The Danish AR startup, Hololink, backed by Techstars, has created one of the world's best platforms for producing interactive AR solutions for marketing. They are now hiring a new CEO with 20 years of experience to accelerate their growth.
Hololink was founded five years ago in a container in Copenhagen, driven by a vision to simplify the process of producing and distributing augmented reality (AR) through a user-friendly platform. Today, the platform is considered among the global leaders and has played a central role in campaigns for brands such as Smarties, Haribo, and ATP.
After five years as the founder and director, and with support from investors like Techstars, Innovationsfonden, American business angel Greg Moga, and Danish Ilya Katsnelson, Lucas Nygaard has decided to step aside and has recruited one of Denmark's most experienced professionals in VR and AR as Hololink's new CEO.
"The first years of Hololink's journey have truly been an incredible roller coaster ride. On a personal level, I've gone from closing the first investment while living at a dorm to being the CEO for five years. It has been both incredibly exciting and challenging. Therefore, it is with great pride and joy that I now welcome Niels, an old acquaintance from the VR/AR scene, as Hololink's new CEO. I am convinced that Niels is the perfect person to lead Hololink into the future."
From startup to Corporate and Back
Niels is transitioning from a position as the creative director and leader of Adesso Denmark, a leading German software consulting firm with over 10,000 employees globally. His background spans 3D, art direction, VR/AR, and sales, starting from the late '90s.
"After some years in the corporate world, I longed to return to a smaller, more agile structure. When Lucas offered me the position, I was initially surprised – but after two weeks of consideration, I decided to accept the offer. I am convinced that Hololink is on the right track to making AR more accessible for everyone."
With Niels as the director, Lucas will not completely step out of the company, but takes on the role of Chief Strategy Officer, focusing on the development of innovative AR solutions in close collaboration with customers, agencies, and partners.
"2023 presented challenges for many startups as rising interest rates made it harder to secure risk capital. This dilemma – to make money or close – is a critical point for many. We are profitable, and with Niels at the helm, we will accelerate further. Therefore, we are raising our ambitions in 2024, including the launch of a new website and the introduction of two new business areas that complement our platform."
"Augmented reality offers enormous untapped potential as a marketing channel. Unfortunately, many brands and agencies face challenges due to limited understanding of the technical and creative possibilities with AR. Therefore, we have introduced Creative Solutions, a comprehensive guide to the AR concepts that have globally created the most value. Uniquely, we have also published prices and timelines to simplify the process for media agencies when integrating AR into their media plans. We position ourselves as an AR production house with in-house developed technology rather than a traditional creative agency."
Apple anticipates significant innovation
June 2023 marked a turning point in the VR/AR industry as Apple presented their highly anticipated VR headset, named Apple Vision Pro. On this occasion, they also refreshed the concept of Spatial Computing, a concept Meta had tried to popularize in 2021 with mixed success under the label Metaverse. This move is a welcome development for Hololink, which has focused on creating web-based, interactive experiences, integrating a digital layer with the physical world since its founding in 2019.
"Regardless of what we choose to call it – Augmented Reality, Spatial Computing, or Metaverse – the technology proves its value time and time again, both in terms of business results and new creative possibilities. Last year, Shopify showed that online stores, on average, saw a revenue increase of 94% when customers could visualize products in their own homes before purchasing. Snapchat reported that 4 out of 5 brands experienced increased sales after adopting AR, and our own data indicates that users, on average, spend more than 3 minutes engaged in AR experiences."
Niels also highlights that the rise of AI-generated content has addressed one of the biggest challenges in scaling AR campaigns: content production. 2024 will be a great year for Hololink and the Spatial Computing industry as a whole.
Niels Østergaard assumes the role of CEO of Hololink from January 2024.
