"We continue to invest very actively in both VR and AR, and are excited to work with the next group of innovative teams and technologies that will shape the future." One of the companies is Neurable, a San Francisco based startup, which is developing a brain-computer interface for VR control using innovations in neuroscience. Very excited to be part of @htcvive 's ViveX's cohort with some really amazing companies.https://t.co/ZHdV7mKnkJ #VR — Neurable 🧠 (@neurable) November 29, 2017 Another is Future Tech, based in Chengdu, that creates games and VR content and has a team made of veterans from Ubisoft, Gameloft, PDE and Virtuos. In Taipei, HTC invested in COVER, which are developing a virtual livestreaming platform where users can perform with their avatars for an audience. HTC have also invested in startups based in Tel Aviv, one of which is Astral Vision which turns theme park rides into VR attractions. You can see the full list of 26 startups here. Vive X companies receive up to $200,000 convertible notes or a warrant although the final amount depends on the startup's growth stage. Startups benefit from mentorship, promotional support, engineering support, connections to the Vive X network, office space and more. 25/08/2017: HTC may be looking into selling its Vive business HTC might sell its Vive arm as part of a strategic change for the company. The company is looking at options ranging from divesting its VR business to a full sale of HTC, according to Bloomberg. It is said to be working with an adviser and has held talks with companies such as Google, though the search giant told IT Pro does not comment on such rumours. And HTC may be looking into either selling the Vive business or spinning it off. One of Bloomberg's sources said a full sale of HTC is less likely "because it isn't an obvious fit for a single acquirer". They added that no final decisions have been made and the company may not make any strategic decisions at all.

HTC shares rose by 4.7% on Friday giving the company a $1.9 billion market value. IT Pro has contacted HTC for comment. Earlier this week, HTC cut the Vive price to 599 in the UK. All purchases are to come with a free Viveport Subscription trial where consumers can select up to five titles per month to experience. The aim of the price cut was to make the VR device more accessible to a wider audience and to drive the VR industry forward. In early August Neurable announced a brain computer interface for VR which uses an upgraded headband for the Vive. The device uses brain sensors and neurotechnology and Neurable hopes that in the future AR/VR companies will integrate brain sensors directly into their products. 21/08/2017: Vive gets a price cut The HTC Vive has had a price cut and will now be599 in the UK. HTC said that all Vive purchases will come with a free Viveport Subscription trial where consumers can select up to 5 titles per month to experience, including Google's Tilt Brush, Everest VR, and Richie's Plank Experience. Cher Wang, chairwoman at HTC, said that the new price for Vive would make it "more accessible to a broader audience" and drive "the entire VR industry forward". According toSteam statistics, HTC Vive maintains a 60% share of access to the Steam platform for high-end VR headsets.Over the past year, Vive has maintained its lead by more than 20%, the firm claimed. Paul Brown, GM for Europe at HTC Vive, said: "Reducing the price of Vive during a key purchasing season we believe will significantly boost VR adoption to bring in even more consumers and content creators to Vive." 08/08/2017:Neurable VP Michael Thompson has announced a brain computer interface for virtual reality, using an upgraded headband for the HTC Vive.

Users can "simply remove the elastic straps in the back and replace them with our straps," Thompson said, adding that the device is a prototype of how brain sensors and neurotechnology can be integrated with AR/VR devices. Announcing the world’s first brain-computer interface for virtual reality #AR #VR #BCI #SIGGRAPH2017https://t.co/tSt7txAzAj — Neurable 🧠 (@neurable) July 30, 2017 The platform is built so that developers can make brain-controlled content for virtual reality. Thompsonsaid: "This incredible experience is made possible by Neurable's machine learning platform, which interprets your brain activity in real time to afford virtual powers of telekinesis. "Our complex machine learning pipeline has been distilled into an SDK compatible with Unity. With the Neurable SDK, Unity developers can easily integrate brain-activity as a control input into any game." Neurable is showcasing a VR game preview of its game Awakening, which is "a futuristic story reminiscent of Stranger Things". The game allows players to manipulate objects and battle foes with their mind, and is played entirely without any handheld controllers. In the future, Thompson expects AR/VR companies to integrate brain sensors directly into their products."What the touch interface became to smartphones, [brain-controlled interfaces] will become to mixed reality headsets," said Thompson. Elon Musk, CEO of Neuralink, a company dedicated to directly linking computers with human brains, hopes to make brain interfaces that will eventually replace the need for human language. Musk hopes to go further and enhance humans with cybernetic implants, and believes that humanity may have tomerge with AI to survive. 21/06/2017: HTC has signed a number of deals with leading retailers and distributors that will expand the availability of its Vive headset in the US and UK. The company has recently formed a partnership with distributor Westcoast Retail, which will see the firm responsible for shipping Vives exclusively across the UK and EU. "Entering the VR market is an important strategic step for us so we needed a partner with the reputation and team that can deliver a robust approach to the supply chain," said Louis Lin, HTC operations director, speaking to PCR. "Westcoast Retail is a true specialist in the field with the ability to help us fulfil the varying needs of HTC Vive customers and retailers throughout Europe."