California-based virtual reality (VR) specialist VOKE has announced the hiring of David Aufhauser as Chief Strategy and Product Officer for the company.
Aufhauser has over 20 years of experience leading teams to build and grow digital media businesses focused on media and sports/entertainment. Previous appointments include Yahoo!, AOL, Justin.tv and Pac-12 Networks. It was at the latter that Aufhauser spent the last 4 years as General Manager and Vice President.
“David’s vast experience and track record for successfully bringing digital products to market will be very valuable to our team,” VOKE Co-Founder and CEO Sankar “Jay” Jayaram said. “We have been developing a highly flexible platform that allows us to provide the most immersive live content experiences for fans in sports and entertainment. As we continue to build our team and add leaders like David, our product and unique experiences will continue to grow and will benefit the entire VR content community.”
VOKE’s specialises in producing live 360-degree content for sports and entertainment. The company recently partnered with Turner Sports to create a live feed during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four, giving viewers a courtside seat. It was back in November 2015 that VRFocus first reported on VOKE announcing a new strategic partnership with teams from both the NFL and NBA.
“Jay is a true visionary in the world of virtual reality and that can be seen in the technology that he is creating and the team he is assembling,” Aufhauser said. “We are at the center of a paradigm shift. Just as mobile technology has touched all of our lives, VR and AR are poised to have the same kind of impact on everyone. I am very excited about the opportunity to help deliver unforgettable experiences to fans globally.”
The Santa Clara-based firm looks to continue its expansion after closing a Series A round of funding, led by Intel Capital. Its growth focus will be on engineering and product activation.
VRFocus will continue its coverage of VOKE, reporting back with any further updates.
