With EU support, Belarusian start-up brings holographic images to the mass market
Once considered the “Silicon Valley” of the Soviet Union, Belarus’s technology industry is growing fast and winning worldwide recognition.
More than 30,000 young designers and engineers are active on the tech scene in Minsk, a city of about two million.
A great example of this flourishing talent is the work of lifelong friends Kiryl Chykeyuk and Artem Stavenka, founders of HYPERVSN. The company is the first to introduce this type of cutting-edge visuals that provide an immersive experience for viewers.
“We’ve created the first 3D holographic display system that enables people to create, manage and display video that appears floating in the air. You can easily upload the content via Wifi and you don’t need any wearable gadgets to appreciate it,” explains Mr Chykeyuk, who conceived the initial idea behind HYPERVSN during his PhD research at Oxford University.
“While technically it is not an actual hologram, spinning rays create a surface on which the video content is displayed,” he adds.
In other words, as blades from a fan-like rotor with LEDs rotate, the blinking of the fast spinning lights tricks the viewer into seeing a 3D holographic image hovering in the air, even though it is not 3D.
But this device is not just great for promoting products at an affordable price. It is also a formidable tool for raising awareness.
“In a world of instant gratification, it is increasingly hard to find ways to grab that ‘sceptical attention’ and keep it for long enough to get your message across. Let alone when trying with a more demanding public like the younger generations,” says Mr Stavenka.
“We trigger very different emotions in people. Some are amazed, some are doubtful, but they all have something in common: they can’t look away!” he adds.
The end of traditional digital signage?
The affordability and ease of use of this 'plug-and-play' technology has made it the retailer’s default choice.
In 2017, while still fairly small, with a dozen employees, the company started large-scale manufacturing and the commercial launch of HYPERVSN became a reality.
Early adopters of the HYPERVSN 3D holographic visual system included Red Bull, McDonalds, and Virgin Media, amongst others.
In 2018 with the European Union’s support under the EU4Business initiative, the EBRD helped HYPERVSN step up its management effectiveness by implementing resource management systems and integrated accounts relationship.
This helped improve the quality of processing data and information exchange under the key processes of HYPERVSN Research and Development Centre, as well as enhance management and communication with suppliers.
The support translated into higher productivity and an increase in the company’s revenue and net profitability.
The start-up now has 150 employees and its product has reached other big brands such as Adidas, Samsung, Coca Cola and Louis Vuitton.
Now the company is exploring interactive holograms, to be used in various sectors including education and medicine.
As the HYPERVSN website proudly boasts: Seeing is believing!