SpatialGPT: the Aussie startup using Generative AI and AR to transform design

Virtual reality and generative AI are rapidly approaching widespread adoption but the true impact of these technologies will be reflected in the way they reshape global industries. 

One Aussie startup poised and ready to disrupt the construction space and beyond is  SpatialGPT.ai, a company set to transform spatial environments, enhance productivity, and reimagine the way we design, build and work. 

I sat down with Jason Clark, Chief Strategy Officer of SpatialGPT.ai to learn how they came to be, where they’re going and how they’re getting there.

The technological zeitgeist is now

In late 2022, OpenAI released ChatGPT. For most of us, this was the first time using a technology like this. For SpatialGPT founders they’d been playing with this technology for years. Less than two years on, AI has become a permanent fixture in the way we live, work and do pretty much everything. It’s a defining megatrend of this decade. 

Little do we know, we’re on the precipice of another explosive megatrend that is also set to revolutionise the way we live, work, and exist. While it has been around for a while the new version of AR is breathtaking, it is spatial computing,and it's coming to Australia. The Apple Vision Pro will be publicly available for purchase in Australia in July 2024.

This release will have similar impacts to those of ChatGPT. We’ll see rapid and widespread adoption, industries transformed, and new ways of working.

SpatialGPT has foreseen this revolution and is capitalising on it big time. They’re building AI-powered solutions using Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, Microsoft Copilot, Apple Vision Pro, JigSpace, and other technologies to transform the construction industry.

Starting in construction and expanding from there

To start, SpatialGPT is laser-focused on reimagining the way we design, build and work in the construction space, supporting architects, builders and designers to conceive a more beautiful future. 

“If we look at global construction projects, 70% of them exceed their initial budget, and 75% of them don't meet deadlines.”

“Our technology will help save time and money across the industry, helping to build homes faster, reduce risk,and  simplify complex projects.”

So, what does this look like in practice?

“Imagine being on a construction site and being able to access real-time data, ask questions similar to how you would ask ChatGPT, receive instant intelligence, record and capture defects, instantly document site visits and dial onto team meetings live from the ground. We’re going to see significant productivity benefits and a new approach to construction, end-to-end.” 

Construction is just the beginning. Already they have signed on customers in the broader design space (currently, names are under confidentiality agreements) and in the future, SpatialGPT, will look to expand into education, healthcare and retail.

“We're going to be co-creating with our customers. It’s really important that we don’t build a product in isolation and then go to market. As we continue to grow, we’ll work closely with customers to identify what their specific problem is, and then figure out how we solve that problem through the technology.” 

“The technology that we now have… it just didn't exist before. So we've got this amazing opportunity to work across verticals and transform industries beyond construction.”

“Every week we find a new market opportunity that we never knew existed.”

The genesis: two megatrends, a venture studio and some Microsoft execs who’ve seen the future. 

Reflecting on their progress, it’s wild to think that two months ago, SpatialGPT didn’t exist. For context, the AI/AR startup is the product of InnovateGPT, an AI-focused venture studio founded by some seriously experienced former Microsoft execs, including George Stavrakakis and Rupert Walsh. 

For those unfamiliar, venture studio startups are often born internally, placing executives from the studios themselves into key roles within the business. 

And that’s exactly what happened. Two months ago, SpatialGpt.ai was launched, boasting an impressive team, including CEO and co-founder, Robert Marolda, who has over 25 of experience leading multinational corporations and dynamic startups. He has worked at IBM, Microsoft, and VMware. Owen Brandt, Chief Growth Officer and co-founder, who has 20+ years of working in SaaS sales, GTM, and Business Management across a range of technology companies such as LiveTiles, Sitecore and OpenText. Not to mention, Rupert Walsh, CTO, with 20+ years experience at Microsoft and Jason Clark, Chief Strategy Officer, with significant experience in scaling businesses. 

Collectively, their experience in the technology sector spans the better part of a century, so it makes sense that in just a matter of weeks they graduated from pre to post-revenue, signed up 2 customers and are working with global VR leaders such as Microsoft and Apple. 

Needless to say, they’re qualified for the job.

Watch this space (with or without a VR headset)

While still early in the startup journey, two months to be precise, SpatialGPT is moving fast. They have big ambitions to solve industry-wide problems and are on a pathway to doing just that. They are in the process of closing a capital raise by the end of June 2024.

You can check out the investment details here.

Above all else, it’s pretty cool to see an Aussie-led startup wielding two of the world’s most progressive technologies to transform how we “design, build and work.”