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Virtuix has secured $3 million in a seed funding round for its Omni treadmill designed for use with virtual reality headsets.
The firm, which last year raised $1.1m on Kickstarter for the project, said the funds would be used to grow its team, expand mass production and grow its distribution network for the commercial launch of the tech in the summer.
It clarified that while the crowdfunding money went toward development of the tech, the latest investment would improve and broaden its distribution.
The funding comes from Tekton Ventures, Scentan Ventures, Radical Investments, Maveron, Scout Ventures, StartCaps Ventures and a group of private investors.
Virtuix’s Omni treadmill tracks a player’s movement in-game, and can be used in conjunction with a virtual reality headset, such as the Oculus Rift, and a game controller.
“We believe Virtuix’s virtual reality technology will not only disrupt the immersive gaming landscape but will enable even more useful, personal and entertaining experiences in areas beyond gaming: training and simulation, fitness, medical, military,” said Tekton Ventures founder Jai Choi.
“The Omni is just scratching the surface to the possibilities and we’re honoured to be working with Jan and the Virtuix team.”
In a statement on its Kickstarter page, Virtuix added: “The successful funding of our seed round (our round was more than 95 per cent over-subscribed) is a great validation of our journey together since our Kickstarter campaign last year.
“We are more excited than ever about the future of virtual reality and the important role the Omni will play in this rapidly emerging space. Thank you for your continued support and confidence. We are not cutting any corners and are gearing up to bring a top quality Omni to market and into your hands this summer. Let’s get ready to enter a new world.”
The Omni treadmill is currently available for pre-order and costs $499 for a single treadmill. The tech is currently estimated for delivery in September.
Developers interested in getting early access to the Omni SDK have been encouraged to contact the company at developers@virtuix.com.
