In 2015, Magic Leap captivated Silicon Valley with its groundbreaking augmented reality (AR) technology. Fast forward to today, and the company faces challenges in finding market fit. Amidst this, three former Magic Leap executives – Greg Tran, Martin Smith, and Sean Couture – have ventured out to establish Trace, a startup focused on location-based branded AR experiences.
Tran, Trace’s CEO, identifies the complexities of AR content creation as a key pain point. Trace aims to simplify this process, providing a user-friendly platform that enables businesses to easily add AR content to real-world spaces. The company envisions its platform as a ‘Squarespace for AR experiences’, empowering users to create and distribute digital content accessible through Trace’s app or web browsers.
Despite its modest size compared to Magic Leap, Trace has already partnered with notable names like Qualcomm, Telefónica, T-Mobile, and Lenovo. At Mobile World Congress, Trace showcased an AR experience for Deutsche Telekom, and at the Hip Hop 50 Summit, it presented a mixed reality offering.
Trace anticipates opening its creator app to the public in the coming months, offering a subscription-based service for businesses to produce their own AR experiences. While the company acknowledges the potential for consumer applications, its initial focus remains on enterprise clients, seeing greater opportunities in that market segment.
Trace’s emergence reflects the challenges and opportunities in the AR industry. The company aims to capitalize on the need for accessible and scalable AR content creation tools, targeting businesses seeking to enhance their customer experiences through immersive AR solutions.
