Author name: Mike M.

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If Python is too slow for you, Crystal could be your savior

Design & Dev, House of Talent / /

Learning a new programming language can open your mind in ways you never thought possible. Just like learning a new human language like Spanish or Mandarin, you learn to think with different words and structures.

You tap into the cultures and communities of the speakers and learn how they see the world. It’s enriching, to say the least.

The neat thing about programming languages is that the first one you learn is always the hardest. Once you understand basic structures like if-clauses and for-loops, you’ll see them popping up in many new languages you might learn.

And, unlike human languages, new programming languages are much faster to learn. They’re more logical and have less words — or, should I say, commands.

It follows that most programmers and data scientists master more than one programming language.

They might have a main or favorite one. But most software developers I know use at least five languages on a weekly basis, if you count scripting languages in.

Most programmers also try to learn a new language every so often.

It comes with the job. Coding means staying curious.

The case for Crystal

Crystal, as per its advertisement, is a language that’s fast like C and slick like Ruby.

The part about its slickness is true. It’s compiled and statically typed, which comes with its own advantages and disadvantages. Above all, however, it’s very similar to Ruby in its style.

Personally I’ve never written a larger project in Ruby. But as a fairly experienced Python developer, Crystal code still looks crystal clear!

Here’s an example of a recursive loop that calculates factorials:

Factorial calculation in Crystal. Image by author, code taken from Crystal by Example
Factorial calculation in Crystal. Image by author, code taken from Crystal by Example

The command puts sounds a bit weird to people who aren’t accustomed to Ruby. It’s basically a bad-taste version of print in other languages. There are some subtle differences between puts and print but we won’t dive into these here.

Apart from that, this example looks quite pythonic, right?

It’s similar for if-clauses:

If-clauses in Crystal. Image by author, code taken from Crystal by Example
If-clauses in Crystal. Image by author, code taken from Crystal by Example

Apart from the funny puts expression that non-Ruby-natives aren’t used to, this is again very readable.

Generally speaking, the syntax of Crystal is clear, even when dealing with larger and more complicated problems.

Static typing

Crystal is statically typed, but you may have noticed there weren’t many type identifiers in the examples above. That’s because Crystal only requires you to specify the type of a variable if it’s ambiguous.

This practice, of course, helps programmers be more productive.

Macros

Statically typed languages tend to be finicky around macros. Crystal, however, has a way with them.

As shown in this example, you can use a Crystal macro to change a piece of code at compile time through static reasoning, based on the contents of another piece of that same code. Try to do this in C++ and you’ll either fail or need 500+ lines of code.

Or don’t you, you genius? Let me know if I’m wrong…

This does come with some caveats because, as the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility. Static typing usually reduces some danger, but insanely powerful things (like the ones that Crystal allows) somewhat undo this safeguarding.

No Nil-errors

Speaking of safety, Crystal does have additional safeguards elsewhere. Nil is a separate type for the Crystal compiler. So if you’re trying to access a method or container that turns out to be nil, the compiler will warn you. This might result in a failure of compilation, but at least you get to fix the error before you run a potentially large code.

No more dependency hell

If you’ve ever handled a large problem in Python, you probably know what dependency hell looks like.

One Python module might depend on another few, and once you’ve imported all the modules you need, you realize that different module versions aren’t compatible. Now you have to figure out which versions to use to make everything fit together, and all of this can take hours when your project is of a certain size.

In Crystal, these modules are called shards, and they get compiled into your binary executable via static linking. I could go into detail about this, but let’s cut the story short: Dependency management is much, much easier this way.

The big drawback: Crystal is tiny

Crystal had a moment in 2017 when it jumped from place 60 to 32 on the TIOBE index within just a month. The reasons for this meteoric rise are hard to say, but it’s quite likely that the creators of Crystal did considerable marketing at the time and got Ruby programmers curious.

However, Crystal’s moment of fame didn’t last very long. At the time of writing this article, Crystal is nowhere close to the top 50 programming languages on the TIOBE index.

Because of its early rise in popularity, some people hoped it could see similar levels of popularity as Rust.

This, however, hasn’t materialized.

Programmers have expressed frustration about sample projects or code bases. Also, the documentation seems a little bit incomplete. This turned new programmers off in droves.

And because of this, the Crystal community is so small that you’ll have to wait a while to get help if you’re running into problems. There just aren’t so many answers on StackOverflow, GitHub, and the likes.

The other drawback: Crystal isn’t as speedy as promised

The creators of Crystal wanted the language to be as fast as C.

This might be true in isolated cases. However, most of the time, Crystal takes about twice as long to execute as C does.

It’s not uncommon for programming languages (or tech companies, for that matter) to have overblown mission statements. And, to be fair, half as fast as C is still pretty fast.

Nevertheless, Crystal significantly under-delivers vis-à-vis its original promise. It’s so glaringly obvious that I can’t blame the average developer for feeling disappointed.

Famous last words: Crystal is for experienced programmers only

I love exploring new programming languages, but I prefer well-documented languages with a large and supportive community. Many programmers feel similar.

Crystal has had its shot at mainstream appeal, but overall it has failed in the last few years.

This doesn’t mean that there aren’t some interesting use cases for Crystal. It might be an interesting option for people working with blockchain technology. You can create a fairly powerful cryptocurrency with Crystal.

That being said, unless the documentation, marketing, and general community support for Crystal improves, it won’t be a great option for the average blockchain developer either.

If you want to play with a language like Crystal, you’d better bring some experience. Because when you’re faced with a problem, there might be nobody there to help you.

This article was written by Ari Joury and was originally published on Medium. You can read it here.

If Python is too slow for you, Crystal could be your savior Read More »

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Report: Meta to Open ‘Horizon Worlds’ to Younger Teens Amid Renewed Retention Push

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Meta’s social VR app for Quest, Horizon Worlds, is lagging behind the competition when it comes to attracting and retaining VR users. According to a leaked memo obtained by The Wall Street Journal, the company is now ostensibly looking to boost numbers by more transparently appealing to younger teens in addition to funding a slew of new second-party content.

WSJ only posted snippets of the memo, entitled ‘Horizon 2023 Goals and Strategy’, which was allegedly written by Meta Vice President of Horizon Gabriel Aul. The memo is said to outline the team’s objectives for the first half of 2023.

Here’s some highlights we formatted into a bulleted list, which also includes additional info supplied by a source cited by WSJ:

  • Competitors are outperforming HW. Improving user retention is most important, especially among teens and young adults
  • HW to open to teens aged 13 to 17, which could come as early as March
  • Meta is working with outside studios to build new worlds and experiences for HW
  • The team is aiming to launch at least 20 new Horizon-hosted experiences built by second-party studios. Of the 20, it’s hoping for five medium hits and at least one a major hit
  • The flatscreen version of Horizon for mobile and desktops is set to come sometime in H1 2023

Additionally, WSJ reports the memo outlined some key performance metrics, claiming Horizon Worlds’ weekly retention rate was 11% in January, which the company aims to increase to 20%. The goal for monthly active users for the first half of 2023 is said to be 500,000, with hopes of reaching one million for the full year. Currently the platform is at 200,000, or just below the December peak, the reported memo outlines.

