- Immerse recently announced it raised $9 million in funding. These are the details.
Immerse — a leading virtual reality language teaching and learning platform in the metaverse — announced that it has raised $9 million in Series B funding. The funding round was co-led by existing investor Eagle Venture Fund and new investor Mustang Creek Capital and includes participation from new and returning social impact investors. This investment brings the company’s total capital raised to $11.5 million.
Launched in 2017, Immerse disrupted the language education industry and pioneered social VR language learning with the first synchronous VR language teaching and learning platform. The commercial platform is used in partnership with the world’s top language schools to deliver VR English language learning experiences to students in the Asian, European, and Latin American markets.
Now Immerse is poised to become the first subscription-based VR education service company in the metaverse and will bring its fully immersive, instructor-led, multiplayer language learning experiences directly to serious language learners and VR enthusiasts. And Immerse will launch its consumer-facing VR world languages learning app on the Meta Quest store this summer starting with the release of their Spanish language learning program. A French learning program is going to be released in the fall, followed by German, Japanese and Italian in the months to come.
The new funding round will enable Immerse to significantly grow its team, invest in continued product innovation, and launch its VR app onto other major VR platforms. And Immerse plans to grow its global team from 12 to 35 over the next 4 months and is already hiring for a variety of education, engineering, and marketing roles.
Essentially Immerse transports learners into a fully-immersive virtual world where they can socially and physically interact in real-time with their peers and instructor in the target language through the eyes of their avatar. And Immerse’s novel approach to language immersion enables users to express themselves authentically, to engage in deep meaningful conversations in 3D worlds, and build real-life fluency.
Immerse’s VR language learning experiences include:
1.) Collaborate with their peers to solve problems while escaping a deserted Island
2.) Give and follow directions while cooking a meal in the chef’s kitchen
3.) Discuss abstract art while painting together in an art studio
4.) Improve their storytelling skills around a campfire
5.) Share their opinions on fashion while trying on new outfits at a shopping center
KEY QUOTES:
“Over the last four years, we’ve developed a revolutionary product that is fundamentally transforming the way languages are taught and learned. We’ve partnered with some of the largest language institutions including EC English, AEON, and CCEL to launch their VR English programs, helped hundreds of ambitious language learners develop real-life foreign language communication skills from the comfort of their home, built an incredible team, and attracted world-class social impact investors. Having this additional capital behind us accelerates our mission to become the foremost educator in the metaverse.”
— Quinn Taber, co-founder and CEO at Immerse
“Education is one of the most exciting applications of virtual reality since gaming and fitness, and we are thrilled to partner with Immerse to bring language immersion to the masses. This is a laser-focused team that has already proven itself as a VR pioneer and education disruptor through its B2B work in English language learning. We are not only huge fans of their technology, but also their values-driven culture. We are proud to support their work as they strive to deepen human connection and to create positive social change in the world.”
— Wes Lyons, general partner at Eagle Venture Fund
