tagSpace has developed tools to create, share and publish “mixed reality” experiences – quickly and easily. Its cutting edge developer platform, tagStorm, is a turn-key solution for rapidly creating mixed augmented and virtual (AR and VR) experiences. Customers can create custom animated and interactive 3D scenes that play out in the real world – like a classic video games editor, but with the world as a canvas.

Once a scene is complete, it can be placed in any real world location, using the tagSpace web portal. It can then be published as a URL and distributed to an audience, with parameters such as how far away users can witness the creation. End-users view he experiences via the free DiscovAR and Experience apps, allowing creators to gain deep insights into customer behaviour via campaign reach, social shares and popular user location data. 

 

Why Jelix invested

Exploding global market 
In 2016, the AR and VR sectors were growing rapidly. Juniper Research estimated annual revenue for AR apps to grow to US$5.2bn by 2017. tagSpace was riding on the front of this wave, developing tagStorm, incorporating the best features of VR and AR together with a unique social media element. tagsSpace was developing a raft of apps changing the way we look at the world across medicine, defence, marketing, travel and games.
Competition
tagsSpace was ahead of the pack. Differentiators were:
  • It addressed the outdoor space, a burgeoning area of demand, and was the first to blend 3D, interactive computer graphics in wide-scale, real outdoor environments.
  • It augmented and supplemented existing social media apps including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Google+. It was the first to couple location based Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality with a powerful social media platform.
  • Software patents were already filed for new technologies in this space, with many more in the pipeline.
  • It was first to market with several new applications in the AR and VR spaces.
 Multiple revenue sources
Revenue sources included licence fees per developer per application, a share of product sales revenue, plus upgrades and support fees.
Strong founder
Paul Martin was already an experienced entrepreneur and developer who had co-founded independent videogame development studio Slant Six Games. After 8 years, at 200 staff  and with clients such as Sony, Microsoft and Capcom, he saw a successful exit. Earlier he successfully delivered large games software development projects for companies such as Sony and Electronic Arts, prior to founding and heading up Aristocrat’s worldwide core software technologies group.
Team
Paul was experienced in building outstanding teams and the board drew from the advice of Dave Anthony. Dave is best known for his pioneering work on the blockbuster Call of Duty videogame franchise and wrote the screenplay for and directed Call of Duty Black Ops – the bestselling videogame of all time. tagSpace’s technology advisor, Alan Bucior, was an 18-year video game veteran, co-founder of Slant Six Games and a VR and interactive computer graphics expert. He had led tech teams at some of the world’s largest companies, including Electronic Arts.