The previously reported flatscreen version, which is said to launch by the end of the first half of 2023, is hoping to achieve 150,000 monthly cross-screen Horizon users.

Meta’s Quest 2 headset is technically only available to users aged 13 and up. Horizon Worlds on the other hand has been limited to users 18+ since it was launched in 2021, and only to those in US, Canada, UK, France, Iceland, Ireland and Spain.

While none of this seems to have hindered children below 13 from playing all the Quest 2 has to offer, Horizon Worlds included. More transparently appealing to young teens though will likely come with a host of safety requirements that the company needs to fulfil for liability reasons.

Meta issued a response to WSJ, supporting in part its move to focus on teens:

“Teens are already spending time in a variety of VR experiences on Quest,” Meta spokesman Joe Osborne told WSJ, “and we want to ensure that we can provide them with a great experience in Horizon Worlds as well, with age-appropriate tools and protections in place.”

This comes hot on the heels of Meta reducing its workforce by 13% late last year, one of the biggest tech layoffs in recent memory, which saw 11,000 jobs cut from payroll.

Meanwhile, the company’s Reality Labs XR division has dramatically increased its operating budget in an ostensible bid to maintain market dominance over similar metaverse pushes from the likes of Apple, Google, etc. At the same time, Meta has slashed some XR projects, including first-party title Echo VR.

Provided the report is true, it appears Meta is making another important step towards competing more directly with cross-platform social gaming titans like Roblox and Rec Room. 

Report: Meta to Open ‘Horizon Worlds’ to Younger Teens Amid Renewed Retention Push Read More »

how-to-market…-without-a-marketing-department

How to market… without a marketing department

Next Featured, Tech / /

Ioanna Lykiardopoulou

Story by

Ioanna Lykiardopoulou

Ioanna is a writer at SHIFT. She likes the transition from old to modern, and she’s all about shifting perspectives. Ioanna is a writer at SHIFT. She likes the transition from old to modern, and she’s all about shifting perspectives.

How do you set your company apart from other brands? How do you sell people a product they’re not used to? And how is all that possible without a marketing department?

John Schoolcraft, Chief Creative Officer at Oatly, has an answer to all these questions. In 2012, together with CEO Toni Petersson, Schoolcraft began to transform a 30-year-old maker of oat drinks into a worldwide movement devoted to promoting a more sustainable lifestyle.

We caught up with Schoolcraft at TNW 2022 and learned how Oatly created a thriving marketing strategy… without a marketing department. If you’d like to get his insights in full, check out the video embedded at the top of this article. Alternatively, you can watch it here.

Throughout the talk, Schoolcraft explains how marketing is different at Oatly compared to other companies. And it all started with his idea to kill the marketing department and replace it with a team of creatives.

“It’s a completely different system,” he told us. Although a creative still focuses on advertising, content creation, and communication, their approach is unlike a marketer’s. In Schoolcraft’s words, marketers are “approvers” and creatives “makers.”

When we moved on to discussing the problems with marketing, he pointed out the marketing department’s focus on data. “What they don’t realise is that all brands are pulling from the same data, which means that they’re doing the same thing,” he explained. “In contrast,” he continued, “creatives are by nature embedded in culture and they find inspiration somewhere else.”

This doesn’t mean that Schoolcraft advises every company to destroy its marketing department. But he does believe that smaller firms should prioritise finding people who can actually create the brand, instead of merely interpret data.

Head over here to watch the video.

How to market… without a marketing department Read More »

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Mil-Sim Shooter ‘Onward’ to Drop Quest 1 Support Later This Year

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Meta-owned developer Downpour Interactive announced it’s pulling Quest 1 support for Onward, the hit team-based mil-sim shooter.

First launched on PC VR headsets in Early Access back in 2016, Onward managed to garner a hardcore following over the years thanks to its realistic squad-based gameplay and unrelentingly faithful reproduction of real-world weaponry.

In mid-2020, Downpour decidedly slimmed down Onward across the board with its Early Access launch on Quest—just a few months before Meta launched the more powerful Quest 2. Its launch on the original Quest was met with some pretty intense backlash from the PC VR-playing community at the time, as Downpour significantly reduced the Onward’s graphics in addition to limiting community-generated content.

Now the developer, which was acquired by Meta in 2021, says it’s slated to drop support for Quest 1 on July 31st, 2023. In the studio’s FAQ, Downpour says Onward will no longer be playable on Quest 1 in any capacity after the July cut-off date.

The studio isn’t offering any special refund scheme outside of Meta’s standard policy, which allows you to return a game with less than two hours of gameplay time, and within 14 days after purchase.

Onward however benefits from cross-buy, so owners can continue playing on Quest 1 through the Meta Store version, which requires a VR-ready PC to play, or on the still natively supported Quest 2 and Quest Pro headsets.

In comes as no real surprise that some developers are pulling the plug on Quest 1 support only three years after the headset’s launch. Meta announced earlier this month it was set to deprecate first-party social features on the original 2019 Quest in March, which includes access to Parties and Meta Horizon Home. From now until 2024, Meta will only push critical bug fixes and security patches.

Mil-Sim Shooter ‘Onward’ to Drop Quest 1 Support Later This Year Read More »

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Moth+Flame Launches AI-Powered VR Authoring Tool for Custom Enterprise VR Training Content Creation

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A new VR authoring tool can potentially accelerate enterprise VR adoption this year. Invesco, a global investment firm, recently launched a virtual reality training experience they custom built using the new Moth+Flame’s VR authoring tool. Taking only 72 hours to develop, this custom VR training gives us a glimpse of the vast potential the new VR tool offers.

Moth+Flame VR Authoring Tool Addresses Challenges in VR Content Creation

In one of the most recent PwC surveys of PwC, 51% of companies have built VR into at least one specific line of business or are in the process of integrating VR into their processes. Many companies also see the benefits of VR as an effective way to develop and train people.

While the adoption of VR in enterprises is steadily increasing, enterprises face several challenges that hamper VR integration. Among these are the long development time and the level of expertise needed to create VR content.

Moth+Flame, a VR technology platform that specializes in enterprise-grade immersive learning solutions, addresses some of these challenges to accelerate the adoption of VR.

Ushering a year of great leaps in tech development, Moth+Flame launched a new VR authoring tool that leverages generative artificial intelligence. The new tool allows users to build custom VR content faster and easier. It empowers metaverse content creators and enterprise users to fast-track the development and adoption of VR across industries.

