{"id":48957,"date":"2021-02-02T15:43:27","date_gmt":"2021-02-02T15:43:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/?p=48957"},"modified":"2021-02-02T15:47:05","modified_gmt":"2021-02-02T15:47:05","slug":"virtual-reality-is-the-new-reality-for-young-cardiff-entrepreneurs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/2021\/02\/02\/virtual-reality-is-the-new-reality-for-young-cardiff-entrepreneurs\/","title":{"rendered":"Virtual reality is the new reality for young Cardiff entrepreneurs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Graduates are tackling the pandemic with their VR tour business<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

TWO Cardiff University graduates are making a name for themselves using virtual and augmented reality to create 360-degree tours of businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Universities, retailers and real estate agents are among those who have turned to Virtus Tech, based in Pontcanna and founded in 2018 by 25-year-old George Bellwood and Robin David, 24.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They were able to get their business off the ground with the help of Big Ideas Wales, a youth entrepreneurship service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDuring university and since I graduated, the service has offered me invaluable support every step of the way. It\u2019s reassuring to know that I can pick up the phone and ask for advice whenever I might need it,\u201d <\/p>said Mr Bellwood.<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Big Ideas Wales is aimed at five to twenty-five-year-olds, including students and graduates, who want to develop their business ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is part of Business Wales and funded by the Welsh Government and the European Regional Development Fund.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Bellwood was referred to Big Ideas Wales by Claire Parry-Witchell, who is the Enterprise Officer at Cardiff University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She said: \u201cIn just two years, George has made huge strides in developing his business. As a savvy businessperson, George has been able to turn this challenging year for so many businesses into a success for his company, entering new markets as a result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cConsistent client wins and the employment of a new member of the team is testament to the hard work George has put into Virtus Tech.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of their clients have included Cardiff University, University of Wales Trinity Saint David and co-working space Tramshed Tech, based in Grangetown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under normal circumstances, Mr Bellwood and Mr David would visit their client\u2019s site to gather the images needed to create their virtual tours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, with the pandemic forcing many organisations to face unprecedented challenges, Virtus Tech was been able to bridge this gap when visiting was not possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They use their programming to design a platform where their clients were able to create their own tours without relying on others to capture the images for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This proved to be crucial for businesses forced to close and universities, who would have been gearing up for open days and visitors during the autumn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cardiff University used their platform to add new features for prospective students, including in-built videos from students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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