Today we’d like to introduce you to Annie Eaton.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Annie. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My startup journey began in 2014 when my cofounder, Peter Stolmeier, and I decided to branch out and create our own virtual reality development company, ATLvr. He introduced me to the technology and I was instantly hooked. We initially founded the Atlanta Virtual Reality Meetup, which now has over 900 members. With a background in marketing, I saw the less traditional uses (non-gaming) and we expanded upon that for the business. We focused our efforts on enterprise and had great success in that target market, producing marketing, training and testing experiences. After we had been established for about a year, we started introducing 360 video production, and six months after that we began to offer augmented reality development. Once we introduced these new services, we decided a rebrand was necessary since we no longer just offered virtual reality. We settled on Futurus as a symbol of our forward-thinking work and adaptability to new technology. The landscape is ever-changing and we needed a brand to reflect our involvement in the latest tech. We have established ourselves as industry experts and are asked to speak at multiple conferences and events each month. The education and speaking engagements are one of the best ways for us to get out in the community and teach others about virtual and augmented reality. The user base is growing steadily, expanding beyond early adopters, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
If anyone who has started a company claims it was easy, they are lying. There have been many ups and downs and fortunately, we are on an upward trend in stability and growth. Early on, when we quit our “day jobs” there were weeks and sometimes months when we didn’t know whether or not we were getting paid. This is where our support system kicked in. Being surrounded by friends and family that were supportive of our journey made a big difference in emotional support and kept us going. Because our company doesn’t have outside, substantial investment like many tech startups, we don’t have that cushion to fall back on, and getting revved up was slower going. But now that we are established and have a steady stream of revenue, we’ve been able to hire full-time employees and even offer full medical benefits, which many young companies can’t say.
It’s been a long road (and we’ve got a long way to go), but I’m happy with what we’ve been able to accomplish in the past three years.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Futurus – what should we know?
Futurus produces virtual reality, 360° video and augmented reality experiences. Our company specializes in business applications, like marketing a brand’s story, training employees or testing products, through these mediums. We started doing this right before it was the hot, new topic, which gives us a competitive edge in experience. I’m proud of my team every day for coming up with innovative solutions for the brands we work with. Most companies who work in these technologies focus on one or the other (VR/AR/360), while we offer all three. This gives us the ability to work with our customers, get to know their needs, and apply the technology that actually fits their specific case. Many people out there are just doing it because it is new and it has that “hype” factor. We want to dig deeper with each of our projects to not only create a compelling experience but to produce something that will benefit the customer and their bottom line.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I never want to be the smartest person in the room. There are always opportunities to learn and I don’t want to live a day in my life where I don’t learn something new. This coupled with listening to people and truly processing what they’re saying can make all the difference. It works in my personal and professional life. Companies or founders who don’t deeply listen to their target market are missing so many opportunities. And this doesn’t just mean listen and take notes, but actually hear and process what they are saying. It can lead to a more empathetic and personal relationship which will go far in the bidding process. I try to learn about each industry we work with and get inside the heads of the consumers so that we can offer solutions that are more likely to be successful. I would encourage anyone trying to break into a new market to listen, as well as hear what their audience is saying, and then act on it.
Contact Info:
- Address: 739 Trabert Ave NW, Suite E, Atlanta, GA 30318
- Website: http://futur.us/
- Phone: 470-344-3855
- Email: http://futur.us/#contact
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturus/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFuturus/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/thefuturus
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