Australian Startup Launches Precision AR Platform for Field Use
Australian technology venture FoundAt has commenced its soft launch phase, unveiling a groundbreaking augmented reality (AR) platform designed specifically for field operations and asset management. This locally developed solution breaks away from conventional AR methods, leveraging geolocation accuracy rather than scanning or 3D modelling to visualise, manage, and capture site-specific data. Accessible through a standard mobile device, FoundAt offers frontline workers instant access to critical information on location, enhancing operational efficiency and decision-making.
The idea behind FoundAt emerged from long-standing frustrations in sectors like construction and mining. With over twenty years of experience in these fields, its founder observed recurring inefficiencies caused by fragmented access to information. Workers often found themselves navigating thousands of documents spread across disparate platforms, leading to errors, safety risks, and lost time. Traditional AR platforms failed to meet the demands of dynamic work environments, requiring repeated rescanning or becoming unreliable when settings changed. These limitations underscored the need for a more adaptable and precise alternative.
Standard AR systems often fall short in live, evolving environments such as processing facilities or commercial buildings, where even minor changes, like repositioned furniture or increased human presence, can render image recognition ineffective. To overcome these barriers, FoundAt introduced a proprietary system named GoLocatAR, short for geolocated-augmented reality. This new approach removes the reliance on environmental scans entirely, allowing users to place digital information with pinpoint accuracy, within 10 centimetres, directly onto physical spaces using advanced calibration tools.
GoLocatAR’s strength lies in its flexibility across varied settings. Outdoors, it integrates with Google Street View to triangulate user positions with approximately 30-centimetre precision, particularly effective in urban or infrastructure-dense areas. Indoors, a unique QR-based calibration method enables the system to determine a device’s location with as little as 3-centimetre accuracy. Unlike other solutions requiring numerous QR markers, FoundAt can operate across entire sites using just one strategically placed code.
The platform supports a wide range of file types and use cases, safety protocols, inspection checklists, induction records, and training materials, all of which can be instantly accessible when viewed through a mobile screen. Importantly, FoundAt does not store or control any client data. The technology acts purely as a visual interface, pulling information directly from the client’s preferred data environment, such as OneDrive, Google Drive, or SharePoint. This ensures full data sovereignty, with companies retaining complete control over access and permissions according to their internal protocols.
Despite only entering the market, the technology has already attracted attention across several sectors, including mining, transport, utilities, commercial construction, and broader asset management. FoundAt’s participation in the REACH Proptech Accelerator has further bolstered its visibility, enabling collaborations with property developers interested in showcasing pre-construction projects. In some cases, the technology allows potential buyers to experience full-scale AR visualisations of future buildings accurately placed within the real skyline, offering an immersive perspective before construction even begins.
FoundAt’s innovation journey traces back to 2019 when the original patent was filed. Development faced delays during the COVID-19 pandemic but resumed in earnest by 2023 following a modest funding round. Unlike major tech corporations that invest tens of millions into AR development, FoundAt managed to create its platform with significantly less capital. One of the key technical challenges was integrating components such as Google Street View, Unity, and React Native, all of which were crucial to ensuring smooth functionality in real-world conditions where legacy systems often fall short.
The system is now live and ready for client onboarding. Early adopters have access to one of the most finely tuned AR platforms tailored to field-based operations. While it shares conceptual space with digital twin technologies, FoundAt’s approach is faster to implement, more cost-effective, and doesn’t require expensive hardware or complex 3D modelling. The experience remains firmly grounded in the real world, delivering practical outcomes over simulated environments.
The platform has also gained traction beyond domestic borders. The United States Patent and Trademark Office has granted approval for FoundAt’s core technology, laying the groundwork for international expansion. While the company remains focused on the Australian market for now, expressions of interest have already surfaced from North America, Southeast Asia, and Africa.
Looking ahead, FoundAt plans to document real-world case studies, refine its messaging, and demonstrate how its technology can bring immediate and measurable benefits across multiple industries. At its core, FoundAt promises a simple yet transformative offering: making data visible, accessible, and relevant, right where and when it matters most.
