US success for virtual reality business
Shropshire-based Igloo Vision, a virtual reality experience developer, has had a run of success in the US and expects to achieve £3.3m worth of American export sales in 2019 and predicts the figure will soar to £19m within the next five years.
Igloo Vision creates immersive 3D projection domes and cylinders. Any virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) or 360° content can be displayed and shared among groups of people, making it suitable for shared experiences, simulation and visualisation.
Previous clients include Ford, BP, the UN High Commission for Refugees, Marriott Hotels and Vodafone.
Its latest contract win is with a global consulting firm that has installed Igloo systems at two of its US-based innovation centres, and is aiming to roll them out to all of its offices worldwide.
The firm is using these Igloo systems to demonstrate the enterprise applications of VR to its clients, particularly for group-based simulation, such as training, and visualisation for architectural and engineering applications.
The success comes on the back of the business exhibiting at two of the world’s biggest technology and creative events held in the United States: AWE, the world’s largest AR/VR conference, and SXSW, the creative and media festival, with funding from the Department for International Trade (DIT).
AWE USA, or Augmented World Expo, is the world’s largest AR/VR conference, attended by tech giants including Intel and Google.
Igloo Vision already works across five continents and exports make up around two-thirds of its annual turnover. It has tripled its global workforce in the last 12 months, with a current headcount of 50 people.
As well as its headquarters in Craven Arms, it has offices in London, the New York Metro area, Los Angeles, Toronto and, most recently, Melbourne.
Dennis Wright, CEO of Igloo Vision, said: “We create products that need to be experienced to appreciate their full effect – and that’s why the Department for International Trade’s support has been so helpful.
“For some small or new businesses, finding the funds to attend an overseas exhibition or take part in a trade mission can be out of the question. But it is those trips that can provide the opportunities to build relationships or secure contracts.
“Being chosen to exhibit as one of the best new names in your field is a huge boost to a company’s credibility and visibility.”
Ian Harrison, head of exports for the Midlands at DIT, said: “Part of what makes Igloo Vision so outstanding is the way its products can be adapted to bring people together – from intimate rooms of under ten people to crowds of up to a thousand. Technology may be logistically easier to export than, say, food and drink products, but it is identifying the target market that can be difficult for new names in a fast-moving and competitive sector.
“It’s great to see that with the help of our international trade advisers, Igloo Vision has found success in the United States, which is a key exporting partner for the UK. They have since been partnering with some of the biggest names in technology and are standout examples of British exporting excellence.”
