FIRST AUGMENTED REALITY CLOUD EDITOR AND PUBLISHING PLATFORM

• MediAR enables users to create AR experiences without a need for prior coding skills • The platform has an inclusive monetization model shared between content creators and brands • The platform was developed with a 180,000 Euros grant from ACP-EU HEVA NAIROBI, Kenya, December 8, 2023 – BlackRhino VR, an Extended Reality Tech Co., has launched into the market, a groundbreaking Augmented Reality (AR) platform, designed to empower content creators within the creative economy to rapidly build and publish AR content. Dubbed “MediAR”, the platform is Africa’s first, user-friendly, AR cloud editor and publishing platform that uses the drag and drop technology, which lessens the challenging learning curve associated with coding while producing AR solutions and content. Speaking during a colourful launch ceremony, BlackRhino VR Chief Executive Officer Brian Afande said the platform is a response to the need to unlock Africa’s creative sector through AR. “Our primary objectives are to empower Africa’s youth, who are the innovators of the future, to broaden their skills set that allows them to scale up innovations as well as to democratize extended reality technologies in order to make them easily accessible so that ultimately, these immersive technologies can actively and positively contribute to Africa’s socio-economic development,” Afande said. “We also want to demystify the notion that Africa is only a consumer of technology and demonstrate that there are numerous innovative African technological solutions that are being developed to solve the continent’s challenges,” he added. MediAR has been designed with a unique and inclusive revenue share model that is based on a pay-per-view service that allows content creators and brands to co-exist in a digital ecosystem. BlackRhino VR is urging content creators across Africa to leverage the platform to perpetuate the development of an Internet economy that will in turn create jobs, reduce poverty, and contribute to the continent’s development. The global extended reality (XR) – which includes Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality – market is valued at USD$29.26 billion in 2022 and is projected to rise to over USD$100 billion by 2026. Longino Muluka, Head of AR/VR at BlackRhino VR asserts that the integration of XR technology into other sectors of the economy is key for it to have a positive impact on Africa’s economy and future. “Augmented Reality has the ability to create immersive experiences where linear blueprints seamlessly transform into 3D models. For instance, we are witnessing a new era where technology and creativity intertwine to create powerful visualization tools adding immense value to the dynamic construction industry,” Muluka said. This technology can also revolutionise the education sector in order to bridge the current skills mismatch between those acquired in learning institutions and those required by the job market. “The seismic shift for education will come from deploying Augmented Reality in a learning context where dynamic learning environments will be created as abstract concepts turning classrooms into immersive experiences,” Shamina Rajab, the BlackRhino VR Managing Director said. “In the convergence of Augmented Reality and farming, we are witnessing not just technological innovation but a catalyst for positive socio-economic change. By bridging gaps in knowledge access, AR democratizes agricultural insights, offering farmers the tools to make informed decisions,” added Abraham Kyalo, BlackRhino VR’s COO. BlackRhino VR anticipates that MediAR will facilitate the creation of a non-existent tertiary economy and ecosystem specializing in AR goods, products and services. The platform was developed with funding of approximately 180,000 EUR from ACP-EU, which is an Organisation of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (OACPS) financed by the European Union (EU). BlackRhino VR was one of 20 creative and cultural businesses from 8 East Africa countries that made the short list in the Ignite Culture programme that is geared at supporting the growth of the cultural and creative sector in the region.

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