24 Jan 2025
|
Mike Boland
AWE Talks: Insights from Investors
AWE EU 2024
Welcome back to AWE Talks, our series that revisits the best of AWE’s conference sessions. With a fresh batch of footage from AWE EU 2024, we have a treasure trove of on-stage insights to dive into.
We continue the action this week with insights from a panel of XR-focused investors. What are the top spatial trends they're watching and what advice do they have for startups seeking funding?
See the summarized takeaways below, along with the full session video. Stay tuned for more video highlights each week and check out the full library of conference sessions on AWE’s YouTube Channel.
Speakers
Petri Rajahalme, FOV Ventures
Gina King, Supernode Global
Tipatat Chennavasin, The Venture Reality Fund
Key Takeaways & Analysis
– XR investors see a lot from where they sit, and it's their job to be well informed.
– This makes them highly credible and worth listening to.
– Beyond trend analysis, they have good advice for startups seeking funding.
– That includes things like the criteria they look for, and best practices in pitching.
– Here the message is that fundamentals rule, regardless of tech trends underway.
– That includes market size, tech differentiation, founding team, and market timing.
– These factors are more important now than ever, due to more discerning investors.
– Because XR is relatively small still, you need to demonstrate you’re a category leader.
– Also, don’t cite broad market-sizing figures, but rather your addressable market.
– Tipatat Chennavasin also recommends prioritizing your team in any pitch deck.
– How are your founders uniquely positioned with an inside edge?
– These are the types of factors that can differentiate from general opportunists.
– Gina King meanwhile advises startups to focus on use cases rather than tech.
– In a similar sense, "don't fall in love with the tech," and be adaptive to pivot.
– It's also important to show quantifiable traction, says Petri Rajahalme.
– That need for metrics is pronounced, given XR's relative lack of traction overall.
– In that sense, XR faces some tough headwinds, as do the sector's startups.
– There's already a funding drought in the hangover from the Covid software boom.
– That's offset to some degree by the inflection in AI-focused venture funding.
– How can XR benefit? The answer may lie in convergence points between XR & AI.
– According to Chennavisin, XR could benefit from AI more than most people realize.
– For example, a highly dimensional UX elevates the outputs of generative AI.
– Whimsical gen-Ai is one thing, but when it enhances your reality, that's meaningful.
– This AI & XR convergence is only getting started, so the best is yet to come...
For more color, see the full video below...
Want more XR insights and multimedia? ARtillery Intelligence offers an indexed and searchable library of XR intelligence known as ARtillery Pro. See more here.
Speakers
Petri Rajahalme, FOV Ventures
Gina King, Supernode Global
Tipatat Chennavasin, The Venture Reality Fund
Key Takeaways & Analysis
– XR investors see a lot from where they sit, and it's their job to be well informed.
– This makes them highly credible and worth listening to.
– Beyond trend analysis, they have good advice for startups seeking funding.
– That includes things like the criteria they look for, and best practices in pitching.
– Here the message is that fundamentals rule, regardless of tech trends underway.
– That includes market size, tech differentiation, founding team, and market timing.
– These factors are more important now than ever, due to more discerning investors.
– Because XR is relatively small still, you need to demonstrate you’re a category leader.
– Also, don’t cite broad market-sizing figures, but rather your addressable market.
– Tipatat Chennavasin also recommends prioritizing your team in any pitch deck.
– How are your founders uniquely positioned with an inside edge?
– These are the types of factors that can differentiate from general opportunists.
– Gina King meanwhile advises startups to focus on use cases rather than tech.
– In a similar sense, "don't fall in love with the tech," and be adaptive to pivot.
– It's also important to show quantifiable traction, says Petri Rajahalme.
– That need for metrics is pronounced, given XR's relative lack of traction overall.
– In that sense, XR faces some tough headwinds, as do the sector's startups.
– There's already a funding drought in the hangover from the Covid software boom.
– That's offset to some degree by the inflection in AI-focused venture funding.
– How can XR benefit? The answer may lie in convergence points between XR & AI.
– According to Chennavisin, XR could benefit from AI more than most people realize.
– For example, a highly dimensional UX elevates the outputs of generative AI.
– Whimsical gen-Ai is one thing, but when it enhances your reality, that's meaningful.
– This AI & XR convergence is only getting started, so the best is yet to come...
For more color, see the full video below...
Want more XR insights and multimedia? ARtillery Intelligence offers an indexed and searchable library of XR intelligence known as ARtillery Pro. See more here.
