Augmented Reality Startup WayRay Wins Startup Competition at Automobility LA

author: Eric Walz   

LOS ANGELES — AutoMobility LA announced that Swiss-based holographic augmented reality (AR) company, WayRay, has been selected as the grand prize winner of the 2017 Top Ten Automotive Startup Competition. WayRay was selected out of over 300 applicants thanks to its innovative approach to user experience design.

WayRay's Navion is the first True Augmented Reality car navigation system that applies aeronautical principles to land navigation. The device projects trip details and a route overview directly on the windshield, directly in front of the driver ­­— just like a pilot. Using the Navion as a GPS, turn-by-turn directions are projected on the windshield, allowing a driver to keep their eyes on the road.

WayRay was awarded the competition's grand prize live on-stage following a grueling selection by the esteemed panel of judges, comprised of executives from the LA Auto Show executive team, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Porsche Consulting, Sansea Consulting, and Time Inc.'s The Drive.

As part of the grand prize package, WayRay received a live on-stage mentoring session at AutoMobility LA from tech luminaries including renowned Silicon Valley venture capitalist Bill Tai; President and CEO Porsche Consulting North America, Dr. Norman Firchau; and Microsoft Program Manager of Quantum Computing, Jeff Henshaw.

WayRay is located in Lausanne, Switzerland. The company's revolutionary holographic navigation systems present new opportunities for vehicle design and changing the way people can access information in their vehicles by focusing on using the windshield for the delivery of content and information.

"WayRay has stood out amongst some extremely distinguished competitors and we are very happy to announce them as the winner of our 2017 Top Ten Automotive Startups Competition," said LA Auto Show and AutoMobility LA President, Lisa Kaz. "It is extremely gratifying to know that AutoMobility LA's global competition can help promising startups advance in an ever-growing mobility sector."

Eric Walz

Originally hailing from New Jersey, Eric is a automotive & technology reporter covering the high-tech industry here in Silicon Valley. He has over 15 years of automotive experience and a bachelors degree in computer science. These skills, combined with technical writing and news reporting, allows him to fully understand and identify new and innovative technologies in the auto industry and beyond. He has worked at Uber on self-driving cars and as a technical writer, helping people to understand and work with technology.