Observed Signal · Nov 14, 2024 · Funding · Source: Trending Topics · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Vienna Eye-Tracking Startup Soma Reality Raises €2.6 Million
Austrian startup Soma Reality has raised €2.6 million in a seed round. The Vienna-based eye-tracking company specializes in measuring attention by analyzing gaze patterns, pupil dilation, and eye movements. Investors include Gateway Ventures, Startup Wise Guys, FFG, aws, and Qubit Capital. The startup previously raised €1.5 million in the first half of 2024. Soma's technology is used by the Medical University of Vienna to assess cognitive load and improve surgical training. Founded by Adrian Brodesser, Soma Reality develops eye-tracking solutions that go beyond simple gaze detection to measure true cognitive attention. The fresh capital will support the deep-tech startup's growth. Other potential applications include traffic and aviation, where high cognitive demands require advanced training optimization. The company's monitoring tools provide insights into cognitive states over time, enabling personalized learning progress.
Seed funding for an eye-tracking startup measuring cognitive attention; relevant to attention-based advertising but niche and small scale.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Soma Reality raised €2.6 million in a seed funding round.
- Investors are Gateway Ventures, Startup Wise Guys, FFG, aws, and Qubit Capital.
- The Vienna-based startup previously raised €1.5 million in the first half of 2024.
- Soma's eye-tracking technology measures attention through pupil dilation and gaze patterns.
- The Medical University of Vienna uses Soma's monitoring to improve surgical training.
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2 Entities mapped“Investors listed include Gateway Ventures, Startup Wise Guys, FFG, aws, and Qubit Capital....”
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Soma Reality's Luchs Eyewear Tracks Cognitive State via Eye-Tracking Glasses
Vienna-based deep tech startup Soma Reality is entering the consumer market with Luchs Eyewear, a pair of glasses launching in 2027 that uses eye-tracking to analyze cognitive states such as workload, fatigue, performance, and attention. The glasses measure involuntary eye movements—blinking, fixations, pupil reactions—and process them in a companion app. Designed without an outward-facing camera, the product prioritizes privacy and user data ownership. The company, founded in 2019, has raised over €5.6 million in total funding, including a Series A led by Catalyst Romania. Soma Reality already has B2B clients in aviation, healthcare, and research, such as the Medical University of Vienna, and reports over €2 million in revenue since 2024. The consumer launch is part of its expansion alongside B2B growth and long-term studies on cognitive health.
Vienna Impact-Tech Network tech2impact Shuts After Six Years
The Austrian impact-tech network tech2impact, founded in 2020 by Sasha Lipman and Petra Ćapin, announced its closure on LinkedIn. The platform, which connected founders with mentors, partners, and capital, will run a final EDGE fundraising program in autumn before closing in spring 2027. Despite growth to over 1,000 members, 100+ mentors, and 50+ partners, the company failed to achieve sustainable profitability, remaining too dependent on external factors such as public funding cycles and partner budgets. The founders cited mental health as a priority and plan to continue their mission in other forms. tech2impact executed more than eight programs, including the INSIDEOUT Summit, with a team of over 45 people.
Serwas Technologies raises €300k pre-seed for server heat reuse
Serwas Technologies, a startup from Innsbruck, Austria, has closed the first tranche of its pre-seed funding round, raising nearly €300,000. The round is led by Gateway Ventures, with participation from business angels of the Pioneers Club and MCI Innsbruck. The company installs servers directly in buildings with high heat demand, such as swimming pools, hotels, and residential complexes. Its proprietary direct-to-liquid cooling technology captures waste heat from the servers and feeds it into the building's heating and hot water systems. The first installation is operational at an indoor pool in Innsbruck, in cooperation with Innsbrucker Kommunalbetriebe. The founders are Manuel Untergasser, Timo Berkmann, and Lucas Bolte. A second closing is planned for October to support further expansion. The startup is shifting from initial Bitcoin mining workloads toward AI workloads as its medium-term focus.
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