Beem, a London-based Augmented Reality (AR) streaming and communications app, announced that it has secured $4M funding in Seed round from 5 Lion, Ascension Ventures, Grouport Ventures, Inertia Ventures, Lior Messika, among others. The latest capital will enable Beem to expand its team while further developing its solution for two-way live telepresence in readiness for AR glasses launching in consumer markets.
On the other hand, Beem has also announced the early availability of its consumer AR app, where users can enable one-way live and pre-recorded communication in AR. Beem says it will develop a platform that supports live and two-way telepresence using AR technology.
“As AR adoption accelerates, and the metaverse jumps from science fiction to reality, we’re excited to offer today’s mobile users a glimpse of an inevitable future that combines our physical selves with the metaverse through Beem,” said Janosch Amstutz, CEO of Beem. “We’re excited that we’re backed by amazing investors who understand and share our vision of enhancing intimacy and improving communication effectiveness by connecting people through AR.”
Audio group call in AR
Beem is an AR-native platform and enables users to scan and create a digital recording of themselves that can be shared with friends and family through their favorite messaging apps.
These recordings can be viewed immediately by recipients on their mobile browser using WebAR.
With the app, users can even host AR “conferences” similar to Zoom calls, streaming holographic versions of themselves to up to 25 people, with two-way audio. They can also launch a one-way livestream to millions of people, akin to YouTube or TikTok, but in an AR environment.
Currently, the company uses the smartphone’s rear camera to create AR video messages or live streams in 3D. The pre-recorded messages are limited to 15 seconds.
Beem has been piloting its system to develop human-centric AR environments for leading brands, including Vogue, LADBible in partnership with KSI and Craig David, The British Army, Carolina Herrera, and Warner Music.
Beem provides key infrastructure for the future of spatial telepresence in the Metaverse, claims the company.
“Innovation across AR is creating tremendous opportunities for a variety of different markets, and the potential for AR’s impact is colossal. Beem’s technology creates the infrastructure through which AR can become truly accessible – and viral. The global shift to digital is occurring fast, and Beem is at the forefront,” said venture capitalist and Beem investor, Lior Messika.
