Early-stage venture fund Betaworks announced the latest 10 companies launching from its prestigious Camp program, the 13-week biannual residence program launched in 2016 that has given way to names like Hugging Face and Graze Social.
The theme for this year’s Camp is Interfaces, as in companies that are designing products that impact how users experience AI. (Previous Camp themes focused on application layers and agents). Applications opened in June, and the camp began in August, with DemoDay being November 4.
These are the companies taking part in the 13th Betaworks Camp:
Nora — A browser extension, founded by Sid Banothu, that tracks shopping habits.
Primitive — A web app that lets people use voice to dump ideas that the platform then turns into a list of tasks and to-dos. The product, founded by Kasey Klimes, can also link with other productivity tools such as Notion and calendars.
Patina — Founded by Sean Raspet and Laura Sisson, the company is working on olfactory technology to create “scent photographs,” through a combination of protein folding, scent receptors, and deep learning.
My Place, by Orange — A platform, founded by Helen Huang, that lets users play games that are realistic simulations of everyday human life.
Putty (no website yet) — Though the company is still in stealth, Betaworks said it wanted to work with the founder, Kevin Chang, because he was “deeply engaged with concepts” the firm cared about, including “memory systems, ambient interfaces” and “technology fitted to the more sporadic rhythm of life.”
Telepath — A computer built with AI and no apps, founded by Stephen Hood, Josh Whiting, and Rupert Manfredi.
Feather — A digital assistant that helps create automated workflows for tedious tasks, like apartment hunting. It was founded by ShaoBo Zhang and Marco Yu.
Nubrain — Founded by Priyanka Jain and Ingo Marquardt, this company is creating EEG data (the test used to record the electrical activity of the brain) to help translate human thoughts into speech, text, and images.
Presq — This platform, founded by Adam Saleh, Steve Burstyn, and Mikey Robins, lets influencers upload data to create prompt options that let them create manufacturable footwear. It plans to soon expand to other product areas, like eyewear and home goods.
Intension — Founded by Conor Sanchez O’Shea and Gabriel Duemichen, this company helps people focus while working on a desktop by removing from sight anything that operates as a distraction. It tracks users’ attention and maps out the workflow habits of those working on desktops.
This story was updated to clarify what Presq and Patina do.
