Gainesville 3-D tech startup Paracosm won second place and $50,000 at this year’s CAT5 Awards Competition in Orlando.
For the competition, which took place June 3, Paracosm focused on the mechanical, electrical and plumbing industry’s use of its product.
“There are so many inefficiencies, structural errors that happen simply because people don’t have good data and information about existing buildings,” said business development team member Gannon Wilder. “With our device, they are able to go and scan the places... so in the future, it really reduces labor inefficiencies and other kinds of errors.”
Paracosm plans to use the CAT5 prize money to further grow the company, hoping to increase customers and improve technology.
The company provides 3-D capture and reconstruction technologies. Its product applications range from creating spatial intelligence for robots to using 3-D models for renovation projects.
“Paracosm’s team has an exciting aesthetic edge, which is rare for folks who are very good at technology development,” said Andrea Wesser, associate director of the University of Central Florida Venture Accelerator.
Hysence Technology took home the $100,000 first place prize, according to the Space Florida website, one of the sponsors of the competition.
Paracosm is currently working on pilot projects with the U.S. Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C., and with NASA’s Virginia facility. Its next target market is forensics and the recreation of crime scenes.
[A version of this story ran on page 5 on 6/11/2014 under the headline "Local startup Paracosm wins $50K"]
