AtlasVR gewinnt 150'000 CHF für die Entwicklung von VR-Trainingslösungen für die Industrie

ETH spin-off AtlasVR is revolutionising training methods in the industrial sector with its virtual reality (VR) solution. Its customisable complete VR packages make training on mechanical equipment cheaper and more accessible, increasing efficiency and helping industry to close the skills gap. The startup emerged as the winner of the third stage of Venture Kick.

AtlasVR has developed a VR software platform that opens up new possibilities for industrial training and remote support. The start-up is aimed at machine manufacturers in the mechanical engineering, electrical and metal industries and offers virtual training modules that are tailored to the specific use cases of its customers.

VR training has many advantages: it requires no prior VR-specific knowledge or technical expertise, is location-independent and eliminates the need for direct interaction with equipment and raw materials, making training safer, more accessible and more cost-effective. This solution also addresses the skills gap and shortage of skilled labour, while helping customers who serve a global customer base, as the VR training solution can be delivered alongside machines or equipment sold.

Aiming for the global market

The company is targeting the global market for frontline worker training, which was worth CHF 16 billion in 2021 and continues to grow at a CAGR of 16 %. AtlasVR has won several reference customers, including suissetec, Swisscom and RhySearch, and has around 80 leads in the pipeline.

AtlasVR will invest the CHF 150,000 awarded by Venture Kick in business development to prepare the product launch of its scalable and customisable VR training platform.

The start-up, which has now grown to a team of eight and plans to hire more employees by 2023, was founded by Joy Gisler, Dr Valentin Holzwarth and Christian Hirt, who all come from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, where they researched VR training applications in the fields of mechanical engineering and computer science.

"Venture Kick's impetus to get in touch with potential customers not only helped us to gain a foothold in the market, but also made us attractive to investors," says Holzwarth. "That was exactly what we needed as a technical start-up team."

The video gives a brief insight into the solution: