free to manage the scene and take quick action. Eyefluence is part of Motorola Solutions' increasing investment in smart public safety solutions that power safer cities through innovative technologies.”

Because Eyefluence technology integrates into partners’ smart glass designs, operates in varying lighting conditions, requires minimal battery and processing power, and continuously validates users’ identities through iris identification, it has broad applications. Beyond public safety, eye-interaction has the potential to accelerate the adoption of VR, AR and MR devices in the healthcare, oil and gas, financial services, entertainment, assistive technology, defense industries and more.
Eyefluence is currently engaged in development with leading Fortune 500 companies as well as emerging companies and device manufacturers.

The company’s Series B round also included investments from Jazz Venture Partners, NHN Investment, and Dolby Family Ventures, as well as other strategic and private investors including follow-on investments from Series A investors. In 2013, Intel Capital led a Series A round as a strategic investor, furthering Intel’s ongoing focus on investing in pioneers in the wearable technology sector.
For more information, please visit: www.eyefluence.com

About Eyefluence
Eyefluence transforms intent into action through your eyes.  The company is led by successful serial entrepreneurs Jim Marggraff and David Stiehr and includes a cross-disciplinary team of experts in UX design, computer vision, image processing, optics, physics, math, artificial intelligence and machine learning as well as electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial design, and computer science.  Eyefluence’s technology is based on an IP portfolio with more than 30 patents granted or pending.  The company is engaged in development with leading Fortune 500 and other emerging companies and device manufacturers that are working to accelerate the wide adoption of smart glasses, including VR, AR and MR headsets, for enterprise, industrial, government, and consumer applications.

For more information, please visit www.eyefluence.com and follow us at @Eyefluence.
 
Contact
Sarah Frueh
MSLGROUP for Eyefluence
eyefluence@mslgroup.com
415-817-2520