Meet the former Microsoft executives planning to make a fortune from Apple’s Vision Pro

George Stavrakakis says he ‘had a ball’ being part of Microsoft’s Hololens launch, but Apple’s Vision Pro beats all other VR headsets, as he invests $5.1m in an Australian start-up.

Apple Vision Pro is still to be launched officially in Australia, but it hasn’t stopped investors from positioning themselves to capitalise on the spatial computer and its virtual reality capabilities, injecting millions into the technology.

Artificial intelligence venture studio InnovateGPT — which counts two former Microsoft executives among its leadership — has invested $5.1m in generative AI company SpatialGPT.

The fledgling company is leveraging Apple’s Vision Pro and generative AI — also known as conversational AI, given its ability to generate a raft of content via basic verbal prompts — in an effort to shake up the construction, education, healthcare, and retail sectors.

It is the latest investment from InnovateGPT, which has incubated and launched 13 AI start-ups, including SkillsGPT and RedGridGPT, and invested over $15m across the portfolio in its first year of operations.

Apple’s Vision Pro spatial computer, which is yet to be launched officially in Australia, but can be bought online from some retailers, including Kogan.

InnovateGPT chief executive George Stavrakakis, who worked at Microsoft for almost 20 years, said while the Vision Pro is not the first spatial computer, it was more advanced than previous versions from its competitors.

On his team is Rupert Walsh, InnovateGPT’s chief technology officer, who previously filled a similar role at Microsoft Australia during a 22-year carer at the tech titan

“I had a ball at Microsoft for 20 years and was part of the Hololens launch and saw the impact that made. But in this iteration (Vision Pro), the kit and the immersion is definitely on another level,” Mr Stavrakakis said.

“The device isn’t necessarily new — (Meta’s) Oculus, Hololens, various variations — but it’s the immersive experience, how real that is. To collaborate and then bringing in generative AI, that’s where we know there is an absolute game changer from a productivity point of view.”

But, SpatialGPT isn’t going all in on Apple. It uses Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, Microsoft Copilot, JigSpaces and other technologies to transform how spaces are used.

SpatialGPT chief executive Robert Marolda with an Apple Vision Pro headset.

Chief executive Robert Marolda said, combined with the Vision Pro, the other technologies were able to help people visualise a building and make modifications before it was constructed, potentially saving thousands of dollars — or millions depending on the scale of the project — on costly variations.

“Imagine you did want to see the finished product before it was even started and you’re there with the architect, and they’ve got some goggles on as well, and they take you through what the project will look like,” Mr Marolda said.

“In fact, you’re probably not even in the same location, you’re probably in one suburb versus another … and you’re in what seems to be your finished product or a 3D rendition, immersive experience of what it looks like.

“But you look at a room and go ‘wow, it looks good but I think it feels a little dark’. So you can ask the gen AI agent ‘what would the room look like at two o’clock in the afternoon, in full sun?’.

“This is where gen AI takes another realm. You might go ‘that looks beautiful, but why are we closing that in?’ and ask the architect to extend the window a little bit.”

A man uses Apple’s Vision Pro mixed reality glasses at the Mobile World Congress, the telecom industry's biggest annual gathering.

Clients could also ask to make more extreme variations in the renderings before construction has begun, such as making rooms bigger without changing the footprint of the entire building, Mr Marolda said.

But, he said construction was only the start of how Vision Pro and generative AI could accelerate productivity, and it could even streamline insurance claims.

“Every day I get thrown in a different sort of, ‘hey, imagine if’ and that’s what got me and the rest of the team really excited about what our mission is here. As George says, where the customers suffered, I think we’re going to look back on in the years to come and appreciate the profound impact it’s had on so many different use cases.”

Apple chief executive Tim Cook has said companies such as Porsche were using Vision Pro — which, while it hasn’t been launched officially in Australia yet, can be bought from Kogan for $6349 — to train service technicians and create a “showroom of the future”.

“Dr Tommy Korn at Sharp Healthcare is using Apple Vision pro to improve surgical eye care through simulation analysis and optimisation, and award-winning film director Jon M. Chu is using Apple vision Pro to oversee the editing and visual effects for his upcoming film Wicked from the comfort of his home on a giant theatre sized screen,” Mr Cook said.

“These are just a few examples of the incredible ways Apple Vision Pro is already making an impact in our customers lives.”

Matt Furse, Sofware-as-a-Service Partnership Lead at Microsoft Australia and New Zealand, said: “We’re very excited to partner with SpatialGPT to help the construction industry and other critical sectors realise the significant potential of generative AI”.

“By using our technologies, such as Azure OpenAI Service and Copilot, this collaboration will enable advancements in spatial environments that were once considered beyond reach.”