Empowering Novice Users to Create Immersive VR Content

Built on an advanced AI-driven platform, the VR authoring tool generates immersive training content that feels hyper-realistic and engaging. Voice-activated features prompt users to speak to navigate the training scenario. The interactive and immersive experience enhances training as it reinforces learning objectives and improves knowledge retention.

With its user-friendly interface, the platform can be used for VR content creation even by novice users with little or no technical expertise. Drag-and-drop editors and 3D asset libraries help users create high-quality immersive experiences. Multi-user support allows collaboration within teams and among learning and development departments. All these features enable enterprises to revamp existing training or create new ones that are more engaging and effective.

Invesco Uses Moth+Flame VR Authoring Tool to Build VR Training

The Moth+Flame VR authoring tool is still in its beta phase, but it has already shown how it can revolutionize VR use at the enterprise level. Invesco, the first early-access user to bring this technology to workforce development, has shown the benefits the tool brings to enterprise training.

Last week, Invesco launched their new VR training that was built using the Moth+Flame authoring tool. While the average development time for a VR training program is around eight to ten weeks, Invesco was able to build theirs in just 72 hours. Moreover, they were able to create VR content tailored to their specific requirements.

The new VR training is designed to help the Invesco sales team in handling customer complaints and concerns. Sales representatives use VR headsets to practice conversations with customers in realistic simulated scenarios. By adopting the Moth+Flame authoring tool, Invesco can generate other immersive training experiences across their enterprise.

“The biggest challenge for all education is the scale of content creation. So much enterprise training is limited to low-scoring e-learning products because of scale limitations,” said Kevin Cornish, CEO of Moth+Flame. “So much enterprise training is limited to low-scoring e-learning products because of scale limitations. With this tool, enterprises will be able to scale their content creation across all use cases in virtual reality, the most effective training modality available.”

Paving the Way for Rapid Adoption of VR in Enterprises

Invesco, along with other global brands, is now implementing VR training to maximize efficiency in the workplace. With the new VR authoring tool from Moth+Flame, enterprises gain access to advanced technology that empowers them to create immersive VR training. They can easily create VR content and deploy them to their workforce on iOS or VR headsets. With solutions like this authoring tool, we can expect the rapid adoption of VR at the enterprise level across industries.

Moth+Flame Launches AI-Powered VR Authoring Tool for Custom Enterprise VR Training Content Creation Read More »

5-top-tips-to-land-your-dream-tech-job-in-2023

5 top tips to land your dream tech job in 2023

Design & Dev, House of Talent / /

Whether you suddenly find yourself out of a job, courtesy of the recent wave of tech layoffs sweeping through the sector, or feel like you’ve outgrown your current position and are looking for a new challenge, firing off a generic CV and hoping for the best isn’t going to cut it.

In fact, according to online resume builder Zety, only 10% of job applications result in interviews, and job seekers need to send between 30-50 resumes to get hired. That means honing your application skills is essential if you want to stand out and secure an interview that will hopefully lead to a job offer. Here’s how…

Cover letters matter

While a lot of job seekers put all their focus into crafting the perfect CV, cover letters can sometimes be overlooked as an unnecessary introduction before the main event. However, a well-written cover letter is vital if you want to stand apart from your professional peers. In fact, according to Jobbio’s Hiring Intelligence Report 2022, 46% of hiring managers say a well-crafted cover letter immediately sets an applicant apart from the competition.

This is backed up by additional data gathered by ResumeGo: a custom-tailored cover letter makes an application 50% more likely to secure an interview.

Beat the ATS bots

From Siri helping you make hands-free calls on your iPhone to Chat GPT’s sophisticated and seamless aptitude in mimicking your writing style, AI has infiltrated every part of our everyday lives, including our ability to get a job.

Research indicates that 75% of recruiters or hiring managers use an applicant tracking system (ATS) in the hiring process while 98% of Fortune 500 companies also use an ATS program to filter prospective employees. So, how can you beat the bots? Pick out keywords from the job description and weave them into your CV and cover letter.

Add power words

Durable skills (the ability to use soft skills like collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and leadership as the foundation of your approach to all work tasks) are essential for career success—recent data shows that seven out of 10 of the most requested skills in job descriptions were durable skills. They should also be applied to your job application in the form of power words to demonstrate how your durable skills have helped you succeed professionally. Examples of power words include “initiated,” “developed,” “coordinated,” “orchestrated,” “adapted,” and “strengthened.”

Dynamic design

While you might think a snazzily designed PDF or template from the likes of Canva or Resume.io are the best way to stand out from the crowd, video formats are gaining traction, especially among younger Gen Z cohorts.

Take TikTok Resume as the perfect example of this: launched in 2021, the format allows job seekers to create and upload a 60-second short form video application that leverages the power of social media while demonstrating their skills and experience in a more interactive and personable way. Video interviews are also easily digestible for recruiters and hiring managers.

Expand your network

The era of Zoom coffees is thankfully behind us and face-to-face networking is back with a bang and expected to exceed 2019 levels in 2023. While networking with your professional peers doesn’t automatically equate to an interview or job offer, data compiled by TechJury found that 95% of professionals find better business relationships are built through in-person meetings. So putting yourself out there and using informal meetings as a way to keep yourself in the loop is a vital part of the job application process, albeit in a more holistic way.

Ready to put your new and improved CV and cover letter to the test? The House of Talent Job Board has hundreds of opportunities in companies that are currently hiring, like the three below.

Senior Fullstack Engineer – Zalando Marketing Services (All Genders), Zalando, Berlin

As a Fullstack Engineer with ecommerce platform Zalando, you’ll create a best-of-class user experience for all fashion brands advertising on the platform, helping them bring the best products to customers. The role is mainly frontend focused, but there will be multiple instances where your backend capabilities will come into play. You’ll also be tasked with building and improving the campaign management tool that lets Zalando fashion brands directly plan, execute, and monitor advertising campaigns and create best-of-class user experience. See more details about this role here.

CRM Manager – Conversion m/f/d, Deezer, Paris

From a French tech startup created in 2007, Deezer has become one of the first French unicorns and the second largest independent music streaming platform in the world. It’s now looking for a CRM Manager to join its Paris team to oversee the design, delivery, and reporting of its CRM strategy, focusing on activation and conversion campaigns. In this role, you’ll be expected to develop and implement actionable, multi-channel, and user-centric CRM strategies to activate users and convert them from free to paid, and implement test and learn strategies to continuously improve existing automated journeys and create effective campaigns. Apply for this role today.

Senior Security Engineer – Product (m/f/d), Trade Republic, Berlin

Trade Republic is on a mission to democratize wealth. Its information security team protects against threats, fraud, and legal penalties so it can grow, compete, and establish a trusted relationship with customers. The company is currently hiring a Senior Security Engineer to perform architectural design reviews and threat modeling exercises and proactively detect security deficiencies and flaws in its products and features. View the full job description here.

