Ever since we began we have had a simple mission, to help bring VR to the masses. Until this point that mission has taken shape in the form of our publication, uploadvr.com, as well as through a number of events and conferences. Today we are excited to announce the next step in our development, The Upload Collective.
Opening in Q1 2016, The Collective began as a simple idea, to bring great minds together in an incredibly creative space and provide the resources to be successful in this emerging industry. We strive to create an atmosphere for innovation in the space, where people can collaborate with other great teams and make magic happen. Collaboration has been a huge part of the development of the virtual reality industry to this point, and as we head into the consumer market it is only going to be more so as developers share notes on a broader audience’s experience.
But The Collective is much more than just a space where cool companies get to work around each other and great tech. As part of our Collective, members will gain access to capital from funds focused on VR/AR, talent, hardware, software, corporate partners, community events, and a large mentor network. These pieces will be elaborated on at a future date and the structure of The Collective will continue to evolve alongside the needs of the industry as a whole.
The Collective will accept companies at multiple stages of development on a rolling admission. We will be accepting companies from all different verticals within the AR and VR, both in the hardware and software market, but we want The Upload Collective to stand for the bigger purpose of immersive technology: making the world a better place. In that light, we will be placing an emphasis on companies who are looking to use VR and AR for a social good – companies focused on changing lives with education, communication, and groundbreaking empathetic content.
While The Upload Collective will not be exclusive to these types of companies and content creators, companies in it will be required to spend at least one hour a week on pro-bono work for the greater good. These projects can range from volunteering at the local soup kitchen, to helping contribute to a VR project that will lead to a greater social purpose. As a Collective, we will work together to help make the world a better place.
As a publication, we will be continuing business as usual, but there will be a couple of strict policies in place in order to maintain an unbiased viewpoint. The Collective will be a separate part of the Upload business, just like our events have been in the past. In the past we have always kept separate on discussions of sponsorships for events and things for news, and never offer preferential coverage for our sponsors. Putting things very simply, just because you join The Upload Collective doesn’t mean we will be saying nice things about you in print. We are developing the editorial policy and have always believed in transparency as an important virtue and will continue to embrace it going forward.
We look forward to continuing to help build the future with everyone in the AR and VR industries. This is going to be a hell of a ride.
Apply here!
All the best,
Will Mason and Taylor Freeman
Co-Founders, UploadVR
If you are interested in becoming a corporate partner in The Upload Collective, please reach out to us at collective@uploadvr.com
