Papa Pro pocket projector to offer portable cinema for US$250 after Chinese start-up raises US$7m

Portable video projectors have yet to gain a foothold in China, but local start-up PaPa hopes to change that by launching its PaPa Pro for under US$250 after it raised 45 million yuan (US$7.25 million) in Series A funding this week.

The device can fit in the palm of the hand and is capable of projecting the lastest Hollywood blockbuster in full HD on a 120-inch screen - which would have to be purchased separately - a strong selling point that PaPa believes could see sales take off on the Chinese mainland.

The investors were not named, but the company said it intends to use the funds for product development and recruitment. 

PaPa, which was founded last November, generated 5 million yuan in its first round of funding, attracting heavyweight investors like China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba and the country’s largest internet services portal Tencent.

The start-up is offering a battery-powered “pocket movie theatre” that weighs 200 grams and measures 10cm squared. It has a true resolution of 854x480 pixels but will be able to project a full 1080p film on a single battery charge. 

The device will not have external inputs, but will have Bluetooth and Wi-fi functions.