The Sozo Story
Technology should be a tool that allows you to do something in a more efficient and engaging way. We don’t see virtual and augmented reality as gimmicks. We see them as opportunities to create new solutions to old problems. Our mission at Sozo is to engage and delight our customers, using immersive technology in creative ways.
“Sozo” is derived from the Japanese word for imagination. Sozo Labs is a place where imaginative ideas come to life. Our team of engineers are committed to developing innovative, world-class software. We believe in partnerships. We have always focused on building and maintaining strong bonds with each other, as well as with our customers.
We want to exhilarate, surprise, and create the unique value that only immersive technology can offer — and we’ll keep you in the loop every step of the way.
Meet Some Of The Team
Jason Haddock
CEO
If there were such a thing as the pun Olympics, Jason would be bringing home the gold for Sozo. The resident and cringe worthy master of the dad joke and pop culture reference, Jason keeps everybody focussed on the important stuff, while helping Sozo create a light-hearted environment where we work hard, have fun and laugh a lot (not that often at his dad jokes though).
Having vast experience in Augmented and Virtual Reality and having run global businesses, Jason ‘Captain’ Haddock steers the Sozo ship towards to new frontiers, while avoiding icebergs along the way. Jason is a 2x TEDx speaker, and an organiser of the TEDx Cape Town event.
Jason has been instrumental in developing a culture that never forgets about the human touch. Sozo is built on a foundation of trust and care.
Gerrit Kruger
CTO
Gerrit is the epitome of the quiet guy, you know, the one who has a brilliant mind, but you would never know because he quietly sits in a meeting with an infectious smile on his face. Every now and then though, he will drop a logic bomb on you that will make you head explode. Which makes the rest of us a little envious.
When meetings get a bit too silly, Gerrit gets the soldiers in back line. If Jason is the “cool dad”, then Gerrit is the “strict mom”. He is the Ying to Jason’s Yang.
As CTO, Gerrit’s happy place is behind two monitors with his codebase, an exquisite homemade cappuccino, and his daily rusk. He is responsible for spearheading technological innovation at Sozo. In his free time, Gerrit dabbles in gaming and learning Japanese. Oh yes he’s learning Japanese, we think he’s learning Japanese, we really think so. (good luck getting that song out of your head now)
Devin Ambrose
Project Manager
Devin is that guy you gravitate to at a braai (barbeque for the rest of the world), he’s endearing, lovable, and has a smile that Jonny Bravo would envy.
When not flipping lamp chops, you will find him racing around the dunes on his motocross bike, imagining he was performing at a Red Bull event, doing a 1080 superman flip while opening a beer with his left eye-lid.
Not to stop there, you know when you use that phrase, “It looks like Greek to me?!?“, well that doesn’t apply to Devin, because he can speak-a the Greek. Which is absolutely useless at Sozo because we have zero need for Greek translators and we don’t even know why we mentioned it, we definitely aren’t jealous – at all, not one little bit…really, we aren’t.
At Sozo, Devin is our resident cat wrangler, juggling endless customer demands while keeping our engineers running like a well oiled machine, which leaves them glistening almost as much as that epic Jonny Bravo smile.
What We Value
Embracing our Humanness
The human touch (Springsteen anyone?) is at the centre of everything we do. We are committed to not losing sight of our co-workers and our clients’ humanity. At Sozo Labs, people aren’t resources. Our software is developed by people, for people.
Curious Explorers
Working with rapidly advancing and novel technology involves a journey into the unknown. We use immersive tech to explore new ways to solve old problems. One of our missions is to be your guide on the quest to take the ring to Mordor. We are the Gandalf to your Frodo.
Commitment to Courage
It can be a daunting challenge to perform in a fast paced industry that is ever-changing and improving. Tackling certain obstacles and devising solutions early on requires equal parts foresight and bravery. Courage is seen in the way we solve problems and the way we adapt to change.
Creating Delight
Immersive technology has the power to transport us to entirely new realities. We are determined to use XR to not only solve problems, but to create awe and delight for anyone that uses our solutions. We want deep engagement from the users of our solutions.