Tracxn looks at the Top 10 VR Content providers who will be leading the drive for Virtual Reality
Funding in Virtual Reality Content providers has seen a 377% increase over the last year with $248M invested in 2015, vis-a-vis the $52M in 2014. With the recent release of Samsung Gear VR, and the imminent launches of HTC Vive, Playstation VR and the high profile Oculus Rift, we can expect the push for VR Content to only increase in the next few years.
As we begin to see this shift, Tracxn takes a look at the Top 10 VR Content providers who will be leading the drive for Virtual Reality:
JauntVR
JauntVR has received a lot of attention in recent times, thanks to its recent funding announcement of The Walt Disney Company leading a $66M Investment in the VR startup. Jaunt creates hardware, software, tools, and applications to enable content creators to make powerful Virtual Reality cinema experiences.
Select Investors: The Walt Disney Company, SV Angel, Google Ventures, Sky Corporate, Highland Capital Partners, Axel Springer, Participant Media, Redpoint Ventures, TPG Growth, Madison Square Garden Co, ProSiebenSat1, Evolution Capital Partners LLC
Total Funding Raised (Disclosed): $100M
CCP Games
CCP Games is a Video Game developer, specializing in the MMORPG domain in particular and MMO domain in general. CCP games released its first mobile VR title “Eve Gunjack” for the Samsung Gear VR, and is developing a VR title for Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR called “Eve Valkyrie”.
Select Investors: New Enterprise Associates, Novator
Total Funding Raised (Disclosed): $66.3M
Wevr
WEVR, formerly Wemo Lab, provides an open VR technology platform which enables storytellers to create, present, and publish projects on all VR headsets. The startup received $10M funding from HTC in July’15, for a 15% stake, and has recently launched a cross-platform VR content network for VR filmmakers to showcase their content.
Select Investors: HTC Corporation, Evolution Media Capital, Samsung Venture Investment Corporation, Orange, Boldstart, Digital Garage Inc.
Total Funding Raised (Disclosed): $46.95M
NextVR
NextVR is a pioneer in delivering premium content for immersive, high-definition, live or recorded virtual reality experiences. The startup aims to transport viewers into a near life-like experience, such as a concert or sporting events, with a complete 360-degree, three-dimensional view.
The startups most recent funding was through its $30.5M Series A led by Formation 8.
Select Investors: Formation 8, Dick Clark Productions, Time Warner Investments, RSE Ventures, Comcast Ventures, The Madison Square Garden Company
Total Funding Raised (Disclosed): $35.5M
Legend3D
Legend3D, formerly known as Legend Films, is a digital media and visual effects company, offering 2D to 3D conversion services for motion pictures, television shows, advertisements, and other visual entertainment assets for filmmakers.
Select Investors: Northwater IP Fund, Augustus Ventures Limited
Total Funding Raised (Disclosed): $34.8M
Improbable
Improbable provides an Operating System to simulate large-scale VR worlds, which can involve millions of entities interacting with each other. The Team includes Nick Button-Brown from Crytek and Google Hangouts developer Sam Kalnins.
Select Investors: Andreessen Horowitz
Total Funding Raised (Disclosed): $20M
Linden Lab
Linden Lab, the creators of the popular virtual world, Second Life, is a developer of digital entertainment that inspires users to create virtual objects, share and socialize. Linden is also developing a next-generation platform for user-created, social virtual experiences, codenamed Project Sansar.
Select Investors: Catamount Ventures, Benchmark, Omidyar Network, Kapor Enterprises, Inc., Globespan Capital Partners
Total Funding Raised (Disclosed): $19M
High Fidelity
High Fidelity is building deployable virtual worlds, which will allow users to manipulate virtual environments in a natural way and communicate. The main idea driving High Fidelity forward is the user’s ability to quickly generate a virtual space to meet in and interact with. Founded by Second Life founder Phillip Rosedale, the project has been often touted to be the next Second Life.
Select Investors: True Ventures, Google Ventures, Linden Lab, Vulcan Capital, Kapor Capital
Total Funding Raised (Disclosed): $15.9M
8i
8i creates 3D content to view on a virtual reality head-mounted display. 8i is using Oculus Rift technology to produce a new trademarked medium called Holographic Virtual Reality (HVR).
Select Investors: Rothenberg Ventures, Boost VC, Founders Fund, Samsung Venture Investment Corporation, RRE Ventures, Sound Ventures, Signia Venture Partners, Advancit Capital, Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments, Horizon Ventures, Kortschak Investments, End Cue, Dolby Family Ventures
Total Funding Raised (Disclosed): $14.5M