Brelyon

Brelyon, a spin-off from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) founded in 2018, is developing a new class of display technology aimed at providing immersive, headset-free virtual experiences. The company was established by CEO Barmak Heshmat, Alok Mehta, and Reza Khorasaninejad. Heshmat's journey includes a postdoctoral fellowship in photonics at MIT and a role as Head of Optics at Meta Co., experiences that directly inform Brelyon's mission to move beyond conventional flat screens. The company has secured $16.6M in funding from investors including Lockheed Martin Ventures, the MIT-affiliated E14 Fund, LG Technology Ventures, and Corning Incorporated.

The core of Brelyon's business is the development and sale of virtual displays for enterprise and gaming applications. The company targets sectors such as simulation and training, teleoperations, defense, and finance, where enhanced visualization and situational awareness are critical. Its business model revolves around selling its hardware, the Ultra Reality™ monitors, directly to enterprise clients and through partnerships. The company has already generated over $2 million in sales, primarily from the defense and automotive sectors.

Brelyon's flagship product, the Ultra Reality™ monitor, engineers light to create a large-scale, panoramic virtual screen with optical depth perception, all within the footprint of a standard desktop monitor. This technology leverages computational wavefront engineering and patented light-field technologies to project a virtual screen that can appear as large as 122 inches with a wide field of view, simulating an immersive experience without requiring users to wear a headset. A key differentiator is the use of monocular depth cues, which creates a sense of depth by manipulating how light reaches a single eye, leading to greater comfort and reduced eye strain compared to traditional stereoscopic 3D which can cause headaches. The displays are compatible with existing PC games and software, connecting via standard HDMI or DisplayPort, which simplifies integration for users. Recent advancements include multi-focal technology that allows for the simultaneous visualization of information at different depth layers, a feature being explored in partnership with Lockheed Martin for next-generation pilot training.

Keywords: headset-free virtual display, immersive monitor, light-field technology, computational optics, wavefront engineering, monocular depth, virtual reality alternative, augmented reality display, simulation training, teleoperation, control center display, panoramic virtual screen, advanced visualization, MIT spin-off, Barmak Heshmat, deep tech, display technology, gaming monitor, financial services display, defense technology