Founder Stories Ft. Arun Prasath, FocuzAR
From Tech Visionary to EdTech Innovator: The Journey of FocuzAR and Xwall
The journey from Information technology service provider to pioneering Augmented Reality to create a groundbreaking education tool, Xwall by blending learning experience with innovation through phygital (Physical + Digital) experience, Arun and his team at FocuzAR are redefining education with a revolutionary approach.
The story of FocuzAR began in 2006 when Arun took his first entrepreneurial steps straight out of college by founding Calydon Tech. Over the next 17 years, the company emerged as a leading IT services firm, partnering with industry giants like IBM, Accenture, and Cognizant. In 2015, FocuzAR was co-founded along with Sankar, who is currently serving as CTO with a clear goal: to become pioneers in XR (Extended Reality) by creating innovative products that offer real and measurable benefits to businesses and individuals.
Journey of FocusAR and Xwall
FocuzAR's journey began with a strong focus on augmented reality (AR), making it one of the first in Asia to develop an AR engine, even before ARCore and ARKit. Collaborating with Fortune 500 companies like Asian Paints, Larsen & Toubro, and Nokia, crafting cutting-edge AR experiences. Recognizing the need for a broader XR ecosystem, the team expanded its vision to include XR, AI, and IoT, evolving the mission to create smarter, safer, and more efficient solutions across industries.
“The driving force has always been a passion for solving real-world problems with technology. My advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is simple: focus on real challenges in your sector and develop effective solutions.”
Arun, Co-Founder, FocuzAR
Inspired by the children's preference for gaming over traditional learning along with their personal experience of the founder’s children's gaming preference during the pandemic, FocuzAR developed small educational games that blended fun with learning. This success led to Xwall - a phygital gaming platform for edutainment and fitness. Xwall aims to transform classrooms by making learning interactive and enjoyable.
Developing Xwall was challenging. Developing the hardware and refining the software to build an interactive Phygital console with an AI camera and body tracking capabilities required extensive research and development. This three-year journey of dedicated effort and innovation led to the creation of a standalone platform with precise sensors, overcoming numerous obstacles along the way.
Addressing Education Challenges with Xwall and Phygital Experience
Xwall tackles three major issues in education: lack of motivation, engagement, and physical inactivity among students. By introducing a phygital (physical + digital) experience and gamification, Xwall transforms academic subjects into interactive activities that significantly enhance students' focus and motivation. The platform also promotes physical activity through engaging games, effectively combating the sedentary lifestyle associated with excessive screen time.
Xwall's innovative approach has garnered significant attention and was well received at the Global Investor Meet in Chennai and UmagineTN 2024, where it became a crowd-puller, highlighting its impact and potential in reshaping the educational landscape.
Xwall operates on a subscription-based model, similar to Netflix, allowing schools to access a diverse library of educational games without substantial upfront hardware investments. Schools subscribe to Xwall and receive regular updates with new games and features, ensuring continuous engagement and learning opportunities for students. This model has driven substantial revenue growth and demonstrated the growing demand for our innovative educational approach.
Scaling New Heights: Innovation and Global Expansion
Looking ahead, FocuzAR plans to introduce features such as customizable avatars, NFT-based rewards redeemable with partnered brands, and immersive mixed reality experiences. We aim to expand globally, starting with the US, Canada, the Middle East, and Europe, and are actively seeking like-minded investors to support our growth.
Xwall represents the culmination of years of innovation and dedication to improving education. As we continue to grow and evolve,the focus remains on delivering impactful, engaging, and effective learning experiences for students worldwide.
Final Thoughts
The journey of FocuzAR’s transition from IT services to Extended Reality reveals the importance of passion, perseverance, and impactful innovation, continuing to grow and evolve with focus on delivering engaging and effective learning experiences for students worldwide.
