MENLO PARK, CA / ACCESSWIRE / October 3, 2019 / Halfcode, the artificial intelligence company developing wearable smart technology to assist people with visual and hearing disabilities, today announced the closing of its preseed financing round. The funding round was led by Global Venture Capital Partners and angel investor Graham Newsome. Proceeds will go toward research and development, product development and strategic partnerships. 285 million people worldwide are blind or visually impaired and 466 million people have disabling hearing loss. Halfcode is dedicated to helping those impacted reclaim their independence and improve the lives of those with visual and hearing impairment.
Founded in June 2017 by social entrepreneur Richard Black, the startup develops solutions to critical human issues that affect people worldwide using artificial intelligence and machine learning. Richard leads Halfcode's strategic vision and is responsible for driving the company to become a disruptive player and market leader in artificial intelligence. He is driven by his belief that technology companies have a social responsibility to make a positive impact in the world.
"Halfcode is passionate about developing artificial intelligence and wearable smart technology designed to assist people in need," said Richard Black, Halfocde founder and CEO. "We're pleased to have early investors that share our vision of building solutions to critical human needs while creating a positive impact in the world. It's at the heart of everything we do. Our current investment will be used for research and development as well as improving our A.I. algorithms."
The company's first product launch is Halfcode's smart glasses that combine live streaming HD video capabilities, bone conduction technology and noise canceling microphone to interact with its Halfcode cloud artificial intelligence platform - Hal for short. Hal boasts natural language processing and advanced speech recognition to achieve contextual understanding. For complex tasks where human problem solving is needed, Live Assist operators are available to help users with routine daily tasks. A built-in noise canceling microphone can be used to capture sound with streaming video or while communicating with a live operator assistant.
The smart glasses feature a quad core ARM CPU with an 8MP camera and 120-degree wide-angle lens. They are capable of 720p streaming video at the touch of a button. Bone conduction headphones are built in, designed to assist users with conductive hearing loss or single sided deafness. Touchpad controls and haptic vibration alerts make operation simple and intuitive, while remaining lightweight at just 55 grams.
Commenting on the seed funding, Manish Shah, Global VC Partners partner said, "At Global VC Partners, we love companies that build products that empower people and have a social impact. Halfcode's latest product launch will help to improve the lives of people who have visual and hearing impairment. We also look forward to being a partner in the company's future product developments"
About Halfcode:
Halfcode's motto is "A.I. For Good." The startup develops artificial intelligence and wearable smart technology designed to assist people in need. According to the World Health Organization, 466 million people worldwide suffer from disabling hearing loss and by 2050, more than 900 million people, or on in every ten people will have some form of disabling hearing loss. 253 million people suffer from disabling vision loss and that number is expected to double by 2050. Halfcode is dedicated to helping those impacted reclaim their independence and allow them to become more involved in their local communities.
Halfcode's mission is to create meaningful solutions and a lasting impact on many of society's most critical issues using A.I. and machine learning technology. The company was founded on the belief that technology companies have a responsibility to help build a better tomorrow by driving change and positive impact in everything they do. More details can be found at: https://halfcode.com
Contact Information:
Name: Rebecca Wang
Company: Halfcode
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://halfcode.com
Phone: (408) 412-1350
SOURCE: Halfcode