Super Ventures

Super Ventures is an early-stage venture fund investing in augmented reality, virtual reality, and wearable technology companies. It provides pre-seed and seed capital for foundational components in these immersive sectors. Beyond funding, Super Ventures supports the AR ecosystem by fostering a large professional community and producing AWE (Augmented World Expo), a key spatial computing event series.

Founded in 2016 by Ori Inbar, Super Ventures emerged from his background in augmented reality. Inbar, a recognized AR expert, co-founded Ogmento, an early AR startup, and established AugmentedReality.org, a non-profit advancing AR. This experience provided the insight to launch a fund nurturing the ecosystem alongside founding partner Tom Emrich.

The firm's portfolio comprises early-stage startups utilizing AR, VR, and MR for innovative solutions. Super Ventures envisions advancing humanity through augmented reality, empowering entrepreneurs applying spatial computing to transform industries. It enables startups to deliver "superpowers" for global impact, driving immersive technology forward.

High-Level Overview

Super Ventures is an early-stage venture capital fund dedicated exclusively to investing in startups developing foundational technologies and applications in augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR). Their mission is to accelerate the growth of the AR ecosystem by backing companies that use these immersive technologies to augment human experience and provide "superpowers" that can change the world. The fund primarily invests in seed and pre-seed rounds, focusing on startups that are building the core building blocks of AR/VR technology, including software, hardware, and content platforms. Their portfolio includes companies like Gravity Sketch, which operates in 3D design and spatial computing. Super Ventures plays a significant role in nurturing the AR startup ecosystem by providing capital, mentorship, and industry connections to early-stage innovators[1][2][3][4][6].

Origin Story

Founded in 2016 and headquartered in San Francisco, Super Ventures was established by a team of AR pioneers including Mark Billinghurst, Matt Miesnieks, Ori Inbar, and Tom Emrich. These founders bring deep technical and commercial expertise in AR and spatial computing. For example, Mark Billinghurst founded the HIT Lab NZ, a leading AR research lab, and was co-founder of ARToolworks, creators of the popular ARToolKit. Matt Miesnieks led AR R&D at Samsung and co-founded Dekko, a company known for 3D AR holograms on iOS. Tom Emrich founded We Are Wearables and has been a key figure in the AR/VR community globally. Their combined experience and networks have shaped Super Ventures’ focus on early-stage AR startups and their commitment to building the spatial computing ecosystem[2][6].

Core Differentiators

• Exclusive AR/VR Focus: The first fund solely dedicated to augmented reality and immersive technologies, providing specialized expertise and a targeted investment thesis.
• Founders’ Deep Domain Expertise: Partners are recognized AR pioneers and ecosystem builders with strong technical and operational backgrounds.
• Early-Stage Investment Model: Focus on seed and pre-seed rounds with typical check sizes up to $500K, supporting startups at the earliest and riskiest stages.
• Global Network: Strong connections across the AR/VR industry, including research labs, hardware manufacturers, and developer communities.
• Ecosystem Builder: Beyond capital, Super Ventures supports startups through mentorship, community engagement, and access to industry events like AWE (Augmented World Expo)[1][2][3][6].

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Super Ventures is riding the wave of spatial computing and immersive technologies, which are increasingly recognized as the next major computing platform after mobile and cloud. The timing is critical as AR/VR hardware becomes more affordable and powerful, and software platforms mature, enabling new use cases in gaming, design, healthcare, education, and enterprise. Market forces such as advances in 5G, AI, and sensor technology further accelerate AR adoption. By focusing on early-stage startups, Super Ventures helps shape the foundational technologies and applications that will define the future of human-computer interaction. Their influence extends beyond funding to ecosystem development, helping to build a vibrant AR startup community that drives innovation and adoption[1][2][3][6].

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Looking ahead, Super Ventures is well-positioned to capitalize on the growing momentum in AR and spatial computing. As AR hardware like smart glasses and VR headsets become mainstream, demand for innovative software and content will surge, creating opportunities for their portfolio companies. Trends such as AI integration, enterprise AR solutions, and the metaverse will likely shape their investment focus. The fund’s deep domain expertise and network will continue to be a competitive advantage in sourcing and supporting breakthrough startups. Super Ventures’ role as an ecosystem catalyst will remain vital as the AR industry evolves from niche to mainstream, potentially influencing how humans interact with digital information and the physical world in profound ways[1][2][6].