Aniwaa Rebrands, Adds Virtual and Augmented Reality Comparison Engine

Startup Aniwaa was formed with the goal of allowing users to compare 3D printers and 3D scanners all in one place, in order to find the best equipment for their needs. Now, after a recent round of funding, Aniwaa is expanding its database to include virtual, augmented and mixed reality equipment – particularly head-mounted displays (HMD). According to Aniwaa, the new database is the largest and most complete of its kind. This is the first time the company has expanded its reach past 3D printing and 3D scanning, and to mark the occasion, Aniwaa has also unveiled a major update to its website and branding.

“There are many overlaps between VR/AR and 3D printing so it was a logical choice for us,” said Aniwaa Co-Founder and Technical Advisor Pierre Arrighi. “New hardware is being announced almost every week now, which is great, but it’s also creating a very fragmented space. The number of headsets more than doubled since we started discussing this project at the beginning of the year and this is where we can make a difference.”

While the field of 3D printing has benefited from several equipment and material guides to emerge across the Internet, there’s still very little out there to help customers determine which VR/AR equipment is right for them. Aniwaa hopes to fill this void with its new comprehensive comparison engine. Already, the comparison engine indexes more than 100 virtual and augmented reality devices and includes filters to help narrow down the selection. New equipment is also being added on a regular basis. Users can easily compare up to three devices at a time and get a thorough overview of the products they want to look at. In addition, the content team has released a series of guides and best-ofs.

Arrighi tests a VR headset.

“I’m really proud of what we’ve achieved,” said Co-Founder Martin Lansard, Aniwaa’s CEO. “We applied the methods and processes we developed with 3D printing to this new category of products. Emerging technologies are everywhere and we are now ready to cover even more verticals and make it easier for our users to embrace the future.”

The Aniwaa website has now been relaunched in its fourth version, and includes a brand new look and feel, plus improvements to the overall user experience aimed at making information easier to read, access and compare. In addition to the AR/VR content, there are also new filters and updated technical specifications for the 3D printer comparison engine.

Aniwaa’s Alex Lodola tells us, “We constantly update our database to make sure we cover all newly released products, and our comparison engines index now 1,400+ 3D printers. To reflect recent industry trends, we’ve added a few new filters to our 3D printer comparison engine.”

These include:

• New materials: high-performance (PEEK, PEI etc), ceramics
• New features: independent dual extruders, conveyor belts
• New filter by awards and top sellers

The logo has been redesigned, as well, and according to the company’s founders, there will be more changes ahead for the betterment of the site and its customers.

“We are not the same company we were when we launched 5 years ago,” said Lansard. “Our content and marketing teams have grown and the company is thinking bigger. Our new AR and VR comparison engine is just the first step.”

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[Images: Aniwaa]