Rival funding news – UK Startup Rival Secures $4.2 Million to Launch 3D Content Creation Platform

Rival's platform lets users watch immersive 3D short videos on their spatial computing headsets, similar to how TikTok or Instagram Reels work with regular videos.

Users can easily create and share their own content. Besides uploading regular 3D content, they can also convert any 2D video into a 3D experience using Rival unique AI model. This helps solve the problem of not having enough content to keep users interested in their headsets.

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Rival, a startup based in London, was started as a side project by co-founders Alexander Oppermann, who has a background in entrepreneurship and private equity, and Konrad Melzer, a machine learning engineer who used to develop security software for the German FBI.

Since July 2023, it has been quietly developing its product and has built a team of engineers from Google, Meta, and Amazon after raising funds in December 2023. Now, Rival plans to hire more ML/AI engineers and expand in the US market.

It's platform works with Meta Quest headsets, and early access to the 2D-to-3D conversion model is available. Support for other headsets, like Apple Vision Pro and Pico, is being worked on.

Alexander Oppermann, co-founder and CEO of Rival: “We're building a platform that removes technical barriers, enabling a new generation of creators to shape immersive digital experiences. Our technology solves the critical content gap that's currently limiting the potential of spatial computing,”.

Speedinvest led the funding round, with support from New Renaissance Ventures and notable angel investors.

Victor Huerbe, Principal with Speedinvest's Marketplaces and Consumer investment team, says: “Alex, Konrad, and the team move fast, and they’ve quietly built something game-changing. We backed them because they’re not just iterating on existing tools, they’re building the foundation for how we’ll create and consume 3D content in the future."

About Rival

Rival Technologies was founded in 2023 by Alexander Oppermann and Konrad Melzer, who previously worked on security software for the German FBI. They are joined by a team of engineers from Google, Meta, and Amazon. Based in London, the startup aims to grow the spatial computing market by solving the problem of not having enough content for the increasing number of headsets.