TORONTO, January 16, 2024 – ARHT Media Inc. (“ARHT” or “the Company”) (TSXV: ART), (OTCQB: ARHTF) the global leader in the development, production and distribution of high-quality, low latency hologram and digital content, is pleased to announce its partnership with Cairo Einrichtungsversand AG (“Cairo“), a leading design furniture retailer based in Germany.
Under the visionary leadership of Gero Furchheim, the president of the German E-commerce Association and CEO of Cairo, the project aims to merge the physical and digital worlds in a way never seen before. Leveraging ARHT hologram technology, Cairo plans to “duplicate” their sales assistants as live holograms and beam them via ARHT CAPSULE to other retail shops, offering a unique and immersive shopping experience for their customers.
“I saw the potential of holograms during my visit to the NRF Big Show last year,” confesses Furchheim. “I witnessed the CAPSULE technology in action, and it immediately fascinated me. The idea of teleporting a sales assistant as a live hologram to another retail shop was truly groundbreaking, and we knew we had to explore it further.”
The project is part of the “Future Retail Store”, funded by the Günther Rid Foundation for Bavarian Retail and executed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS. Cairo was one of the two retailers winning the Future Retail Store competition, which enabled them to turn this idea into reality. The first step is a proof of concept in the open innovation lab “JOSEPHSⓇ“, a spin-off research project of Fraunhofer IIS and Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, which is conveniently located just 230 meters from the Cairo showroom in Nuremberg.
“We are thrilled to be working with ARHT,” says Furchheim. “Their experienced team of creatives and professionals has enabled us to create a truly immersive and interactive experience for our customers. In the future, with this technology, we can bring our sales assistants to different locations, making it possible for customers to receive personalized consultations and experience our products firsthand.”
Cairo plans to invite its existing customers to be part of this innovative pilot experiment. They will have the opportunity to receive complete sales pitches and consultations from the holographic sales assistants who are filmed in the Cairo store in Nuremberg as if they were in the same room. If successful, Cairo aims to open smaller stores in various locations, offering customers the chance to interact with holographic sales assistants. The Fraunhofer IIS and the Rid Foundation will conduct scientific research during the proof of concept on the reactions of the customers.
“We believe that this partnership with ARHT will bring endless opportunities for us,” states Furchheim. “From showcasing world-famous designers at customer events to creating immersive showroom experiences through kiosk mode and storytelling, this collaboration has the power to redefine the retail industry.”
“We are excited to take the impact and power of our live holographic telepresence technology and continue to apply it in the global retail industry,” says Larry O’Reilly, CEO at ARHT. “This partnership with Cairo represents a major step forward in the phygital realm, providing customers with a truly personalized and engaging shopping experience.”
The partnership between ARHT and Cairo demonstrates the commitment to embracing digital and technical possibilities to stay relevant in the ever-evolving retail landscape. With the holographic sales assistant, Cairo aims to reshape the way customers interact with their products and bring a new level of personalization to the retail experience.
The project will run from January 24 to March 17, with a demo day scheduled in the first half of March, revealing the first research results.
About Cairo
Cairo is a leading design furniture retailer based in Germany, serving customers in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and France. With over 30 years of experience, Cairo has established itself as a premier destination for high-end design furniture. Combining e-commerce and physical stores, they provide customers with a seamless shopping experience. For more information, visit www.cairo.de.
About ARHT
ARHT is a pioneer and the global leader in live hologram technology. Thanks to its patented end-to-end technology, executives, medical experts, educators, entertainers, and thought leaders can travel at the speed of light to any destination.
ARHT was founded in 2014 and is publicly traded on the TSX Venture Exchange. ARHT has offices in North America, Europe, and Asia and operates from its own studios in locations from Toronto to Singapore, as well as a large network of partner studios in every region.
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Alternatively, email us directly at info@arht.tech.
ARHT trades under the symbol “ART” on the TSX Venture Exchange.
Press Inquiries:
Kristen Spence
kspence@arht.tech
ARHT
Hanna Ayyad
Chief Financial Officer
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