Accelerate your career in 2023 with the House of Talent Job Board

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A Farewell to AltspaceVR

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The social VR community was shocked and devastated to learn that AltspaceVR is shutting its doors. While it’s in the nature of emerging technology applications to come and go, many with few tears shed by fewer remaining users, this platform seems to have been taken from us in the prime of its life leaving many wondering where to go next.

The Sun Goin’ Down on AltspaceVR

On January 20, a blog post titled “AltspaceVR to Sunset the Platform on March 10, 2023” appeared at the top of the company’s homepage. An email was also sent to users.

“When AltspaceVR first launched, our vision was to create a place where people from around the world could connect and socialize in real time,” the team wrote. “It was a bold vision, and with the help of our passionate community, the platform became a place where users made lifelong memories, formed cherished friendships, found love — and even married in IRL (in real life).” 

AltspaceVR

Much of the post waxes nostalgic about the platform, which launched in 2015 and was purchased by Microsoft in 2017. The post also encouraged “the many creators and developers who are part of the AltspaceVR community to host final events and download their content.”

“The decision has not been an easy one as this is a platform many have come to love, providing a place for people to explore their identities, express themselves, and find community,” wrote the team. “It has been a privilege to help unlock passions among users.”

Why, Microsoft? Why?

The team writes that they are closing AltspaceVR to “shift our focus to support immersive experiences powered by Microsoft Mesh.” Microsoft Mesh is the company’s mixed reality platform that was announced from within AltspaceVR during Microsoft Ignite 2021. The event, featuring Alex Kipman and James Cameron, looked at the platform as a tool for humanity.

“A dream you dream alone is just a dream. A dream we dream together is called reality,” Kipman said at the time, quoting John Lennon. “We tend to think of reality and dreams as separate. But, are they?”

Since then, Microsoft has focused on Mesh as more of an enterprise tool than a collaborative dream maker. At Microsoft Ignite 2022, CEO Satya Nadella announced that Mesh would be integrating with Microsoft Teams. Nadella also presented integrations between Microsoft Teams (presumably including Mesh) with Meta’s Horizon Workrooms at Meta Connect 2022.

“We knew early on that we wanted this to be a great place to get work done and with Microsoft, we can make that happen,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said at the event.

What About Us?

Shutting down AltspaceVR to focus on an enterprise platform is a strange play seeing as virtually none of the people using it were using it for enterprise. The always-full events schedule included comedy shows, community events, support groups and spiritual meetings, and musical performances. Where will they go?

Some of the events that you may know and love from AltspaceVR are already happening across multiple immersive platforms. For example, the live VR comedy show Failed to Render began in AltspaceVR but also has a home in Horizon Worlds and VRChat. Similarly, the Polys Awards takes place in AltspaceVR but also takes place in Mozilla Hubs, ENGAGE, and others.

But, what about those experiences that are only on AltspaceVR? Like BRCvr’s Burning Man experiences? An email from the organization said that they have plans for future events in another platform, but are respectfully waiting for the book to close forever on this chapter.

“Leaving AltspaceVR is difficult for all of us who have loved building this incredible community,” BRCvr co-founder Athena Demos said in the email. “Before we announce where we plan to continue our virtual Burning Man experiences, we want to honor the incredible friendships and creative partnerships we have forged on AltspaceVR.”

Kavya Pearlman, the CEO of XR Safety Initiative – which has been hosting events, such as Metaverse Safety Week, on the platform for years – said in a tweet that she was in talks with the group’s technical partner about moving to other platforms. Nothing official has been announced.

Yep , that’s quite a sad news .. just spoke to @ChickenWaffleVR about moving @MetaSafetyWeek to alternate platforms.

I wonder why @Microsoft bought @AltspaceVR in the first place , if it was only to sunset it later on.

So sorry for the team & everyone impacted.

— Kavya Pearlman (@KavyaPearlman) January 20, 2023

The King Is Dead. Long Live the King.

AltspaceVR had no enemies but it had many competitors. When the eulogy of a blog post went live on Twitter, representatives from a number of immersive platforms spoke at the wake.

We have some sad news, Altspacers. #AltspaceVR is shutting down on March 10th.

Though we hate saying goodbye, we also feel such pride and gratitude for all the magic that happened here. ✨

Thanks for joining us on this epic adventure. #socialvr https://t.co/peCwpaaBl3

— AltspaceVR (@AltspaceVR) January 20, 2023

There was no gloating at the grave, but tweets from Somnium Space, Spatial, and Mona invited displaced worldbuilders to take their events and spaces along. While this may be an option for events and assets, it’s not a meaningful option for users.

As mentioned in the blog post, users can download their data from the platform. However, there isn’t much that can be done with it. Photographs taken within the platform can be cherished but avatars can’t be transferred. It’s possible to download profile data from users that you met on the platform, but that’s not likely to help you connect with them on other platforms.

And, what are those platforms likely to be? Where will we meet next? A couple of solutions have already been named.

Where Will We Go?

VRChat is a proven and robust platform, but isn’t necessarily friendly towards new users, particularly when it comes to avatar creation. It has more tools and options than AltspaceVR but that can make it feel unwieldy. Somnium Space is in a similar category.

Spatial is a strong contender. The lightweight and easy-to-use platform runs in-browser, which is another strong bonus. Integration with Ready Player Me also means that creating an avatar is easy and bringing one with you if you already have one is even easier. Mona is in a similar category.

Mozilla Hubs has been putting in a lot of work, but they charge for that. With the new $20/month subscription price, many casual users won’t be signing on anymore.

ENGAGE is a solid free option, though it does require an app download. The same goes for Horizon – particularly if Meta makes good on its promise to make the platform available on hardware other than Meta headsets.

VIVE has also been building out its immersive offerings, but these also tend to be clunkier than many users will want. Virbela has also shown itself a capable, robust, and user-friendly platform, though a free app download is required.

The End of an Era

This was the first immersive world I ever entered. The fact that you don’t need a headset to enter the free and easy-to-use platform made it an unparalleled introduction to VR.

From before and after I got my first headsets, I have many memories from this platform, including the first time that I really felt like I had made eye contact with someone across the country. After years in the industry, there were still times when I would put on a headset just to shoot hoops outside of my VR house. AltspaceVR will be missed.

A Farewell to AltspaceVR Read More »

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Buying Guide: The Best VR Headsets in 2023

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Jump to:

Best PC VR headsets | Best standalone VR headsets | Best console VR headsets

PC VR is where you’ll find the highest quality visuals and the most ambitious VR games like Half-Life: Alyx. Of course, you’ll need a reasonably powerful gaming PC to plug your headset into. See this article for the specs your PC needs to handle VR headsets.

The Best Overall: Valve Index – $1,000

Image courtesy Valve

If you’re looking for the very best overall PC VR headset, Valve Index is our pick. It’s pricey compared to the rest, but has an excellent balance of quality, performance, and comfort. That’s why we called it “the enthusiast’s choice” in our full review of the headset.

