The event will feature a panel discussion moderated by VR@MIT Cofounder Jacob Loewenstein on The Future Of VR (see below for more info). After the panel discussion, attendees will have the opportunity to try out VR demo's from MIT and Boston startups and mingle with other members of the VR@MIT community. The event is currently only open to the MIT community. If you'd still like to attend, please register for the waitlist and we'll let you know if there's room.

Food To Be Provided

Panel Topic:

The technology of VR could change the world but no one is quite sure exactly how everything is going to play out. In an environment of intense optimism and great uncertainty, how do VC's think about investing and entrepreneurs think about raising money. What is this industry going to look like in the next year, five years, and ten years

Our Partner:

Boost VC is a leading seed-stage accelerator that invests in block chain and virtual reality startups. To date, Boost has invested in 120 startups that have raised $100M+

Our Panelists (more to be announced):

Jeff Wasson was a Founder/CEO of three companies, took one public, sold two, and had one go bust. Jeff has been an investor, mentor, and general hanger-arounder of startups since the early 2000s. He currently leads the Boost VC's recruiting effort

Alejandro Dinsmore is the CEO for EEVO, a streaming and distribution platform for high quality virtual reality film. His interests in VR began as a neuroscience major at Vassar College where he worked on an academic review that synthesized the last 10 years of VR research. Alejandro has worked closely with several producers and creators in virtual reality and has been involved in many steps in the production pipeline, from concept to distribution. He believes VR is a new and promising frontier for genuine, high bandwidth human expression

Neil Gupta currently leads Draper Laboratory's VR/AR development efforts and explores the multitude of ways Draper can contribute to the VR/AR ecosystem. Draper specializes in the design, development, and deployment of advanced technology solutions to problems in national security, space exploration, health care and energy

Dr. Jeffrey Jacobson has been working with VR for 23 years and is a published expert on learning with immersive visualization. Today, he is a consultant for both consumers and producers, especially in the construction industry. He is CEO of ConstructionVR and co-organizer of the BostonVR meetup.

Taylor Freeman is CEO of UploadVR, which is dedicated to accelerating the success of the virtual reality industry through inspiring community experience

Scott Johnson is Managing Director at New Atlantic Venture (NAV.VC). Prior to co-founding NAV.VC, he oversaw the east coast investments for Cambridge Technology Capital Fund, the venture capital arm of global system integrator, Cambridge Technology Partners. Scott is also a proud MIT Sloan alumnus.

Our Demo's (more to be announced):

StreamVR is a platform that enables developers to easily bring 360° video into their virtual reality applications. We provide content management, authentication, hosting, and streaming

Ovrture was founded by current MIT Sloan MBA student Mike Drachkovitch. It is a virtual reality studio that creates immersive stories using the latest virtual reality capture, production, and computer graphics technology. Ovrture was incubated within independent unscripted TV stalwart 44 Blue, and launched as a 44 Blue affiliate in spring 2015

Lost Loot is currently in development by Pixelated Ramblings, founded in 2015 by Michael Schenck. It is a casual treasure hunting game designed exclusively for virtual reality and set in a miniature world with a third person perspective that is extremely immersive.

EEVO is a streaming and distribution platform for high quality virtual reality film.

Rendever Health (work in progress) - a virtual reality platform that provides mental stimulation, evokes happiness, and improves patient care and experience

Archean - a VR worldbuilding and level design app, where the player creates the environment inside VR, using easy tools and libraries of props. Archean runs on all VR systems, but is being demoed at this event in room-scale on the HTC Vive.

Bounce Imaging - provides throwable camera and sensor technology for first responders. The easy-to-deploy, softball-sized Explorer combines wide-angle cameras, white-light or infrared-LED illuminators, and advanced stitching technology to relay data and video of an unknown space to a mobile phone or tablet.Bounce Imaging has received awards and accolades from MassChallenge, the Verizon Powerful Answers Award, CNN, Time, and Popular Science.

VRKyoto (work in progress) - A beautiful VR world of an ancient Japanese city (inspired by Kyoto) with a low-poly design. Hop in to the virtual city, immersive yourself into cherry blossom trees, ancient temples, and a world of surprise and exploration.

360heros - 360Heros is proud to be at the forefront of the Virtual Reality revolution, providing content creators with the latest in 360 video technology. Our VR solutions help you tell your stories in this new and exciting medium, engaging people like never before.

Haven (work in progress) - an online storytelling platform in 3D and/or VR, with emphasis on Boston’s local refugee community.

Simmetri - a game engine and virtual playground designed for creating interactive art and 3D experiences for screens, projections, and virtual reality.

Our Support:

The Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship provides the expertise, support, and connections needed for MIT students to become effective entrepreneurs

VR@MIT Presents: The Future of Virtual Reality