GS02 KEYNOTE: What Does the Future Hold for AR, VR, and Mixed Realities?
8:30 AM - 10:00 AM Thursday, July 27
Regency Ballroom
There’s a great deal of buzz surrounding virtual reality, augmented reality, and similar technologies in our industry. And with good reason; the possibilities they pose for learning and training are endless. But these technologies are only in their infancy, and they are sure to shift and evolve over the next few years. As such, if you want to understand the opportunities for learning and education that are emerging from these technologies, you need to follow their evolution in the consumer landscape. This session will explore the fast-moving worlds of AR and VR technologies by examining one of the primary drivers fueling their growth: funding. Barry Downes is a managing partner of a venture capital fund specializing in AR, VR, financial technology, and the Internet of Things. Mr. Downes will share how he sees these technologies evolving and emerging, and he’ll discuss where their short- and long-term evolutions will take us.
Barry Downes
Managing Partner
Suir Valley Ventures
Barry Downes is a managing partner of Suir Valley Ventures, which invests in early-stage startups powered by deep technology in the AR/VR, financial technologies (FinTech), and Internet of Things (IoT) sectors and is part of the Shard Capital Partners group. Mr. Downes also chairs the Telecommunications Software and Systems Group (TSSG), a research institute that specializes in AR/VR, AI, and communication technology research and development. Previously, he was CEO of TSSG and the center director of the Mobile Services Technology Gateway. Mr. Downes founded FeedHenry, a leading cloud-based mobile applications platform that was acquired by Red Hat in 2014. He is currently a board member of Immersive VR Education, which develops the award-winning Apollo 11 VR experience, of which he is an executive producer. Mr. Downes has also worked extensively in Silicon Valley as a partner of SVG Partners, a Los Gatos–based investment and advisory firm.