Pros

Things to love about Index are its excellent tracking performance, wide field of view, quality controllers, great audio, and range of ergonomic adjustments that make it easy to dial in a comfortable and clear fit.

Index is one of the only headsets that offers an eye-relief adjustment. This let’s you bring the lenses as close to your eyes as comfortable, allowing you to maximize your field of view; it also makes the headset easier to adjust for glasses. Index has a physical IPD adjustment which ranges from 58mm to 70mm, making it easy to align the lenses with the width of your eyes for the sharpest visuals.

Cons

But Index isn’t perfect. Compared to other headsets on the market, the external tracking system is more work to set up, typically requiring two tracking beacons mounted on opposite corners of a room, stuck on a tripod, placed up high on a shelf, or screwed into your wall. They also need to be plugged into their own power outlets. And while Index has cameras on the front for a pass-through view, it isn’t as quick or useful as we’ve seen on other headsets. Its resolution is on the low-end compared to the latest headsets, and did we mention the price tag of $1,000? You can get it cheaper though if you already have SteamVR Tracking base stations from an old Vive headset.

Valve Index Specs
Resolution 1,440 x 1,600 (2.3MP) per-eye, LCD (2x)
Refresh Rate 80Hz, 90Hz, 120Hz, 144Hz
Lenses Double element Fresnel
Field-of-view ~130° diagonal
Optical Adjustments IPD, eye-relief
IPD Adjustment Range 58–70mm
Connectors USB 3.0, DisplayPort 1.2, 12V power
Cable Length 5m + 1m breakaway
Tracking SteamVR Tracking 1.0 or 2.0 (external beacons)
On-board cameras 2x RGB
Input Valve Index controllers (rechargable battery)
Audio Off-ear headphones, 3.5mm aux output
Microphone Dual microphone
Pass-through view Yes
Content Compatibility

Valve Index is officially compatible with the SteamVR library where the vast majority of VR content is available. If you’re looking to play content that’s exclusive to the Oculus PC library (like Lon Echo II) you can use the free but unofficial Revive mod to play Oculus PC content on Valve Index. It may take some tweaking for performance and controller inputs, but for the most part Oculus content will play reasonably well on Index.

Also Consider: HP Reverb G2 – $500

While Valve’s Index has great all-around performance, HP’s latest Reverb G2 is the headset you want if resolution is your most important consideration. Reverb G2 should be on your radar especially if you’re thinking of picking up a VR headset for seated PC VR games like driving and flight simulators—find out why in our full review.

ℹ HP has also released a slightly updated version of the headset (which we call the Reverb G2.1) that makes some small but noticeable improvements. Read more about Reverb G2.1 here.

Pros

When it comes right down to it, G2’s defining feature is its class-leading resolution of 2,160 × 2,160, which can look downright amazing with the right content. Thanks to a collaboration between Valve and HP, G2 also borrows the excellent headphones of Valve’s Index headset and brings improved controllers compared to previous WMR headsets. Not to mention the headset has inside-out tracking which makes it easier to use thanks to no external trackers. And who can argue with it being nearly half the price of the full Valve Index kit?

Cons

Although it boasts improved controller ergonomics compared to prior WMR headsets, Reverb G2’s controller tracking still has more latency and less reliability than its peers, along with less detailed (and somewhat noisy) haptics. The controllers will get you through most games just fine, but if you plan to primarily play competitive or fast-paced games, the controllers on other headsets tend to deliver better results. As for field of view, G2 is similar to most of its peers but loses out compared to Index. The pass-through view also isn’t as useful as some other headsets because of its odd ‘flashlight’ implementation.

HP Reverb G2 Specs
Resolution 2,160 x 2,160 (4.7MP) per-eye, LCD (2x)
Refresh Rate 90Hz
Lenses Single element Fresnel
Field-of-view (claimed) 114° diagonal
Optical Adjustments IPD (two-stage eye-relief with Reverb G2.1)
IPD Adjustment Range 60–68mm
Connectors USB-C, DisplayPort, Power
Cable Length 6m
Tracking Inside-out (no external beacons)
On-board cameras 4x IR
Input Reverb G2 controllers (AA battery 2x), voice
Audio Off-ear headphones
Microphone Yes
Pass-through view Yes
Content Compatibility

HP Reverb G2 works natively with the Windows Mixed Reality store, but very few VR applications are available there. Fortunately a free and official plugin from Microsoft also makes it compatible with SteamVR content. If you’re looking to play content that’s exclusive to the Oculus PC library (like Lone Echo II) you can use the free but unofficial Revive mod to play Oculus PC content on Reverb G2.

For the Ultra Enthusiast: Varjo Aero – $2,000+

Image courtesy Varjo

If you have cash to spare, and especially if you’re looking for the ultimate VR sim setup, Varjo Aero could be a great fit. It has the most impressive visual clarity we’ve seen from any consumer-available headset, thanks to a very high resolution display and unique lenses. It also has some other nice-to-have features not found on most other headsets. But it’ll cost you far more than other headsets. For a deep dive, check out our full Varjo Aero review.

Pros

If you can even put a headset that’s this expensive in the same category as other consumer VR headsets, Varjo Aero easily has the sharpest, most immersive image thanks to its 2,880 x 2,720 (7.8MP) per-eye resolution. On top of that, the headset uses aspheric (rather than Fresnel) lenses, which means it doesn’t suffer from the glare and god-rays that plague most other headsets. Aero also has two features that aren’t available on most headsets: automatic IPD adjustment and eye-tracking. The latter can be used for foveated rendering and some other useful stuff, but most applications today don’t support it.

Cons

Aero’s biggest downsides are its price, lack of integrated audio, and some image distortion. The headset alone costs $2,000, and if you don’t already have SteamVR Tracking base stations and controllers, you’ll need to shell out an additional $580 to get them. And let’s not forget… in order to really get the most from the headset, you’ll need a PC capable of pushing all those pixels at high framerates; if you don’t already have a beast of a PC, this one might not be the best choice (Varjo recommends at least an RTX 3070 or RTX 2080 and Aero does not support AMD GPUs).

As for the lack of integrated audio—you’ll need to plug headphones or earbuds into the headset’s 3.5mm aux port, which means another wire to deal with and another thing to put on and take off every time you use the headset. And while the Aero’s image is incredibly sharp, it does suffer from distortion near the edges of the lens which can bother some people more than others.

