fbpx

Analysis: What’s next as Magic Leap founder steps down

By Kevin Gale

Rony Abovitz, who founded Magic Leap in his garage in 2011 and harvested billions of dollars in financial backing, announced he will step down as CEO.

He will keep leading the company amid a search for a new CEO.

Magic Leap technology allows visualization in medical treatments

He wrote a letter on the Magic Leap website that said the Plantation-based company had closed significant new funding and the company has very positive momentum towards closing key strategic enterprise partnerships.

That appears to say the company will focus on business partnerships rather than mass marketing its virtual/augmented reality systems to consumers like Apple sells its products.

The third paragraph of Abovitz’s letter says, “As the Board and I planned the changes we made and what Magic Leap needs for this next focused phase, it became clear to us that a change in my role was a natural step. I discussed this with the Board and we have agreed that now is the time to bring in a new CEO who can help us to commercialize our focused plan for spatial computing in enterprise. We have been actively recruiting candidates for this role.”

There is a whole section on Magic Leap’s website about enterprise solutions, which allow communication, collaboration and copresence. “Work remotely with multi-use copresence and real-time file sharing,” is one of the descriptions.

The website then gives several examples of ways to utilize Magic Leap’s technology.

Spatial by Spatial Systems allows meetings with “anyone, anywhere in the world as if you’re in the same room.”

The visual shows a user wearing a Magic Leap headset and looking at virtual objects and a virtual collaborator.

To me, it’s like the next step of Zoom. Rather than a grid of people, you could see 3D images and post PowerPoints on a virtual wall. It’s exciting to think a South Florida company could be on the cutting edge of something like this and Magic Leap could sell a lot of headsets if this becomes popular.

I’m wondering whether Spatial Systems is a unit of Magic Leap SpatialSystems.com is inactive, but parked on GoDaddy.com. The Spatial Systems Inc. on the state business registration site was based in Orlando, but has been administratively dissolved for not filing annual reports.

Another example on the website is Immerse by Arvizio, which allows visualization of complex 3D models for collaborative design and review. Arvizio is based in Ottawa, Ontario and also works with Microsoft as a mixed reality partner.

A third company is Anima Res, which is based in Bonn, Germany, and is also a mixed Reality Microsoft Partner. The company provides 3D heart anatomy with detailed animations.

Another company is Obsess, which helps retailers create virtual stores. Its technology enables brands and retailers to serve shopping experience on their websites, mobile apps and social channels via a 3D commerce cloud.

I think we all know how much of a strategic advantage that could be in the COVID-19 era.

Architectural renderings could be generated in 3D using Magic Leap technology. On the right, the angle of the sun is being shown over buildings.

So, there’s some very impressive innovations on Magic Leap’s website, so why is Abovitz out?

First, investors want a return on money and Abovitz started the company in 2011. I’ve not seen anything that indicates to me that investors are starting to see a return on money and nine years is a long time.

Things were apparently so bad, that Magic Leap notified the state in May that it would lay off up to 402 employees.

The company then reportedly raised $350 million and rescinded the layoffs. The investors reportedly included some of the companies who previously kicked in $2.6 billion: Google, Alibaba Group, Warner Brothers, AT&T and Japan’s NTT Docomo.

It’s very common for investors to put strings on giving more money to a company. I suspect there were some discussions between investors, Magic Leap’s board and Abovitz about whether it was time to get a new CEO.

I wouldn’t interpret that as saying Abovitz is necessarily a failure in his role since founders are often, if not usually, replaced when they hit a certain size or a certain stage of their business cycle. Remember, even Apple’s Steve Jobs recruited Pepsi John Sculley to be CEO at one point.

What is heartening, is that the most ballyhooed, cutting-edge, multibillion dollar raising company in South Florida has a strategy and appears ready to execute on it with $350 million of new funding. Abovitz will continue to serve on the board. For the region’s economic future, let’s hope this very important company succeeds.

 

 

 

You May Also Like
Levan Center of Innovation Forms Strategic Partnership With Fort Lauderdale United FC

The Alan B Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation (Levan Center of Innovation) established a new strategic partnership with Fort Lauderdale United FC, a leading Division 1 women’s soccer team participating in the USL Super League. Fort Lauderdale

Read More
Levan Center of Innovation
Levan Center of Innovation Celebrates Second Anniversary

The 54,000-square-foot facility offers incubator and accelerator programs for businesses.

Read More
How to Create Your Own Hologram

The Levan Center of Innovation offers a capture studio to create content for cutting-edge displays.

Read More
Miami Virtual Reality Studio Launches Game on Meta Quest

AEXLAB is a pioneer in developing cutting-edge software utilizing virtual reality technology to create an unparalleled combat game.

Read More
Other Posts
Boca Raton Innovation Campus Reveals Six New Leasing Agreements

Four new tenants will join the technology center.

Read More
Cinch I.T. Sets Sights on Fort Lauderdale for Business Expansion

Cinch I.T., a rapidly growing I.T. service provider in the U.S., is planning to expand its support network in various new markets across the country, including Fort Lauderdale. As the

Read More
Cinch I.T.
Levan Center Hosts Successful South Florida Innovation Day

The facility is focused on three themes: innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship.

Read More

Drew Limsky

Drew Limsky

Editor-in-Chief

BIOGRAPHY

Drew Limsky joined Lifestyle Media Group in August 2020 as Editor-in-Chief of South Florida Business & Wealth. His first issue of SFBW, October 2020, heralded a reimagined structure, with new content categories and a slew of fresh visual themes. “As sort of a cross between Forbes and Robb Report, with a dash of GQ and Vogue,” Limsky says, “SFBW reflects South Florida’s increasingly sophisticated and dynamic business and cultural landscape.”

Limsky, an avid traveler, swimmer and film buff who holds a law degree and Ph.D. from New York University, likes to say, “I’m a doctor, but I can’t operate—except on your brand.” He wrote his dissertation on the nonfiction work of Joan Didion. Prior to that, Limsky received his B.A. in English, summa cum laude, from Emory University and earned his M.A. in literature at American University in connection with a Masters Scholar Award fellowship.

Limsky came to SFBW at the apex of a storied career in journalism and publishing that includes six previous lead editorial roles, including for some of the world’s best-known brands. He served as global editor-in-chief of Lexus magazine, founding editor-in-chief of custom lifestyle magazines for Cadillac and Holland America Line, and was the founding editor-in-chief of Modern Luxury Interiors South Florida. He also was the executive editor for B2B magazines for Acura and Honda Financial Services, and he served as travel editor for Conde Nast. Magazines under Limsky’s editorship have garnered more than 75 industry awards.

He has also written for many of the country’s top newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, Boston Globe, USA Today, Worth, Robb Report, Afar, Time Out New York, National Geographic Traveler, Men’s Journal, Ritz-Carlton, Elite Traveler, Florida Design, Metropolis and Architectural Digest Mexico. His other clients have included Four Seasons, Acqualina Resort & Residences, Yahoo!, American Airlines, Wynn, Douglas Elliman and Corcoran. As an adjunct assistant professor, Limsky has taught journalism, film and creative writing at the City University of New York, Pace University, American University and other colleges.