VIVE X DEBUTS 33 VIRTUAL REALITY STARTUPS DURING DEMO DAYS IN TAIPEI, SAN FRANCISCO AND SHANGHAI

HTC’s $100M VR/AR Accelerator Program Showcased Enterprise VR Solutions, Hardware, VR Tools & Services and Entertainment Applications that Will Drive the Industry Forward; Vive X also Opens Submissions for New Candidates to Join the Program

Shanghai, China – June 26, 2017– VIVE X, HTC VIVE™’s $100 million global VR/AR accelerator program, has held three separate Demo Days globally, where more than 33 startups from eight countries showcased new innovations in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) hardware, entertainment, enterprise solutions and tools and services. The events marked the debut for companies chosen to be part of Vive X’s most recent batch of funded partners.

“Additionally, Vive X announced two new milestones. The program is opening its newest incubator location in Tel Aviv, joining offices in Taipei, Beijing, Shenzen and San Francisco. The additional location will solidify the accelerator’s global presence, with a focus on AR and artificial intelligence (AI). Vive X also opened the call for submissions for the next batch of candidates for all five locations, and is now accepting applications at vivex.co.

“The most recent batch of Vive X companies is focused on key stratiegic areas to grow the VR/AR ecosystem,” said Marc Metis, Global Head of Vive X at HTC Vive. “Vive X partnered startups are innovating in VR and AR tools and services, user experience, artificial intelligence, social applications, and solutions for strategic verticals and enterprise.”

Vive X ran its Demo Day events over three weeks in Taipei, San Francisco and Shanghai. The events are meant to propel startups that are part of HTC’s program into the next phase of their business by giving them an opportunity to present before an audience of hundreds of investors as well as press and potential business partners.

Where Vive X focuses on early stage startups, HTC Vive is also a key partner in the Virtual Reality Venture Capital Alliance (VRVCA), which specializes in supporting mid-to-late stage companies. Formed in 2016, VRVCA comprises 48 of the top virtual reality investors in the world representing $18.0 billion total deployable capital. For startups that have moved beyond accelerator phase, VRVCA is now open and accepting applications at vrvca.com.

The deadline is August 15, 2017 for submissions for both the next batch of Vive X companies (vivex.co), and for consideration for VRVCA partnership (vrvca.com).

The companies participating in the current Vive X Demo Days are as follows:

San Francisco

• cognitiveVR provides 3D spatial analytics and user feedback tools for VR/AR, enabling organizations to quickly and easily display analytics on their users' sessions and collect deep metrics on user behavior and feedback.
• POPMATCH, created by the team behind Brookhaven Experiment, is a tournament platform for the next era in eSports - Virtual Reality. Coupled with the online, cross-platform multiplayer VR shooter RUSHFIRE, POPMATCH will redefine the current state of in-game competition through bracketed, skill matches so any player can win money.
• HyperfairVR is a SaaS web-based social VR solution for enterprises. It allows businesses to self-build and easily customize their own branded VR environment, and quickly publish to multiple platforms to engage with customers and employees in VR via avatars.
• Limitless is a cloud platform that makes interactive VR content creation fast and easy. Using the Limitless VR Creative Environment, professionals build and animate directly in VR, collaborate and share using the cloud, and author interactive characters that respond to the user’s voice and gestures.
• Mindesk is developing the first immersive interface for commercial CAD software in the world. Engineers, architects, and designers use Mindesk to build their models naturally in VR, while collaborating in real time through the cloud.
• Realiteer develops and distributes WiseMind, a platform of science-based, immersive, mind and body trainings that can better people’s health. Our team works closely with world-class experts and physicians to develop therapeutic programs for treating chronic pain, anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. The program has demonstrated benefits in preliminary clinical studies.
• The Rogue Initiative is a full-spectrum entertainment studio generating content powered cinematic Intellectual Properties. At the forefront of VR, Film, Television, and Games convergence, our talent driven team of experts are forging and elevating traditional storytelling with interactive, immersive entertainment and proprietary technologies.
• Subdream, a spinoff from Colopl, is a social VR gaming studio founded by serial gaming entrepreneur Jikhan Jung. Subdream plans on releasing quality multiplayer games that can be played at VR arcades and at home.
• Vertebrae is a native advertising platform for VR and AR. The headset-agnostic tech stack connects advertisers with developers and publishers to deliver immersive, native VR/AR/360 video advertising experiences.
• Construct Studio is a team of veteran VR developers, best known for the critically acclaimed VR experiences “The Price of Freedom” and “Imago”. Their vision is to use their expertise and in-house toolkit "Vera" to empower other VR developers with faster and easier content creation.
• vRetail, incubated by Sixense, uses virtual reality to deliver the ideal shopping experience for every product by combining the best aspects of both e-commerce and brick-and-mortar.

