Light Field Lab announced today it raised $7 million for a technology its founders believe could one day create a convincing holodeck.
The startup emerged last year with plans to deliver a new kind of display technology that could offer a glasses-free holodeck-like experience. The $7 million is said to help the company “complete a prototype”, according to a press release.
The startup is headed up by former members of the Lytro team, which is an early developer of light field cameras and 3D capture systems. Light Field Lab’s seed round is led by Khosla Ventures and Sherpa Capital with participation from R7 Partners.
“Projecting holograms is just the beginning,” said Jon Karafin, CEO, Light Field Lab, in a prepared statement. “We are building the core modules to enable a real-world Holodeck. The strategic guidance offered by our investors is critical to enable these breakthrough technologies.”
The seed amount is pretty small in comparison to the later rounds being raised by a startup like Magic Leap, but if the company can deliver a compelling prototype this round is likely just the beginning. The last paragraph in the company’s press release announcing its fundraising outlines an ambitious plan:
Light Field Lab will bring real-world holographic experiences to professional and consumer markets with an end-to-end system, which will ultimately include modular holographic video walls with up to hundreds of gigapixels of resolution. The company will initially target large format location-based entertainment venues, and will ultimately bring a version of its holographic technologies to consumers.
