OW - digitising the sense of smell
by Startacus Admin
From healthcare to entertainment, London-based startup OW is on a mission to transform experiences by the use of digital smell technology.
.jpg)
A sense of smell is something most of us take for granted. We don’t think about its importance, even when it can keep us alive when we smell a gas leak and blow out the candles, or smell smoke before we see the fire. It is a sense that evokes memories and nostalgia, improves good food, and can even change our mood, and it is underused (more often not used at all) in any entertainment or immersive experiences, such as The Walking Dead. For which we are thankful.
London-based smell-tech startup OW is aiming to be to scent what Dolby is to audio. With a combination of hardware and software, the startup can create another dimension to marketplaces currently dominated by sight and sound, adding to an atmosphere as much as good sound design or rumble feedback in fancy cinema seats.
An easy example is to imagine watching a film and instead of only seeing the forest the characters are walking through, and hearing the wildlife: what if you could also smell the pine trees, the fresh dewy morning air, and the horde of rotting zombies chasing them? Or perhaps a better example would be the 2019 World Government Summit in Dubai, to which OW was invited to demonstrate in ‘TreeVR’, which transforms the VR user into a tree (it was not a horror experience, we’re told). In 2020, the startup’s similar work in making a VR experience titled ‘FLY’ a more immersive experience won them the 2020 Lumiere Award for Best VR Edutainment.
Of course, it’s not only entertainment and art that can benefit from OW’s platform. They are already working with Rockefeller University to create a standardised toolkit for smell testing, measuring olfactory senses. This comes off the back of winning a European Research Council Proof-of-Concept award in 2020 for their SmellHealth project, which was aimed at helping those with loss of smell - Anosmia - which, as mentioned, can come with health and safety concerns.
In March, OW announced that they had raised £1 million in a seed round led by Parkwalk Advisors. This will be used to further develop their product and help disrupt marketplaces dominated by the other senses.
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you would like to receive our startup themed newsletter, full of the latest startup opportunities, events, news, stories, tips and advice, then sign up here.
Crowdfunding success for Omni, the vegan dog food brand, reaffirms the recession-proof growth of the pet nutrition industry.
Want to learn a new language? Weeve is an innovative startup that has created an innovative, creative and effective way to help you do just that.
Want to build an investable, scalable tech startup? The Raise Accelerator programme is now open for applications and will help you do just that.
Want to increase visual engagement for your startup's Instagram account? These tips will help you do just that.
Want to gain an edge over your business competitors? Listening to your audience is an absolute must.
The Clothes Doctor mission to fight fast fashion continues as the innovative eco clothing care brand raises £1m to support further growth.
If you plan on using social media to promote your brand, these simple rules will help, increasing both brand awareness and the number of consumers.
High-potential social impact startups from the UK sought for the 9th annual Les Tremplins by Voyage Privé programme.
The lowdown on Danish startup EvodiaBio and its innovative tech that produces sustainable aromas for the food and beverage industry.
Small Business Britain’s ‘How to Grow’ report outlines how small businesses are responding to economic challenges and how they can grow during recession.
Published on: 1st April 2022
If you would like to enable commenting via your Startacus account, please enable Disqus functionality in your Account Settings.
- Vegan Dog Food Brand, Omni Smashes £400K Crowdfunding Target 1st Feb 2023 Crowdfunding success for Omni, the vegan dog food brand, reaffirms the recession-proof growth of the pet nutrition industry.
- Raise Spring Accelerator programme seeking applications for next cohort 30th Jan 2023 Want to build an investable, scalable tech startup? The Raise Accelerator programme is now open for applications and will help you do just that.
- Leading French Travel Co. Offers Mentoring to two UK startups on its prestigious two-month programme 23rd Jan 2023 High-potential social impact startups from the UK sought for the 9th annual Les Tremplins by Voyage Privé programme.
- Small businesses need new model for growth in recession 23rd Jan 2023 Small Business Britain’s ‘How to Grow’ report outlines how small businesses are responding to economic challenges and how they can grow during recession.
