The beginning of Solace

Solace XR did not start as a company. It started as a research question.

During my Master’s in Simulation and Emergent Technologies, I became interested in how simulation systems shape human experience. Not in a technical sense, but in a deeply human one.

What happens when simulation intersects with memory, presence, and emotional continuity? Could a digital simulation of oneself, when combined with clinical therapy, provide solace to those left behind?

At the time, this was not about building a product. It was about examining how technology influences complex, human experiences we have traditionally kept outside digital systems.

After finishing the degree, I spent months speaking with developers to see whether this idea could exist beyond research. Most conversations went nowhere. A few were promising but misaligned. Eventually, I assumed it might remain an academic exploration rather than become something real.

Then I received a call I did not expect.

Ravi Dikkala and I had worked together more than twenty years ago. We had stayed loosely in touch, but our careers had taken different paths. That conversation helped the idea move from possibility to intention. Not because he promised anything, but because he understood the weight of what I was trying to explore.

Through Ravi, I was introduced to our third co-founder, who now leads operations. He brings structure where I bring the thinking that shapes what we are creating. He keeps us organised, focused on delivery, and accountable to the goals we set. That balance matters more than I realised at the time.

In October, we officially registered Solace. Since then, we have been working deliberately and quietly. We have an intern working alongside us. We follow sprints. We set goals and deliver against them. Progress has been steady rather than spectacular, and that has been intentional.

I am sharing this now because context matters.

Solace was not born from a pitch deck or a market scan. It emerged from research, a problem I deeply believe needs solving, and an unexpected reconnection that brought the right people together.

This beginning continues to shape how we are building and the lines we refuse to cross. Over the coming weeks, I’ll be writing about the decisions, questions, and considerations shaping how we’re building Solace.