Concept: British Tech startup Beem has unveiled an AR live streaming platform that enables users to share pre-recorded messages to their contacts quickly and easily. The startup claims that the AR live streaming platform provides key infrastructure for the future of spatial telepresence in the metaverse.

Nature of Disruption: To utilize Beem, users can download the Beem app for iOS or Android. They need to position themselves in the camera’s viewfinder either by mounting the phone to capture their full-frame or by having someone record them. Beem leverages proprietary computer vision algorithms and cloud infrastructure for segmenting the human in the video away from the background and processing the asset in real-time and packaging it for the viewer. The recipient opens the link in their mobile browser and is directed to a microsite that’s developed for each different web AR-style interaction, then spun back down when the communication is finished. Beem accesses the phone’s accelerometer, which enables the calculations on the server to skew and morph the video feed of the sender in users’ own space to give them the illusion of three-dimensionality. The recipient holds their phone up and places the live-beamed person in their own space by tapping a dot on the floor. The app currently supports two-way audio group calls in AR for up to 25 people. The file size limitations limit the message length to 15 seconds.

Outlook: AR-based communication technology is gaining popularity across the globe as it offers a more immersive experience for customers. With the pandemic COVID-19 disrupting the way the companies used to function and increasing adoption of remote working, enterprises are looking at more engaging communication platforms to interact with the employees. Beem claims that the AR streaming platform enables users to create AR video messages or live streams in 3D. It enables group calls in AR and claims to offer a more immersive communication experience for the users. In February 2022, Beem raised $4M in a seed funding round by 5 Lion, Ascension Ventures, Grouport Ventures, Inertia Ventures, and Lior Messika. The startup aims to use the funding to expand R&D to increase the capabilities of the new technology and build its solution in readiness for AR eyeglasses.

This article was originally published in Verdict.co.uk