AVARA Media
AVARA Media is a Toronto-based AR company developing immersive augmented reality experiences for environmental education, operating the AVARA Discover B2B licensing platform and AVARA Worlds consumer app for venues, museums, consumer brands, and educational institutions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersToronto, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What AVARA Media does
AVARA Media is a Toronto-based augmented reality company founded in 2017 that develops immersive AR experiences focused on environmental and ecological education. The company operates two core technology platforms — AVARA Discover, a B2B commercial licensing platform enabling venues and organizations to deploy marker-based AR experiences, and AVARA Worlds, a consumer-facing gamified safari experience. Beyond these platforms, AVARA has built a portfolio of thematic AR experiences including Biinaagami (Indigenous-led Great Lakes watershed education developed with Canadian Geographic and Swim Drink Fish), Drink Like You Care (single-use plastics visualization commissioned by Brita), JoinTepui (Venezuelan sustainable tourism exploration with Eposak), Doorways to the Past (historical CNE narratives), and Anthropocene (human impact on the planet, co-developed with co-founder Edward Burtynsky). The underlying technology is a proprietary cloud-based platform with thin-client apps enabling dynamic, on-demand content delivery worldwide with real-time updates.
The company's technology stack uses computer vision for surface tracking and marker recognition to overlay digital content onto camera views of smartphones and tablets. Its CTO, Scott Herman, brings over a decade of AR/VR expertise, while co-founder Edward Burtynsky — regarded as one of the world's most accomplished contemporary photographers — provides differentiated content assets through over 40 years of work documenting industrial landscapes, with photographs held in 80+ major museums including MoMA, the Tate Modern, and the National Gallery of Canada. This content lineage gives AVARA a distinctive advantage in the environmental storytelling vertical relative to generic AR tool providers.
AVARA's business model combines B2B commercial licensing (the primary revenue stream, positioned through AVARA Discover for venues and educational institutions), freemium consumer apps distributed via iOS App Store and Google Play, and short- and long-term exhibition licensing arrangements (e.g., Biinaagami at the Canadian National Exhibition and Royal Agricultural Winter Fair). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional funding, has 1-10 employees, and is led by CEO Vikas Gupta. Distribution combines consumer app stores for direct end-user access with direct enterprise sales for B2B licensing deals, complemented by an event-driven marketing motion through high-profile public exhibitions.
AVARA Media firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AVARA Media
- Legal name
- AVARA Media Inc.
- Website
- https://avaramedia.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- AVARA Media is a Toronto-based AR company developing immersive augmented reality experiences for environmental education, operating the AVARA Discover B2B licensing platform and AVARA Worlds consumer app for venues, museums, consumer brands, and educational institutions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AVARA Media industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Augmented Reality Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132), Museums (712110)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- AR/VR & Immersive Learning Content Development (EDAGAKAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Immersive/Interactive Animation (AR/VR/Real-Time) (MPAHACAN), Mobile/Digital Experiential (AR/VR, Interactive Installations) (MPAAAGAI), VR/AR Gaming Platforms (BPAMAKAG)
Keywords
Where AVARA Media is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toronto
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
AVARA Media business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- B2B Commercial Licensing: AVARA Discover is positioned as a proprietary experience for B2B applications and commercial licensing opportunities, allowing venues and organizations to license AR experiences for their spaces.
- Consumer App Downloads: AVARA Worlds and AVARA Discover apps are available for free download on App Store and Google Play, with potential in-app monetization or premium features.
- Exhibition Licensing: The Biinaagami AR exhibition is available to license for venues, suggesting revenue from short-term or long-term exhibition licensing arrangements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | AVARA Discover - B2B Commercial Licensing |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
AVARA Media product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AVARA Media develops proprietary augmented reality software products and experiences focused on environmental and ecological education. The company sells AVARA Discover, a B2B AR application licensed commercially to venues and organizations, and AVARA Worlds, a consumer-facing gamified learning app. It also produces themed AR experiences such as Biinaagami, Drink Like You Care, JoinTepui, Doorways to the Past, and Anthropocene, many of which are available for venue licensing.
Product overview
AVARA Media is an augmented reality company specializing in environmental and ecological education experiences. The company operates two main technology platforms: AVARA Discover (a B2B commercial licensing platform enabling AR experiences through marker-based scanning) and AVARA Worlds (a consumer-facing gamified safari experience). The product portfolio also includes thematic AR experiences such as Biinaagami (Indigenous-led Great Lakes education), Drink Like You Care (single-use plastics awareness), JoinTepui (Venezuelan exploration), Doorways to the Past (CNE historical exploration), and Anthropocene (human impact on planet). All experiences leverage AVARA's proprietary cloud-based AR technology platform featuring thin-client apps with real-time content delivery capabilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- AVARA Discover: State-of-the-art B2B AR experience for commercial licensing that leverages augmented reality to connect audiences to environmental issues.
- AVARA Worlds
- Biinaagami
- Drink Like You Care
- Anthropocene
- JoinTepui
- Doorways to the Past
Products and services
- AVARA Discover Proprietary B2B AR application platform and commercial licensing solution for delivering state-of-the-art augmented reality experiences; users point their smartphone or tablet at AVARA markers to unlock AR content related to environmental issues. Targeted at venues, museums, and organizations licensing AR experiences for audience engagement.
- AVARA Worlds Gamified learning AR experience that takes users on an immersive Kenyan safari journey, enabling them to build vibrant ecosystems and interact with endangered animals through smartphone or tablet devices. Targeted at consumers, families, and educational audiences.
- Biinaagami Change-provoking AR experience rooted in Indigenous teachings aimed at rebuilding just and healthy relations between wildlife, people, and place in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence watershed. Developed in collaboration with Canadian Geographic and Swim Drink Fish and available to license for venues.
- Drink Like You Care Branded AR experience for Brita demonstrating that a single filter eliminates 1,800 plastic water bottles per family per year through an interactive visual representation, aimed at reducing single-use plastics.
- JoinTepui Virtual exploration platform connecting users with the wonders of Venezuela through immersive AR experiences that invite discovery, learning, and contribution to sustainable tourism. Developed in partnership with Eposak.
- Doorways to the Past Historical AR experience exploring Canadian National Exhibition encounters, transporting visitors through narratives themed around Agriculture & Industry, Music, Arts & Culture, Architecture, and Midway Mayhem.
- Anthropocene Multimedia AR project exploring the impacts of humans on the planet through photography, film, virtual reality, and augmented reality. Led by Edward Burtynsky alongside Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas De Pencier and exhibited at major institutions worldwide.
Quantifiable outcome
- Eliminating 1,800 plastic water bottles per family per year
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use AVARA Media
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
AVARA Media technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature3 records
AVARA Media partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Canadian GeographiccoreAVARA partnered with Canadian Geographic for the Biinaagami AR project, a change-provoking experience rooted in Indigenous teachings about the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence watershed. Canadian Geographic participated in the official launch celebration at the Centre for Geography and Exploration in Ottawa.
- Swim Drink FishcoreAVARA collaborated with Swim Drink Fish on the Biinaagami AR project, working together on this Indigenous-rooted AR experience about the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence watershed. Swim Drink Fish participated in the official launch at the Centre for Geography and Exploration.
- Edward BurtynskycoreEdward Burtynsky is a co-founder of AVARA. He is regarded as one of the world's most accomplished contemporary photographers, known for documenting human industry's impact on the planet. His photographs are included in collections of over 80 major museums worldwide. His involvement connects AVARA to The Anthropocene Project and related AR experiences.
- EposaksupportingEposak partnered with AVARA on the JoinTepui project, a virtual exploration platform connecting users with the wonders of Venezuela through sustainable tourism experiences.
- Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas De PenciercoreLed by Edward Burtynsky along with Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas De Pencier, The Anthropocene Project explores human impacts through photography, film, VR, AR, and scientific research. AVARA developed the AR component of this project.
- BritasupportingAVARA designed and developed the Drink Like You Care AR experience for Brita, visualizing the impact of eliminating 1,800 plastic water bottles per family per year.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
AVARA Media competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Smartify: Smartify offers AR-powered museum and gallery experiences that recognize artworks and surface interpretive content. Comparable to AVARA Discover's marker-based AR overlays used in museums and cultural exhibitions.
- Niantic: Niantic builds consumer AR experiences at scale (Pokémon GO, Ingress) using a proprietary location-based AR platform. Directly comparable to AVARA in combining proprietary AR technology with global consumer apps and B2B/licensing partnerships (e.g., Niantic Studio, 8th Wall).
- Cuseum: Cuseum provides AR, indoor navigation, and digital engagement tools specifically for museums and cultural institutions. Closely comparable to AVARA's museum and venue-focused B2B licensing of AR experiences such as Biinaagami and Doorways to the Past.
- Zappar: Zappar provides a WebAR and mobile AR platform for branded content, packaging, and educational experiences. Comparable to AVARA in enabling venue-based AR activations and B2B commercial licensing of AR content via a managed platform.
- Blippar: Blippar is an AR content and platform company that delivers branded and educational AR experiences via mobile apps. Directly comparable to AVARA in offering marker-triggered AR content for enterprise and consumer audiences across marketing and learning use cases.
- 8th Wall: 8th Wall (acquired by Niantic) is a WebAR development platform powering immersive AR experiences across browsers. Comparable to AVARA's cloud-based, real-time content delivery approach for cross-device AR experiences delivered at scale.
- JigSpace: JigSpace is a 3D/AR learning platform used in education, sales, and training contexts. Directly comparable to AVARA Worlds and AVARA Discover in delivering immersive educational AR experiences to consumers and institutional buyers.
Broad incumbents
- Unity Technologies: Unity is a foundational 3D and real-time platform whose engine underpins many AR/VR and interactive experiences. Comparable to AVARA at the technology layer for real-time 3D content authoring and cross-device deployment, though Unity serves a much broader developer and enterprise base.
- Magic Leap: Magic Leap builds an AR hardware and platform ecosystem for spatial computing and immersive enterprise/creative experiences. Comparable to AVARA as a broader AR ecosystem player pushing immersive enterprise and creative AR use cases.
- Scope AR: Scope AR provides enterprise AR solutions for field service, manufacturing, and training via platforms like WorkLink and Remote AR. Comparable to AVARA in offering step-by-step AR overlays for learning and performance support, though at a much larger enterprise scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
AVARA Media social profiles
Digital presenceAVARA Media financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AVARA Media leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
AVARA Media funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AVARA Media M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about AVARA Media
What does AVARA Media do?
AVARA Media develops proprietary augmented reality software products and experiences focused on environmental and ecological education. The company sells AVARA Discover, a B2B AR application licensed commercially to venues and organizations, and AVARA Worlds, a consumer-facing gamified learning app. It also produces themed AR experiences such as Biinaagami, Drink Like You Care, JoinTepui, Doorways to the Past, and Anthropocene, many of which are available for venue licensing.
Is AVARA Media a public or private company?
AVARA Media is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was AVARA Media founded?
AVARA Media was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is AVARA Media based?
AVARA Media is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, in the North America region.
How does AVARA Media make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. B2B Commercial Licensing is the primary driver. The others are consumer App Downloads and exhibition Licensing.
Who are AVARA Media's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Smartify, Niantic, Cuseum, Zappar, Blippar, 8th Wall and JigSpace. Broad incumbents are Unity Technologies, Magic Leap and Scope AR.
Does AVARA Media have an API?
No public API is recorded for AVARA Media.
What industry is AVARA Media in?
AVARA Media's product category is Augmented Reality Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAGAKAI, AR/VR & Immersive Learning Content Development, with a secondary code of MPAHACAN, Immersive/Interactive Animation (AR/VR/Real-Time). Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7372.