Previous programmes: Augmentor

Accelerating the adoption of and investment in immersive technologies: augmented (AR), virtual (VR), mixed reality (MR) and haptics.

A 12-week programme for B2B immersive startups

Augmentor promoted and strengthened the capabilities of immersive technology-led startups, enabling them to disrupt current use cases, solve problems across a range of industries and attract the attention of investors and future customers.

Digital Catapult delivered the programme from 2017 to 2021, with valued specialist support from 24 investment and industry partners, 36 mentors and 19 community partners.

The 36 participating startups (in four cohorts) were given access to Digital Catapult’s Immersive Lab facilities Belfast, Brighton, London, Manchester and North East Tees Valley throughout the 12-week programme. These cutting-edge spaces for learning, testing and showcasing extended reality solutions are equipped with a range of the latest immersive equipment across the UK.

Augmentor also backed cross-technology solutions to link immersive with artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IoT), distributed ledger technologies (DLT) and 5G.

£4.4 million secured in grants

Over 30% of startups saw an impact on their access to grants opportunities.

£7.5 million in investment

Over half the participants managed to successfully close their fundraising targets.

37.5% gained investment after the programme

And 20% of participants increased their team size during the programme.

Helping B2B immersive startups become investment-ready

The Augmentor programme created a variety of opportunities for the companies that took part. These included skills development, business impact and relationship building opportunities, as well as showcasing potential to some of the UK’s leading investors.

Individual needs were targeted by different elements of the programme, including the showcase, mentors and masterclasses. As a result, Augmentor helped to increase pitching skills, incubate mentor-startup relationships and increase overall investment.

An innovator's perspective

Fracture Reality was one of 6 winners at the 2021 Digital Catapult Awards, showcasing the best UK technology startups and scaleups that have grown and developed through our programmes and innovation activities.

women networking

Rob Minson, Fracture Reality

“Augmentor helped us steer how we position the product as a commercial proposition: what kind of clients we go after, the lines of approach and how to steer the conversation. The programme was super helpful, a kind of commercial turbocharger!

Our relationship with Digital Catapult has been both a brilliant source of exposure to evangelise the adoption of cutting-edge VR and AR technology by UK businesses and a great channel for meeting partners and peers.”

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