A Portland startup called Torch 3D said Tuesday it has raised $3.5 million to help fund its technology.

Augmented reality superimposes images onto digital views of the real world for games, design and other applications. Virtual reality provides an immersive, digital alternative to the real world.

Both are among the hottest fields in technology, with Facebook, Google, Apple, Intel and many others investing heavily to improve VR and AR experiences.

Torch 3D said its technology enables "virtual reality prototyping," so software developers can quickly build and improve three-dimensional concepts. The company started earlier this year, founded by a pair of former managers from a Florida digital imaging company called Magic Leap.

Torch 3D currently employs five, all in Portland, and is looking for its first office.

Tuesday's investment is Torch 3D's first. Its backers include Silicon Valley Data Capital and The Venture Reality Fund, a California firm that funds virtual reality and augmented reality companies. Bend-based Seven Peaks Ventures was among several other firms that invested.

-- Mike Rogoway; twitter: @rogoway; 503-294-7699