Welcome to the latest installment of OurCrowd’s “What We’re Investing In” series. This month we’re featuring three of our existing portfolio companies raising follow-on rounds – but that’s not all. We have a number of new, exciting companies in the pipeline about to launch on the platform, so stay tuned and visit gold.ocdvlp.com for more information.

VocalZoom – Accurate voice recognition in any environment

vocalzoom logoWalk down the street today and you’ll see people talking to their phones. The multi-billion dollar voice recognition market went mainstream big time with Apple’s Siri and Google’s Voice Search. However, one fundamental problem with all of these technologies is that they have a hard time deciphering speech out of the cacophony of everyday life.

VocalZoom has created a proprietary patented` software to address this major pain point in the voice recognition market. Using acoustic and optical sensors, VocalZoom’s technology is able to monitor vibrations from the throat and face of the speaker, filtering out any external signals usually picked up by traditional microphones. VocalZoom’s product can be used in cellphones, personal headsets and automotive car kits to provide clear speech recognition despite any background noise.

OurCrowd is joined by 3M New Ventures, the $80B global conglomerate, and other significant institutional investors in this round of investment in VocalZoom.

MUV Interactive – Making any surface a richly interactive touchscreen

MUV logoRemember the 2002 Hollywood thriller, Minority Report? Who can forget, especially the futuristic glove that allowed Captain John Anderton – aka Tom Cruise – to control a massive TV screen using only his hands.

Thanks to the team at MUV Interactive, that technology is now available for consumer use everywhere. MUV’s technology instantly changes any projected item into an interactive screen with precise touch and remote capabilities. Watch a demonstration of MUV’s technology.

According to Insight Media Research Group, there are over 50 million projectors installed worldwide, which translates into billions of dollars of opportunity for MUV’s technology.

OurCrowd’s first investment in MUV was in July 2013.

Highcon – Bringing folding carton packaging into the digital age

Highcon logoIsrael has quickly become a global center of innovation in the digital printing industry — creating, developing, and selling technology to all the top players in the field.

Addressing the massive packaging industry, OurCrowd portfolio company, Highcon has developed a solution to the labor-intensive, costly, folding carton-packaging production process. Their Euclid machine uses revolutionary digital technology to crease, fold, and cut cartons, instantaneously producing a finished packaging product in just a fraction of the time and cost of traditional methods.

OurCrowd is investing alongside digital printing pioneer, Benny Landa (founder of Indigo, acquired by HP in 2001 for $800M), widely known as the “father of digital printing”, and a member of Highcon’s Board of Directors. Highcon’s impressive management also offers over 100 combined years of experience in the packaging and printing industry.

OurCrowd first invested in Highcon in January of this year.

Next Steps

Find out more about these investment opportunities and others currently funding on OurCrowd.

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