Excitement in next-level video, and in the local tech community

By Matt Sayre

Thrill seeking skydivers in the U.S jump out of airplanes more than three million times each year. Revl, a venture-backed tech startup, is poised to capture those jumps, and other adrenaline-fueled experiences, with cinematic videos in ways that have never been done before.

That’s great for thrill seekers, but why does it matter here? Revl was founded in San Francisco in 2015, but like so many other new and established tech companies, it has core staff in Eugene. It has already received $6 million dollars in seed funding, so some of that money is currently moving through the local tech economy.

Revl software

What sets the Revl platform apart from a crowded field of companies offering action cameras, including those from well-known brands GoPro and DJI, isn’t Revl’s hardware, but in the software that edits the recorded videos.

That software is being developed by a distributed team of software engineers who work remotely, across Oregon and California. Oliver Dain, Director of Software, works for Revl out of CodeChops, a co-working space in downtown Eugene.

“We’re using machine learning and artificial intelligence to solve super-interesting problems,” Dain says. “Our software scans and automatically edits the videos customers shoot on Revl cameras.”

Revl’s sophisticated software evaluates video footage for both motion and emotion, and records on multiple cameras. Artificial intelligence evaluates the cameras’ sensor data and also scans the videos for the biggest smiles, the most vivid scenery, and for dynamic tricks. It then stitches those scenes together into one cohesive video set to music, automatically.

From the time the cameras are set to upload the video footage to the cloud, the whole process to produce a finished video takes just about a minute.

Revl hardware

Revl’s sport action camera has built-in physical and electronic image stabilization that helps prevent shaky video. The camera is waterproof, has built-in wifi, and includes sensors that record altitude, speed, and rotation. All of this in a compact form factor that is only about half the size of a soda-pop can. What’s more, the cameras can be mounted on the side of a helmet, skateboard, or held at the end of a selfie stick.

In-demand skills

Revl is tapping the pool of software engineers who can create software that leverages sophisticated technologies like machine learning. These people are in high demand. In fact, a recent report from hiring website Indeed named Machine Learning Engineer as the best job of 2019, where “best” is defined as those occupations experiencing the fastest growth and offering the highest pay. Thanks to Revl and similar tech companies, some of those in-demand high-earners are landing in Eugene.

So, why Eugene, Oregon?

As a remote employee himself, Dain has the flexibility to work for Revl from any city that has good internet connectivity. Dain shared that he and his wife “made a spreadsheet of mid-sized college towns, and Eugene rose to the top of that list.” The Dains moved to Eugene in 2005. “My wife likes the coast and I enjoy the mountains, so in choosing Eugene we get both nearby,” he notes.

Scott Lively also works for Revl out of Eugene’s CodeChops. He started with the company just two weeks ago.

“I originally moved to Eugene while working for another tech startup out of San Francisco,” Lively says. “Now with Revl, I get to work on exciting challenges across infrastructure, software in multiple languages, deployments, and UI/UX.”

Lively also shared that Eugene stands out from other cities that he has lived in, including Chicago and Austin, because “the tech community tends to be one big group in Eugene, and the people here are really approachable.” Lively also noted that Eugene has a growing number of community connections to other West Coast tech hubs, making it increasingly easy to work for companies that are physically located here, as well as remotely for companies that aren’t.

Interested in working for Revl?

They are currently hiring Support Engineers, Senior Backend Generalists, and for Field Operations roles in Eugene, Oregon. 

Matt Sayre

VP, TAO / Head of TAO – Southern Willamette Valley

Matt is an Oregon native and University of Oregon Alumni, with degrees in Economics, Business, and Geography. After finding professional success in the Bay Area and Portland, he followed the Salmon pattern and returned home to raise his two boys in the southern Willamette Valley. In the Spring of 2015 Matt joined The Technology Association of Oregon, based in Eugene. In the Summer of 2015, Eugene was recognized as one of the Top 10 up and coming tech cities in the Nation

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