Bolton VR learning specialist Near-Life has been awarded funding from Innovate UK as part of the Department for Culture Media and Sport’s Create Growth Programme.
The programme is specifically designed to support the development of creative industries with high-growth potential across England, outside of London.
The grant, worth a total of £30k, will support Near-Life’s development roadmap and allow it to implement new, AI-driven interactive content authoring features.
Near-Life makes it easy for learning professionals, educators and anyone seeking to communicate knowledge effectively to create immersive and engaging interactive video, VR, and gamified content.
The platform boasts subscribers in over 15 countries and includes users ranging from Fortune 500 companies through to large public bodies such as HMRC and the World Food Programme, as well as content agencies and universities. Use cases range from healthcare simulations to onboarding and corporate learning.
Whether using existing assets, new VR or video content, Near-Life transforms the impact of content and significantly enhances the end user’s experience.
Research has shown that immersive and interactive content can significantly improve engagement and knowledge retention. However, it can be challenging to create. That’s where Near-Life comes in.
With the new funding, Near-Life plans to make interactive content design even easier, becoming the world’s first AI powered interactive video authoring tool.
CEO and Near-Life founder Mike Todd said: “We know how valuable Innovate UK support can be in terms of pushing the boundaries of R&D. This funding will allow us to further push the boundaries of what is possible in the field of interactive content design.”
Innovate UK is part of UK Research and Innovation. The organisation provides targeted sectors with expertise, facilities and funding to test, demonstrate and evolve their ideas, driving UK productivity and economic growth.
The funding will run over the course of four months. Near-Life plans to launch an early prototype of its AI content design features at DevLearn in November: North America’s leading learning technology event.
