Japanese Google Glass challenger raises $5 million

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telepathy prototype

See the original story in Japanese.

Telepathy is a Japanese startup focused on developing wearable technology. The company is led by serial entrepreneur Takahito Iguchi, the inventor of the pioneering augmented reality app Sekai Camera. Telepathy announced today it has raised $5 million from Silicon Valley-based VC Firsthand Technology Value Fund (NASDAQ:SVVC). The fund is known for having previously invested in prominent tech companies including Facebook and Twitter.

The startup unveiled its first product, Telepathy One, last year at SXSW, positioned as a direct competitor to Google Glass. There will be an SDK for app developers this fall, and the company will begin marketing the device in 2014. With these new funds, the company will hire more engineers to work at its headquarters in Silicon Valley. 

Telepathy's Takahito Iguchi, chief investment officer of Firsthand Kevin Landis
Telepathy’s Takahito Iguchi, chief investment officer of Firsthand Kevin Landis

Iguchi explained:

Wearable technology will enable the next wave in social networking, […] and the initial response to our Telepathy One prototype has been astounding.

The $5 million funding will enable us to enrich the user experience of Telepathy One, which we expect to bring to market in 2014.

If you are a hardware or software engineer interested in working with the company, you can find more details here.

The startup also announced today that Peter Hoddie, the former QucikTime architect at Apple, has joined its advisory board. They plan to bring his experience in digital video technology to the development of their wearable device.

For more infomation on Telepathy One, check out the short news clip below.