Ben Taft

Ben Taft is a prominent entrepreneur and investor in the technology industry, particularly in the field of augmented reality (AR) and venture capital. Here's an overview of his career and achievements:

Professional Experience

Founder and CEO of Mira: Ben Taft founded Mira in 2016, a company that specialized in developing augmented reality hardware.1 Under his leadership, Mira created AR headsets and raised $20 million in funding.4 The company's notable achievements include:

• Developing the Prism Pro AR head-mounted display hardware2
• Creating AR solutions for industrial applications and deskless workers3
• Designing technology for the Nintendo/Universal Studios Mario Kart ride1

Mira was acquired by Apple in 2022, after which Taft spent a year working as a Product Manager for Vision Pro and Apple Music.15

Current Ventures: After the acquisition, Taft has moved on to new projects:

• Founder & CEO of Daisy, a startup focused on changing the way we experience music (July 2023 - Present)1
• Founding Partner at Genius Ventures, where he writes first checks for promising founders (2022 - Present)1

Investments and Portfolio

As an investor, Taft has been involved with several successful startups. His portfolio includes founding and early investments in companies such as Emotive, Way, Keeper, Moment (acquired by Patreon), Forge, Factory, Method Security, and Timeback, among others.1

Education and Awards

• Recipient of the Iovine and Young Prize in May 2016 for his augmented reality startup, illisio1
• Winner of the Outside Hacks 2015 - Best Integration of Pebble API award1

Skills and Languages

Taft is proficient in multiple languages:

• English (native or bilingual proficiency)
• Russian (professional working proficiency)
• Mandarin (limited working proficiency)1

Ben Taft's career demonstrates a strong focus on innovation in AR technology and a keen eye for identifying and supporting promising startups in the tech industry.