Beijing

• Hexa is changing the online shopping experience by providing retailers with an easy way to create, scale and embed 3D content. Their platform automatically converts existing images into 3D assets and enable retailers, for the first time, to access 3D/VR/AR using a single line of code.
• Vito Reality, a pioneering VR education game studio, inherits the philosophy of Ge Wu Zhi Zhi, which encourages learning through exploration. Its series of original content includes Nature and Science discovery, Historical and Social stories, and Physical environment simulations.
• Invrse is working to bring compelling, familiar user interface for VR/AR. Its optimized input platform provides clean, intuitive controls that result in a natural experience for typing, browsing, reading, chatting, object manipulation and more.
• PlusOne is an an MR + AI startup building interactive intelligent human hologram which can understand and analyze human users’ communication pattern. The first product built on top of the engine is an Enterprise Employee Training and Language Learning Software.
• RAVR labs is a game studio created by veterans of the Sports and Video Game Industry. They are building the 1st and only full featured VR basketball simulation. Their goal is to be the leader of Sports Games in the VR era.
• Byond provides a cloud-based 360/VR publishing toolset that empowers brands, media companies and agencies to create new interactive outreach channels. The toolset allows users to “write once, publish everywhere” across all VR headsets and smartphones to obtain maximum impact, increased engagement and new monetization options.
• 7Invensun is a high-tech corporation dedicated in computer vision, artificial intelligence and innovation of eye tracking technologies based on Deep Learning with proprietary intellectual property rights. The world’s leading industry players are investors and customers, including HTC Vive and Qualcomm, etc. 7Invensun’s mission is to become world’s leading eye tracking company to apply eye tracking technology into wide applications: intelligent medicine, VR/AR, smart phones.
• OVA's StellarX is the best tool out there for non-programmers to develop their own VR environments in VR— through simple grab-and-drop creation.

Shenzhen

• Aurora AR's goal is to be the leader in augmented reality glass optics and device design. Our first product is a 135-degree field of view augmented reality glass that works under daylight, and is cost-effective for consumers.
• Kiwi Technology specializes in face tracking technology through an RGB camera, along with 3D graphics and visual effects. KiwiFace mobile and VR SDK have been widely adopted by over a dozen major live-streaming/short video/VR products.
• Shengda provides VR solutions and training for vocational education to replace hazardous experiment/training for employees, such as working with high- voltage engines in electrical vehicles. Shengda also helps local governments build up VR education centers in Shenzhen, Sichuan, Chongqing, and Jilin.
• Broken Colors develops the most cost and processor efficient eye and mouth tracking algorithm for low end VR devices that will be available to the hands of millions soon.
• bHaptics develops haptics sleeves, vest and eye mask that bring VR immersiveness to the next level.
• SoccerDream is a VR football training technology that helps clubs and academies make their players smarter, and keep them highly motivated, just as the world’s top clubs do.
• Transmind offers more than just a fun multiplayer game. Players can assume different identities in a virtual world and socialize with others, while watching videos, playing games, casually chatting, and even finding their significant others.

Taipei

• Opaque Space is a premier developer of consumer and simulation VR experiences. Opaque Space is developing the acclaimed VR game Earthlight and collaborating with NASA to develop VR training tools for the next generation of astronauts.
• Snobal builds VR Tools for businesses. Snobal’s tools empower organizations to easily create, manage and analyze their virtual reality environments, whether for design, collaboration or stakeholder engagement.
• Xikaku develops AR technology for applications in industrial and medical fields. Our first product, the X-Visor, is an analysis and visualization system allowing factory personnel do precise and efficient machine inspection using an overlay of real-time sensor data. Our systems provide a platform to dramatically enhance the capabilities and skills of human resources in mission critical applications.
• Appnori is a sports-focused VR game development company, developing games such as baseball and table tennis, which can be enjoyed by all users regardless of age.
• VRANI's goal is to provide VR's fantastic experiences to users by focusing on interactive VR characters. Through four core-playing experiences, Easy-Play, Extreme-Play, Interactive-Play and Multi-Play, we create fun and easy casual VR content.
• Memora was founded by NASA Ames Research Park with support by Singularity University. It provides LUNA 360 - a RedDot awarded VR camera and world’s smartest 360 imaging clouds platform with Deep Learning AI, for people to more easily share, explore and communicate life moments in VR. LUNA project has been launched on Indiegogo in 2016 and successfully raised 340K+ USD funds in 30 days.
• ThermoReal Inc. and its affiliate TEGway Co. have developed the world’s first high performance flexible thermoelectric device (F-TED), “ThermoReal”®, which enables game/VR/AR players to feel temperature and pain.

For more information and to apply for the Vive X program for all five global locations, please visit vivex.co.

HTC Corporation aims to bring brilliance to life. As a global innovator in smart mobile devices and technology, HTC has produced award-winning products and industry firsts since its inception in 1997, including the critically acclaimed HTC One and HTC Desire lines of smartphones. The pursuit of brilliance is at the heart of everything we do, inspiring best-in-class design and game-changing mobile and virtual reality experiences for consumers around the world. HTC is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE: 2498).www.htc.com.

VIVE is a first-of-its-kind virtual reality platform developed by HTC and Valve for total immersion in virtual worlds. Designed from the ground up for room-scale VR and true-to-life interactions, Vive delivers on the promise of VR with game-changing technology and best-in-class content. Vive has been recognized with hundreds of awards and wide critical acclaim since its unveiling in 2015. Vive owners can also discover and purchase content from Viveport, the app store for VR. Visit www.VIVE.com or www.viveport.com for more information.

Formed in 2016, the Virtual Reality Venture Capital Alliance (“VRVCA”) is a close-knit membership comprising of 49 of the top virtual reality investors in the world representing $18.0 billion total deployable capital. The purpose of VRVCA is to foster long-term growth in the VR/AR industry through identifying, sharing and investing in the world's most innovative & impactful VR/AR technology and content companies. We are hosting the next investment meeting this September in Beijing. Please submit your application at //www.vrvca.com/submit/ if you want to get access to the top VR/AR investors.