GIROPTIC

Giroptic operated as a specialist in 360-degree imaging, establishing offices in Lille, France, and San Francisco, CA after its founding in 2008 by Richard Ollier. Ollier, an engineer with a vision for immersive experiences, led the company's development of proprietary real-time image stitching technology. This core technology enabled the on-chip fusion of images from multiple sensors, producing seamless 360-degree photos and videos without extensive post-processing.

The company initially focused on creating 360-degree surveillance solutions for business and real estate clients. Observing a market shift, Giroptic pivoted to the consumer electronics space, targeting individuals keen on capturing and sharing immersive content. A significant milestone was its 2014 Kickstarter campaign for the '360cam', which successfully raised $1.4 million, demonstrating strong market interest. Following this, Giroptic secured a seed funding round of $4.5 million in 2015. The business model centered on the direct sale of its hardware products to consumers through its website and partnerships with retailers.

Giroptic's product line included the rugged, standalone 360cam and its successor, the Giroptic iO, a compact accessory camera designed to connect directly to a smartphone's charging port. The Giroptic iO, available for both iOS and Android, worked with a companion app that allowed users to instantly capture 360-degree photos and videos, and live-stream content to platforms like Facebook and YouTube. The camera accessory was praised for its user-friendly plug-and-play setup, portability, and solid build quality. It could capture 3840x1920 resolution photos and 2K video. Despite creating promising technology and gaining partnerships, including having its cameras used on the International Space Station and distributed at a Facebook F8 conference, the company faced challenges. The consumer 360-degree camera market did not grow as anticipated, and after struggling to find an acquirer, Giroptic ceased operations and went into liquidation in March 2018. Its assets were later acquired by OpenFrame in October 2018.

Keywords: 360-degree camera, immersive imaging, real-time stitching, panoramic video, smartphone camera accessory, Giroptic iO, Giroptic 360cam, consumer electronics, Kickstarter hardware, live streaming camera, virtual reality content creation, plug-and-play camera, dual-lens camera, immersive photography, photo sharing technology, video streaming hardware, acquired startup, OpenFrame, Richard Ollier