Varjo Aero Specs
Resolution 2,880 x 2,720 (7.8MP) per-eye, mini-LED LCD (2x)
Refresh Rate 90Hz
Lenses Aspheric
Field-of-view (claimed) 134° diagonal, 115° horizontal (at 12mm eye-relief)
Optical Adjustments IPD (automatic motor driven)
IPD Adjustment Range 57–73mm
Connectors USB-C → breakout box (USB-A 3.0, DisplayPort 1.4)
Cable Length 5m
Tracking SteamVR Tracking 1.0 or 2.0 (external beacons)
On-board cameras 2x eye-tracking
Input None included (supports SteamVR controllers)
Audio 3.5mm aux port
Microphone None (supports external mic through aux port)
Pass-through view No
Weight 487g + 230g headstrap with counterweight
Content Compatibility

Varjo Aero is officially compatible with the SteamVR library where the vast majority of VR content is available. If you’re looking to play content that’s exclusive to the Oculus PC library (like Lone Echo II) you can use the free but unofficial Revive mod to play Oculus PC content on Varjo Aero. It may take some tweaking for performance and controller inputs, but for the most part Oculus content should work on Aero.

Value Pick: Meta Quest 2 with Link (and Elite Strap) – $460

Image courtesy Facebook

Although Quest 2 is a standalone headset (which means games run directly in the headset without plugging into a PC) it also has a feature called Oculus Link which gives you the option to run PC VR games by plugging into a PC. And if you have a modern router (Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6), you can even do this wirelessly with Air Link feature.

Pros

Along with the useful passthrough feature, high resolution display, and great controllers, Quest 2 is a pretty great all-around headset. The hard-to-beat price makes it a great value, especially considering the fact that the headset also runs standalone VR games from the Meta Quest store. Meta has also consistently released software updates to improve the headset’s performance and features.

Cons

Unfortunately the cable that comes with Quest 2 isn’t long enough to work well for Oculus Link, and we can’t recommend the official cable because of its crazy $80 price tag. Thankfully you can get 26 feet worth of Oculus Link cable for $34. Or if you have a Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6 router you can use Air Link to play PC VR games wirelessly.

And, as we found in our full review, we weren’t big fans of Quest 2’s soft headstrap, so we’d recommend dropping the extra $50 for the Elite Strap accessory [Amazon] if you’re serious about playing PC VR games. The built in audio is convenient, but we wish it was higher quality.

Meta Quest 2 Specs
Resolution 1,832 x 1,920 (3.5MP) per-eye, LCD (1x)
Refresh Rate 60Hz, 72Hz, 90Hz, 120Hz
Lenses Single element Fresnel
Field-of-view ~90° diagonal
Optical Adjustments IPD, eye-relief (via included spacer)
IPD Adjustment Range 58mm, 63mm, 68mm
Processor Snapdragon XR2
RAM 6GB
Storage 128GB / 256GB
Connectors USB-C
Battery Life 2-3 hours
Tracking Inside-out (no external beacons)
On-board cameras 4x IR
Input

Oculus Touch v3 (AA battery 1x), hand-tracking, voice
Audio In-headstrap speakers, 3.5mm aux output
Microphone Yes
Pass-through view Yes
Content Compatibility

Without being plugged into a computer, Quest 2 can only play games from the Meta Quest library. If you plug into a computer via Oculus Link, you’ll have access to everything in the Oculus PC and SteamVR libraries as well. That means that Quest 2 is compatible with the vast majority of top VR content out there, as long as you’ve got a powerful PC to plug the headset into.

Standalone VR headsets are fully self-contained and don’t need to plug into anything. They generally offer high ease-of-use thanks to their all-in-one nature and lack of tether. With their low overall cost (thanks to not needing a high-end PC) standalone headsets are a great way to take your first step into VR.

The Best Overall: Meta Quest 2 with Elite Strap – $460

Image courtesy Facebook

Quest 2 is an upgrade over its predecessor in almost every way, though it’s worth noting that you need a Facebook account to use the headset. It comes in a 128GB and 256GB version.

Pros

With an impressive resolution, powerful Snapdragon XR2 processor, useful ‘passthrough’ view feature, and great controllers, there’s a lot to like about Quest 2. What’s more, if you ever decide to upgrade to PC-powered VR, Quest 2 can plug into your computer and be used like a PC VR headset. When it comes to overall value, no other standalone headset is in the same ballpark right now. And another nice thing about the headset: it keeps getting better with each update.

Cons

There’s a few things we wish were better though. As we found in our full Quest 2 review, the included soft headstrap just isn’t that comfortable, which is why we recommend the Elite Strap ($60 on Amazon) or Elite Battery Strap ($120 on Amazon) accessories if you’re a serious VR user.

The hidden built-in speakers are convenient but we wish they were more powerful for better immersion (luckily there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack if you want to use your own headphones). And while Quest 2 has a pretty strong game library, since it’s a standalone headset you won’t be able to play any of the big PC VR games like Half-Life: Alyx or Asgard’s Wrath unless you have a powerful PC to plug into.

Meta Quest 2 Specs
Resolution 1,832 x 1,920 (3.5MP) per-eye, LCD (1x)
Refresh Rate 60Hz, 72Hz, 90Hz, 120Hz
Lenses Single element Fresnel
Field-of-view ~90° diagonal
Optical Adjustments IPD, eye-relief (via included spacer)
IPD Adjustment Range 58mm, 63mm, 68mm
Processor Snapdragon XR2
RAM 6GB
Storage 128GB / 256GB
Connectors USB-C
Battery Life 2-3 hours
Tracking Inside-out (no external beacons)
On-board cameras 4x IR
Input

Oculus Touch v3 (AA battery 1x), hand-tracking, voice
Audio In-headstrap speakers, 3.5mm aux output
Microphone Yes
Pass-through view Yes
Content Compatibility

Meta Quest 2 is compatible with all content in the Meta Quest library. If you have a gaming PC (or get one in the future), you can plug it into your PC to play content in the Oculus PC library and the SteamVR library.

For the Ultra Enthusiast: Meta Quest Pro – $1,500

Image courtesy Meta

Although Meta is heavily marketing Quest Pro as a ‘mixed reality’ headset, Quest Pro is also essentially a better Quest 2 in almost every way. While the upgrades are nice, they won’t justify the extra $1,000 in cost for anyone but hardcore VR users; we explain why in our full Quest Pro review.

Pros

You can think of Quest Pro as a more compact Quest 2 with better visual clarity, better controllers, a better passthrough view, and some neat new features like face-tracking. Although the resolution is the same as Quest 2, the lenses are better which makes the image a bit sharper and improves clarity by eliminating glare caused by Quest 2’s less sophisticated lenses. The new controllers are self-tracking, which means they won’t lose tracking when they’re out of sight of the headset and they’re more compact. An included charging dock for both the headset and the controllers is also a nice touch which means your headset will always be charged and updated when you’re ready to play.

Cons

Given that Quest Pro is being pushed as a mixed reality headset, Meta opted for an open-front design which means you’ll be able to see the outside world more easily. This is nice for when you’re using the passthrough view, but for VR applications it can be less immersive. The headset includes some snap-on blinders that close off some of that outside view for more immersion, but you’ll have to drop an extra $50 for the ‘full light blocker‘ if you want maximum immersion from the headset.

