Winnipeg mixed reality startups seek Silicon Valley attention

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This article was published 18/11/2024 (669 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Two Exchange District-based tech companies will showcase themselves in Silicon Valley this week while seeking new investors and customers.

CoPilot Co. and Flipside XR were among 10 companies chosen to represent Canada’s mixed reality startups.

It’s the first year the Canadian Technology Accelerator has played host to such a program. Mixed reality — where technology blends physical and digital worlds — is a growing sector with strong roots in San Francisco.

“We’re walking into a place where the calibre of businesses and individuals is higher than we’ve ever interacted with,” said Reid Valmestad, a creator of CoPilot Co.

Meta, Apple and Google are all headquartered in Silicon Valley. Valmestad anticipates meeting with representatives from each firm this week.

The Canadian companies will network in the Bay Area until Friday; they arrived Monday. The trip includes pre-arranged meetings with tech companies, a visit to Stanford University’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab and a summit.

Valmestad and business partner Austin MacKay are landing in California with a goal: arouse interest for FlightDeck, an artificial intelligence-powered system to make virtual production easier. CoPilot’s tool is set to launch next year.

“We just would love to get a better idea of how (companies) would use it so that we can see if it’s a potential fit and tailor it to them,” MacKay said.

He and Valmestad have been preparing through the Canadian Technology Accelerator’s 10-week program. Participating startups underwent training on export development, including pitching, fundraising and legal issues.

“(They) literally ripped apart each of our pitch decks just to help us put it back together,” Valmestad said.

CoPilot Co. applied for the program. A committee of United States-based venture capitalists assessed and recommended applicants by their market fit and growth potential.

The Canadian Consulate in Palo Alto, Calif., is leading the mixed reality program. All startups involved have “proven their value proposition domestically and are poised for growth in Silicon Valley and beyond,” Brittany Fletcher, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada, wrote in a statement.

“CoPilot offers a highly promising solution to revolutionize virtual production.”

She pointed to the company’s efforts to make Unreal Engine (a creation tool used in game design) accessible to non-game developers through FlightDeck. CoPilot already has partnerships with key players such as LG Global, she noted.

CoPilot completed a Canadian trade mission to South Korea earlier this year. It met with LG Corp. representatives there, which led LG reps to visit Winnipeg, Valmestad said.

Flipside XR touts itself as a metaverse social media platform for next-generation creators and their fans. It didn’t respond to an interview request by print deadline.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com