Montreal-based start-up Immervision has secured a contract worth C$5.7 million ($4.5 million) from Canada’s Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC). The contract, awarded by Public Services and Procurement Canada, will focus on the design and development of panoramic imaging components and systems. Immervision specializes in inventing, customizing, and licensing wide-angle lenses for a range of applications, including aerospace cameras and stratospheric balloons. The collaboration with DRDC highlights Immervision’s expertise in creating solutions that offer an extended field of view, which is crucial for situational awareness and operational effectiveness in various environments.
The contract from DRDC’s Valcartier Research Centre comes as a result of a competitive request for proposals seeking support for the design, analysis, simulation, and development of panoramic imaging components and systems with a horizontal field of view of 80 degrees or more. Immervision will be providing professional support for optical design, prototyping, testing, metrology, and image processing.
DRDC is Canada’s science, technology, and innovation leader, providing technical solutions and advice to the Department of National Defence (DND), the Canadian Armed Forces, and other federal departments. Immervision’s previous military contract was with the Defense Innovation Unit, part of the US Department of Defense, where the start-up worked on developing a wide-angle computer vision camera for small unmanned aerial systems in 2020.
In 2019, Immervision entered into a strategic partnership with US-based licenser of wireless connectivity and smart-sensing technologies, Ceva. The partnership included a $10 million technology investment from Ceva to secure exclusive licensing rights to Immervision’s advanced portfolio of wide-angle image-processing technology and software. Immervision’s technologies are already used in more than 50 million devices through its customer base, which includes Acer, Garmin, Lenovo, Sony, and Vivotek.
Founded in 2000, Immervision specializes in developing advanced wide-angle optics with enhanced image processing and sensor fusion technologies. The start-up’s Deep Seeing technology is based on several patented breakthroughs, including wide-angle optics with panomorph vision for augmented resolution and viewing. With a team of over 20 employees, including optical designers, camera system engineers, and computer vision and AI scientists, Immervision continues to innovate in the field of advanced imaging technology.
While Immervision did not disclose specific details about its financing rounds, it asserted that it remains a private company striving to provide high-quality solutions for various industries such as aerospace, surveillance, automotive, and mobile phones. The recent contract from DRDC demonstrates the start-up’s recognition and expertise in the field of panoramic imaging, further establishing Immervision as a prominent player in the advanced vision space.