Additionally, Quest Pro’s lack of top-strap makes the headset less comfortable for some than it could be and its battery life is pretty short at 1–2 hours. And finally, the headset’s most unique features, like full face-tracking and better passthrough for AR applications, are rather underutilized at this stage in the headset’s life.

Quest Pro Specs

Resolution 1800 × 1920 (3.5MP) per-eye, LCD (2x)
Refresh Rate 72Hz, 90Hz
Optics Pancake non-Fresnel
Field-of-view (claimed) 106°H × 96°V
Optical Adjustments Continuous IPD, continuous eye-relief
IPD Adjustment Range 55–75mm
Processor Snapdragon XR2+
RAM 12GB
Storage 256GB
Connectors USB-C
Weight 722g
Battery Life 1–2 hours
Headset Tracking Inside-out (no external beacons)
Controller Tracking Inside-out (headset line-of-sight not needed)
Expression Tracking Yes (eyes, face)
On-board cameras 5x external, 5x internal
Input Touch Pro controllers (rechargeable), hand-tracking, voice
Audio In-headstrap speakers, dual 3.5mm aux output
Microphone Yes
Pass-through view Yes (color)
MSRP $1,500

Content Compatibility

Meta Quest Pro is compatible with all content in the Meta Quest library. If you have a gaming PC (or get one in the future), you can plug it into your PC to play content in the Oculus PC library and the SteamVR library.

Value Pick: Meta Quest 2 – $400

Image courtesy Facebook

Yup, our value pick for standalone headset is the same as our ‘Best Overall’ pick: Quest 2! But if you’re brand new to VR and are just looking for a taste, you can probably hold off on the Elite Strap accessory and save yourself $60 in the meantime. If you find yourself using the headset often you can always add the strap later.

See the Quest 2 section above for thoughts and details on Quest 2.

If you know anything about VR, you’ll already know what we’re going to say! PlayStation is the only console maker that currently supports a VR headset (sorry Xbox fans). And unfortunately only Sony’s own headsets work with its consoles.

But at least that makes things easy. If you’re using PS4, the original PSVR is the best (and only) headset that will work with the console.

If you’re using PS5, the soon-to-launch PSVR 2 is the obvious choice. Even though the original PSVR is technically compatible with PS5 (if you get a special adapter), PSVR 2 is a big improvement across the board and will be the only headset to support the latest generation of VR games and content on PS5.

Image courtesy Sony
Our Take

PSVR launched in late 2016 and was a great headset for its era, including a handful of excellent exclusive VR games that you won’t find anywhere else. However, the headset is officially past its prime in 2023 and feels ‘last generation’ in resolution, tracking, and controllers compared to what’s available elsewhere in the VR landscape.

It’s hard to recommend buying the six year old PSVR today. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to find new units at reasonable prices. Bundles are typically priced at $350, but good luck finding those in-store or online anymore. Ebay has a number of pre-owned options alongside unreasonably expensive new in-the-box units, so choose wisely.

That’s certainly because Sony is planning to launch its next-gen PSVR 2 on February 22nd.

PSVR Specs
Resolution 960 x 1,080 (1.0MP) per-eye, RGB OLED (1x)
Refresh Rate 90Hz, 120Hz
Lenses Single element non-Fresnel
Field-of-view 100° diagonal
Optical Adjustments Eye-relief
Connectors USB, HDMI
Cable Length 4.4m (breakout box)
Tracking Outside-in (external camera)
On-board cameras None
Input

DualShock 4 (rechargeable), PS Move (rechargeable), PS Aim (rechargeable), voice
Audio Earbuds, 3.5mm aux output
Microphone Yes
Pass-through view No
Content Compatibility

PlayStation VR is only compatible with select VR content in the PlayStation store and does not support PSVR 2 games. However, its back-catalog includes a handful of excellent exclusives not available on PSVR 2 like Astro Bot Rescue Mission and Blood & Truth. You can also use the headset to play non-VR PS4 or PS5 content in a ‘theater mode’ through the headset, but with relatively low resolution it’s not something you’re likely to do often. The vast majority of PSVR titles are also backwards compatible with PS5.

Upcoming: PlayStation VR 2 – $600

Image courtesy Sony

Launching in February, PlayStation VR 2 will finally bring an upgrade to Sony’s VR platform, but it will only be compatible with PS5. Priced at $600, it’s more expensive than something like Quest 2, but if you’ve already got a PS5 you’re likely to get a higher-fidelity VR experience thanks to the game console being far more powerful than the standalone Quest 2.

PSVR vs. PSVR 2 Specs
Resolution 2,000 x 2,040 (4.1MP) per-eye, OLED, HDR 960 x 1,080 (1.0MP) per-eye, RGB OLED
Refresh Rate 90Hz, 120Hz 90Hz, 120Hz
Lenses Fresnel Single element non-Fresnel
Field-of-view (claimed) 110° (diagonal presumed) 100° (diagonal presumed)
Optical Adjustments IPD, eye-relief Eye-relief
Connectors USB-C (no breakout box) USB, HDMI (breakout box)
Cable Length unknown 4.4m
Tracking Inside-out (no external beacons) Outside-in (external camera)
On-board cameras 4x IR (external), 2x IR (internal) None
Input PSVR 2 Sense controllers (rechargable), eye-tracking DualShock 4 (rechargeable), PS Move (rechargeable), PS Aim (rechargeable), voice
Audio 3.5mm aux output 3.5mm aux output
Microphone Yes Yes
Haptics Controllers, headset Controllers
Weight unknown 600g
Release Date 2023 2016
Console Compatibility PS5 PS4, PS4 Pro, PS5

Content Compatibility

PSVR 2 is unfortunately not backwards compatible with PSVR games. That means it only supports games in the PlayStation store that are specifically marked with PSVR 2 support.

Buying Guide: The Best VR Headsets in 2023 Read More »

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UK startup develops device to combat tyre wear pollution

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UK startup develops device to combat tyre wear pollution

Ioanna Lykiardopoulou

Story by

Ioanna Lykiardopoulou

Ioanna is a writer at SHIFT. She likes the transition from old to modern, and she’s all about shifting perspectives. Ioanna is a writer at SHIFT. She likes the transition from old to modern, and she’s all about shifting perspectives.

Tyre wear is a major contributor to polluting microplastics — small particles which don’t biodegrade and tend to accumulate in the environment, leaking harmful toxins into the air and our waterways. And although there’s no respective EU regulation yet, a London-based startup has developed a device that can capture these particles.

The Tyre Collective started out as a master’s project by three former students of the Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art, who founded the startup in 2020. It claims to have developed the first-ever device that captures tyre pollution.

