SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire - Jul 12, 2011) - Omek Interactive, a leading provider of tools and technology for incorporating gesture recognition and body tracking capabilities into devices and applications, announced today that it received $7 million in the closing of the first part of its Series C Funding round led by Intel Capital, Intel's global investment organization.
Omek's Beckon™ technology converts the raw depth map data from 3D cameras into an awareness of people in front of the camera. Peoples' movements or positions can then be converted into commands that control hardware or software, enabling device manufacturers and application developers to create gesture and body tracking interfaces which are natural and accessible.
Omek will use the investment to expand its product and technology teams, develop new products for specific target markets, and extend its business development and technical support presence in key customer regions.
"Omek's tools work with all major 3D cameras, enabling our platform customers to take advantage of the latest depth-sensing technologies, and offering software developers a write-once solution for all of these platforms," said Janine Kutliroff, CEO of Omek. "This new investment round will give us the means to continue to expand the capabilities of our technology and to better serve our growing customer base."
"We are committed to investing in and working with leading innovative companies such as Omek to ensure their success," said Marcos Battisti, Managing Director Intel Capital Western Europe and Israel. "We believe that Omek's gesture recognition and body tracking tools and technology will help transform the way people interact not only with their game systems, but computers, smart devices, television, signage, and much more."
About Omek Interactive
Omek is transforming the way people interact with their devices and applications, by providing tools and technology that enable manufacturers and software developers to add natural user interfaces (NUIs) to their products. Omek's gesture recognition and body tracking software is being incorporated into TVs, set-top boxes, computers and peripherals, interactive signs, medical and fitness devices, and into the content and applications that run on these devices. Omek's tools work with all major 3D cameras, and support a broad range of processors and operating systems -- giving customers the flexibility to take advantage of the latest technology, while maintaining portability for their applications. A privately held company, Omek is headquartered in Bet Shemesh, Israel, and has offices in San Francisco and Tokyo. For more information, visit http://www.omekinteractive.com.
About Intel Capital
Intel Capital, Intel's global investment organization, makes equity investments in innovative technology start-ups and companies worldwide. Intel Capital invests in a broad range of companies offering hardware, software, and services targeting enterprise, home, mobility, health, consumer Internet, semiconductor manufacturing and cleantech. Since 1991, Intel Capital has invested more than US$10 billion in over 1,140 companies in 50countries. In that timeframe, 191 portfolio companies have gone public on various exchanges around the world and 268 were acquired or participated in a merger. In 2010, Intel Capital invested US$327 million in 119 investments with approximately 44 percent of funds invested outside the United States and Canada. For more information on Intel Capital and its differentiated advantages, visit http://www.intelcapital.com.