CED Tech Venture profile: Helium Cine aims to sharpen smartphone photography

Want professional-level photography quality performance from your smartphone? Helium Cine in Durham may have the tools you need to achieve that.

Here’s an iPhone sample – the Helium Core – as the startup explained in its April Kickstarter campaign, which CEO Brandon Hoe describes as “successful:”

“The Helium Core is the basic building block for iPhoneography. It allows you to turn your iPhone into a powerful camera by allowing you to easily accessorize and get creative with how you use it. Add lenses or filters, and accessorize with lights, flashes, microphones and other commonly-available components. Its numerous 1/4″-20 mounting points provides flexible attachment options, and allows you to mount it on a tripod, shoulder mount, jib or slider, or on the rig from your wild imagination.”

(Watch the video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Frxd0xWeXOg )

Helium is among the 90+ startups and emerging entrepreneurial companies presented at the CED Tech Venture conference in September. WRAL TechWire is profiling the startups in partnership with the CED.

Our Q&A with Hoe:

What is the focus of your business?

Helium develops professional-grade filmmaking and photography tools for smartphones.

What is the top pain point/business application you are seeking to address?

An increasing number of content professionals and media organizations are using smartphones as their primary camera, either for photography or filmmaking, but there is a dearth of professional-grade accessories to support them. Helium fills that gap.

What makes it unique?

It’s the first truly professional grade product targeted at this market – it’s durable, precise and highly versatile.

Why should investors be interested in your firm?

The market is nascent, and the projected global opportunity in this segment is expected to be $1B in 2020.

Our product development and business functions are led by Fortune 500 veterans, and we’ve already established global awareness and interest through a successful Kickstarter campaign, PR push, partnerships and ongoing social media efforts.

Business facts: