Get this beastly thing in gyms
Omni maker Virtuix has completed a $3 million seed investment round following its $1.1 million Kickstarter campaign last year. You’ll probably recognize it, but here’s the gist: it’s a specialized treadmill that can be used in conjunction with virtual-reality peripherals like the Oculus Rift. Upwards of 3,000 units have been pre-sold to date, which I simultaneously can and can’t believe.
The recent investment was made possible by Tekton Ventures, Maveron, Scentan Ventures, Radical Investments, Scout Ventures, StartCaps Ventures, and private investors, according to Virtuix. Facebook’s $2 billion Oculus VR buyout surely helped the Omni’s pitch.
Tekton founder and managing partner Jai Choi had this to say about the device’s potential future applications: “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.”
As someone with more than enough gaming peripherals that will never again see the light of day and the buyer’s remorse to prove it, I can’t fathom paying for this contraption. Even if the gameplay it makes possible is compelling, and the price ($499) is way cheaper than expected.
Published: Apr 24, 2014 10:30 pm