The team discovered that tyre particles are charged from friction with the road. Based on that, it developed its patent-pending technology which uses electrostatics and airflow to attract up to 60% of these particles. Once captured, they can be upcycled as a micronised rubber into a variety of applications such as 3D printing, shoe soles, and soundproofing — creating, thus, a closed-loop system.

device that captures tyre wear pollution
What the device looks like. Credit: The Tyre Collective

In collaboration with London-based logistics company Zhero, the cleantech startup concluded its first pilot in November 2022. The TC02 prototype was able to capture tyre wear of particles sized between 0.3 and 100 microns. Over half were below 10 microns, which are considered to be the most dangerous for human health and the environment.

At the first stage, the Tyre Collective is targeting logistic fleets, aiming to start with delivery and maintenance vans before moving onto buses and HGVs. In the future, it envisions scaling the device across all vehicle segments, with a special focus on EVs. It’s also looking for partners to run larger pilots and OEMs interested in integrating the technology.

Although reducing tyre wear pollution is an integral step towards reaching zero-emissionmobility, it hasn’t received the required attention so far. This means that it’s an opportune space for clean tech startups seeking to improve the sustainability of a vehicles’ life cycle.

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‘Presentiment of Death’ is Like ‘SUPERHOT VR’ with Archery, Coming to PC VR in March

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SUPERHOT’s time-pausing mechanic works so well in VR, it’s a surprise we haven’t seen more games use it to bring new and interesting stuff to life. Now, Omega Pilot developer XOCUS says it’s doing just that with the release of Presentiment of Death, a story-driven VR adventure that feels like a mashup of SUPERHOT VR and archery game In Death.

Like SUPERHOT, Presentiment of Death’s time dilation system means the enemy robots move when you move. The kicker: you have to draw your bow, which means you’ll have to really be your toes as the enemy arrows come flying in when you want to return fire.

We won’t have to wait long to play either, as XOCUS says it’s releasing the game on SteamVR headsets on March 1st, with the promise that it will eventually arrive on “all VR platform.” When, XOCUS hasn’t said. In the meantime, you can wishlist the game on Steam here.

Although it basically looks like SUPERHOT with archery, the trailer shows off more than just the same frangible enemies, as there seems to be a few different enemy types, including a larger tank enemy and and several flying types too, which ought to ratchet up the difficulty.

It’s a shame the Superhot team never got around to making its SUPERHOT: MIND CONTROL DELETE DLC VR compatible, or pushing any additional levels to the VR game, released in 2017 and still sitting at the top of most VR platform charts. Still, we’re hoping Presentiment of Death can scratch that itch, if only for old time’s sake.

‘Presentiment of Death’ is Like ‘SUPERHOT VR’ with Archery, Coming to PC VR in March Read More »

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Meet the startups representing the best of Northern Dutch tech

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The road to TNW Conference 2023 has started! With only five months to go until Europe’s leading tech festival, TNW is touring several up-and-coming tech hubs across the Netherlands to uncover the best of Dutch tech ahead of its the flagship conference in June.

First stop? Groningen. On Thursday, TNW’s event took place during the MXT 2023, in collaboration with Founded in Groningen and Founded in Friesland. This brought together startups, investors, corporates, and municipality representatives who shared how Dutch companies are enabling what’s next in tech in the Netherlands’ northern regions: Groningen, Friesland, and Drenthe.

Road to TNW Conference 2023

Among Dutch startup tech hubs, the North stands out due to its fast growth, with the three regions being home to more than 330 startups that generate over 5,000 jobs. Since 2018, Groningen has seen a 12% annual growth in the number of startups, followed by Friesland at 8%, and Drenthe at 4%.

“If you compare the current startup ecosystem in the North to ten years ago it’s completely different, especially in respect to collaboration. Startups, academia, and investors are now working closely together,” Niek Huizenga, Investor at G-Force Capital, said during the event. “Yet, we have to move forward faster and adopt a growth mentality to be even more competitive.”

“The North is ahead of the other regions in the fields that matter the most, such as energy solutions and agrifood — an advantage that we should be prouder of and communicate more,” Anne-Wil Lucas, Ecosystem Partner at NOM, added.

Road to TNW Conference 2023
Erwin Damberg, Private Lead at Founded in Friesland, before announcing the startups participating at the flagship conference in June.

The potential of the northern Netherlands to become one of the most attractive hubs in the country is also highlighted by the innovativeness of the five startups selected to represent the region in the TNW Conference 2023. These are:

Enatom (Groningen)

After almost ten years of collaboration with the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), Enatom has developed a next-gen anatomy app for the medical education sector.

Using pointcloud techniques and anatomical preparations provided by the UMCG, the app offers a realistic 3D visualization of the human body that can be used in computers, tablets, and VR/AR glasses. Within the app, anatomical preparations can be studied all the way around, while it’s also possible to annotate and create notes on the 3D models.

This way, the Enatom app can be used by both teachers and students, facilitating flexible access to accurate knowledge in low-resource settings and releasing the pressure on the educational healthcare system.

As for Nuwa’s participation in the TNW conference, Tuinier believes that it’ll not only provide the company with a strong network, but also further attract interest and investment in the northern Netherlands.

HIHAHO (Assen)

The company has developed an interactive video platform that’s all about engagement. Instead of offering a set, linear tool, the platform allows the user to be in charge.

According to HIHAHO’s CEO and owner Mark Visser, the platform’s competitive advantage is the way its technology is built, making them the “only ‘intel inside’-like solution in online interactive video worldwide.”

“Our interactive layer technology is synchronized with all major online video players and video platforms. On the layers and therefore in the videos, you can create more than 20 different types of interactions, among which the possibility to integrate existing web applications like webshops for merchandise, e-learning tests, etc,” he added.

Here’s how the video platform works:

HIHAHO now has a world-wide customer base of early adopters, and aims to become a leader in verticals such as entertainment, learning, marketing, and public information.

The team expects the conference to help attract further interest from potential partners and investors, Visser told TNW.

SusPhos (Leeuwarden)

SusPhos is using chemistry to create a better world. Specifically, the startup upcycles phosphate-rich waste streams to generate high-quality alternatives that can replace current fossil-sourced products — all in a waste-free process.

The company’s patented technology is compatible with various waste streams including agriculture, communal, and the food and beverage industry. Its first products will be flame retardants and specialty fertilizers.

In addition to phosphate products, SusPhos produces recycled coagulants along with other chemicals, while it’s currently preparing its first full-size plant.

Aeroscan (Leeuwarden)

This startup aims to disrupt the real estate inspection and maintenance industry. Using data collected from drones, Aeroscan produces 3D renderings of buildings. Customers can make use of a dedicated web-based application to gain access to these insights.

According to Mark Nikolai, founder and Technical Director of the company, the technology has three main points of impact: it reduces the time needed for experts to generate maintenance reports, it decreases the logistical footprint by allowing digital sharing of 3D visualizations, and, as a result, it lowers the overall cost of real estate ownership.

Aeroscan’s competitive advantage lies in “the combination of in-house competencies,” Nikolai told TNW. “We control the data quality (input), develop our own custom machine learning models for data analysis and deliver an end-user centric web application.”