Professional Overview
Jamie Gennis serves as the Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Tilt Five, Inc., a Silicon Valley-based company specializing in augmented reality (AR) tabletop gaming systems. Based in San Jose, California, Jamie has been with Tilt Five since its founding in 2017. His role encompasses overseeing the technological development and innovation of the company's proprietary AR hardware and software ecosystem that blends holographic 3D environments with interactive tabletop gaming experiences.
Career History
Jamie brings over 18 years of experience in software engineering and management within leading technology firms:
- NVIDIA (circa 2005–2010): Started his career as an Engineering Manager and System Software Engineer focusing on OpenGL chips, contributing to foundational graphics technologies.
- Google (2010–2015): Advanced to Staff Software Engineer roles within Google Robotics and Android Graphics teams, indicating expertise in robotics integration and Android rendering pipelines.
- SpaceX (2015–2016): Served as a Senior Software Engineer on the Dragon Flight Software Team, demonstrating capability in mission-critical aerospace software development.
- castAR (2016–2017): Worked as a Software Engineer at castAR, an AR-focused company, immediately preceding Tilt Five, which evolved from castAR’s technology lineage.
During this progression, Jamie gained substantial experience in graphics, robotics, aerospace, and augmented reality systems, positioning him uniquely to lead Tilt Five’s technical efforts.
Education
Jamie earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Mathematics from Purdue University (2000–2005). His dual quantitative and computing background supports his technical leadership in complex AR software and hardware integration.
Technical and Leadership Profile
- Technology Focus: Jamie oversees development of Tilt Five’s patented AR glasses, companion retroreflective gameboards, and wand motion controllers which collectively project immersive, stereoscopic 3D holograms for social tabletop gaming.
- Innovation Impact: His leadership has helped Tilt Five deliver a cost-efficient, space-conscious AR system that circumvents common barriers seen in fully immersive AR solutions by leveraging existing home table spaces. This practical approach addresses consumer accessibility challenges inherent in other AR platforms.
- Developer Support: Under Jamie’s CTO leadership, Tilt Five actively fosters a developer community through its Game Developer Portal. This outreach accelerates third-party game integrations and the expansion of the Tilt Five software ecosystem.
Tilt Five Company Context
- Industry: Augmented Reality, 3D Technology, Video Games.
- Headquarters: San Jose, California.
- Employees: 11–50.
- Funding: Successfully completed a Kickstarter campaign in 2019, raising over $1.7 million, marking the most successful AR crowdfunding campaign to date. Additional backing includes SIP Global Partners, BITKRAFT Ventures, Galaxy Interactive, Logitech, and games industry leader Ken Birdwell.
- Product Offering: Tilt Five’s system combines proprietary AR glasses, a retroreflective gameboard, and a wand controller to create a holographic tabletop gaming experience. The product targets gamers and tabletop enthusiasts aiming for a compelling social AR environment.
- Market Position: Positioned uniquely as an AR system that “crowds around” a table, Tilt Five avoids the spatial requirements of fully immersive AR headsets, increasing consumer adoption feasibility.
Recent Company Activity and Product Highlights
- Product Launches: Tilt Five has announced multiple official game launch titles, encompassing a wide range of genres such as roguelite skyline crawlers, modern noir thrillers, multiplayer brawls, puzzle games, and cross-platform online multiplayer experiences. These titles demonstrate versatile application of the platform’s AR capabilities.
- Partnerships: Tilt Five partnered with Asmodee to bring the popular board game Catan to AR, officially launching in Spring 2023. This reflects a strategic move to embed familiar, well-loved games in the holographic AR space, increasing market appeal.
- Developer Engagement: Continuous SDK updates and support for third-party developers highlight a commitment to growing the ecosystem and refining the holographic gaming experience.
- Community and Market Positioning: Supported by a dedicated base of over 3,000 Kickstarter backers and a network of external developers, Tilt Five positions itself as a pioneer in accessible, social AR gaming.
Professional Network and Internal Team
- Jamie works closely alongside Jeri Ellsworth, CEO and Co-founder of Tilt Five, who has a background at Valve Software and leadership in AR hardware.
- The engineering team under his management includes roles such as Prototype Engineering Manager and Principal Software Engineers, comprising six members in total.
- Communication and marketing leadership includes Stephanie Greenall (Head of Communications).
Location and Contact Insights
- Jamie is located in San Jose, California, aligned with the company’s headquarters.
- The company website and LinkedIn profiles provide professional contact channels for further engagement.
In summary, Jamie Gennis is a seasoned technology executive with extensive experience in graphics, robotics, and aerospace software engineering, now leveraging this expertise to drive innovation in affordable, socially-focused AR gaming hardware and software as Tilt Five’s CTO and co-founder. His leadership is integral to Tilt Five’s successful crowdfunding, product development, developer relations, and partnerships within the AR gaming industry.
