Profile Summary
Name: Dana Loberg
Position: CEO and Founder
Company: Leo AR Camera (and MojiLaLa)
Professional Background
Dana Loberg is a serial entrepreneur and artist known for her ventures in augmented reality and digital communication. She is currently the CEO and Founder of Leo AR, a consumer-facing augmented reality (AR) application that allows users to enrich their environment with realistic 3D and 4D animated objects. Leo AR is pioneering the AR communications space by leveraging cutting-edge technology to integrate augmented reality seamlessly into daily life.
Previous Ventures
- MojiLaLa: Loberg co-founded MojiLaLa, a sticker distribution and marketplace app. The platform became a significant player in the digital sticker space, boasting over 32,000 stickers and thousands of designers globally. MojiLaLa was particularly successful due to its innovative search features and the timing of its launch, which coincided with Apple’s introduction of the sticker market.
Education and Early Career
Dana Loberg holds a degree from Yale University and is an alum of StartX and 500 Startups. She began her professional journey in the creative departments of major advertising agencies, including McCann Erickson NY and J. Walter Thompson NY. Her background in art and advertising laid the foundation for her transition into tech entrepreneurship.
Leo AR: Evolution and Achievements
- Founding and Pivot: Leo AR originated as MojiLaLa in 2016, focusing on digital stickers. The app pivoted to AR upon witnessing user behavior that favored camera and video enhancements over text-based stickers. This shift coincided with the launch of Apple’s ARKit, prompting the development of the Leo AR app from scratch.
- Technology and Innovation: Leo AR was one of the first consumer-facing AR applications on mobile devices, capitalizing on advances in AR technology to provide users with a flexible and immersive AR experience. The app utilizes advanced sensor and camera technology to place 3D animated objects in real-world scenes.
- Fundraising and Growth: Leo AR successfully raised $3 million in a seed round, indicating strong investor confidence and providing the necessary capital to expand its offerings and market presence.
Notable Collaborators
- Sahin Boydas and Ahmet Ardal: Co-founders who have played crucial roles in the strategic and technological development of Leo AR.
- StartX, 500 Startups, and Betaworks: Loberg’s affiliation with these accelerators has contributed to her entrepreneurial growth and network within Silicon Valley.
Future Vision
Dana Loberg’s vision for Leo AR extends beyond its current capabilities. She sees AR as the future of interactive and immersive communication, predicting a shift towards AR glasses and more integrated mixed-reality experiences. Dana aims to position Leo AR at the forefront of this technological evolution, focusing on user empowerment and creative expression through AR.
Artistic Pursuits
Apart from her entrepreneurial ventures, Dana Loberg is an accomplished artist, specializing in charcoal portraits and unique fingerprint art. Her artistic sensitivity informs her work in technology, merging creativity with digital innovation to produce user-centric applications.
Conclusion
Dana Loberg exemplifies the intersection between art and technology, driving forward the capabilities of augmented reality through her leadership at Leo AR. Her experience and vision position her as an influential figure in the evolving landscape of digital and AR communication, making her a valuable contact for any stakeholders interested in the future of AR technology.
