San Francisco-based technology startup Illumix just closed a $18 million Series A round of funding, and in a rare move for the Shark Tank star, Mark Cuban contributed.
The company develops platforms for augmented reality (AR) experiences and sees itself as a crucial player in the emerging Web3 and metaverse ecosystems.
"We really think about ourselves as the backbone behind your immersive experiences," said Kirin Sinha, CEO and founder of Illumix.
Historically, those experiences were limited to the gaming and entertainment worlds. Now Illumix has its sights on what it calls "location-based entertainment." Sinha explained that the company wants to bring AR to in-person experiences such as sports games, concerts, and theme parks.
On why Cuban decided to invest, despite his aversion to investing in tech firms, Sinha said he thinks "it really comes down to the scope of this opportunity."
"The idea of the digital and physical worlds coming together has been talked about for some time, but we're really seeing that market timing starting to hit," he added.
John Serafini, CEO of Hawkeye 360, breaks down the company’s 87% revenue growth, global demand for space-based intelligence and plans to scale its business.
Dan Niles, Founder and Portfolio Manager at Niles Investment Management, breaks down NVIDIA’s blowout earnings, 70% growth forecast and AI spending boom.
Edwin Cywinski, CEO of SunScout Holding Limited, explains how solar-powered robotic mowers are transforming lawn care and the company’s plans to scale.
Nathan Bomey, Business Reporter at Axios and author of The Axios Closer newsletter, explains why Wall Street is turning NVIDIA’s AI chips into financial assets.
Jamie Siminoff, Founder and Chief Inventor of Ring, explains the company’s new TAKE encryption standard and its push to put privacy and video data control first
Xavier Martinez, News Associate at The Wall Street Journal, breaks down Moderna’s mRNA ambitions, its pipeline beyond COVID-19 and the challenges ahead.
Dena Jalbert, CEO of Align Advisory Services, breaks down the M&A outlook for 2026 as AI costs, debt, valuations and economic uncertainty reshape deal-making.