French startup VideoStitch just raised $2.25 million from Alven Capital for its video editing software solution. This isn’t your average video editing software, as the company is able to output a live 360 feed using multiple action cameras, making it perfect for virtual reality headsets.
I had the chance to try out the company’s latest demo last week, and I was particularly impressed by what the company had to offer. In the first demo, VideoStitch was using three GoPros connected to a computer. This computer was stitching these three video outputs in real time, calibrating the luminosity and removing all sorts of artefacts in order to produce a perfect 360 live video.
And here’s where it makes a lot more sense. I then put an Oculus Rift headset on, and I could move my head around and look at a live video feed. I was totally immersed in this video. The cameras were only a couple of feet away from me, but this technology could be used to virtually teleport yourself to remote locations. Also worth noting, the video was perfectly fluid and I couldn’t see any artefact.
The second demo is a brand new demo that was a lot more resource intensive. The company bought a duck meat can and taped a bunch of GoPros around it. Once again, the GoPros were connected to a computer. This time, the company’s software was able to output a 3D video feed in real time. Again, I could move my head around and look at the office around these GoPros, but this time it was in 3D — It blew my mind.
Finally, VideoStitch isn’t just about live 360 videos. The company also works with many video professionals and enthusiasts already, providing them a simple software to stitch videos together. I looked at a few videos shot around the world — one on a sailboat, another one in San Francisco, another one on top of a car, etc. With a simple tap, I could switch between all these videos, getting the impression that I was traveling around the world in no time.
Kima Ventures and business angels, such as Daniel Marhély, Errol Ginsberg and Laurent Asscher, also participated in today’s round. The company plans to hire more people and iterate as quickly as possible on its impressive technology. Behind the scene, there are some very complicated image processing math algorithms.
There are many potential use cases for 360 videos, and virtual reality headsets are just one of them. For example, you could display a 360 video on a phone and move around a scene using your phone’s gyroscope. And of course, I can’t wait to see what talented movie directors could do with this technology.
It’s just the beginning for VideoStitch, but the company could quickly become an essential piece of the movie production industry. Action cameras and virtual reality headsets seem to have a bright future ahead, and directors will need tools to take advantage of all that.
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