NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Moth+Flame, the award-winning developer of virtual reality training technology, announced today that it has closed a $2.5 million seed funding round, led by Bee Partners with additional investment from First In, Meeting Street Capital, Service Provider Capital, Spacecadet, and Dan Farah, producer of Ready Player One. As a rapidly growing business, the funding will be used to scale the company’s operations to meet the growing demand for virtual reality training technology — particularly in the workplace.
Moth+Flame’s proprietary READY VR and PromiseVR training platforms, powered by AI and natural language processing, offer innovative, adaptive learning programs for hard and soft skills, respectively. Pairing content building tools with a virtual learning platform, Moth+Flame’s technology was designed for both the public and private sector. The end-to-end virtual solutions effectively train in a remote environment while accelerating the learning process, improving comprehension, and removing the cost and geographic barriers inherent to physical training programs. As a SaaS platform, Moth+Flame customers can purchase cloud training services on a subscription basis.
“Through PromiseVR, we have quickly expanded Moth+Flame’s business into the workplace, as the demand for corporate immersive training programs has never been higher,” said Kevin Cornish, CEO and Founder of Moth+Flame. “We’re the only solution that can upskill and train the next-gen workforce, while also providing technology built to address the strict security requirements of the military. From confronting critical issues like racial bias and suicide prevention to powering immersive learning for pilots and office workers, Moth+Flame’s technology ushers in a new future of education. Our investors recognize the important work we do and have armed us with the tools we need to grow faster than ever.”
Over the last two years, significant studies have emerged that show the effectiveness of learning in virtual reality. Moth+Flame’s training curriculum is particularly impactful because it puts people into a simulated real-world environment and responds to vocal cues — enabling the participants to actively engage with the scenario. Learners use their own voice in conversations with human actors, offering a deep level of immersion and agency that creates a long-lasting emotional impact.
Moth+Flame’s READY VR customers include the United States Air Force, which has a five year, sole-source IDIQ contract in place with the company. Through this work, Moth+Flame has developed pilot and maintenance training across 12 aircraft, as well as suicide and sexual assault prevention curriculum. Moth+Flame’s PromiseVR platform allows commercial customers like Accenture to deploy soft skills training across the workforce.
“Moth+Flame’s technology fits seamlessly into the needs of so many industries and as we head into a new economic normal, companies are going to need dynamic ways to prepare, train, and upskill their workforces,” said Michael Berolzheimer, founder and managing partner at Bee Partners. “This investment is going to help Moth+Flame reach even more businesses looking to ensure safe and supportive workplace environments, and we look forward to witnessing its positive impact.”
“Moth+Flame’s VR technology addresses some of the most pressing and nuanced issues faced in the workplace today,” said Accenture Managing Director, North American Public Sector Molly Tierney. “At Accenture, we’ve seen firsthand how immersive training can make an incredible, long-lasting impact in a short time. Moth+Flame ushers in a bright future for our world at work and at large.”
Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, Moth+Flame was founded in 2015. The company, which has approximately 39 employees, bootstrapped operations for the last six years before raising outside funding. The company plans to use the funds for key strategic hires in sales and development.
About Moth+Flame
Moth+Flame is an award-winning developer of immersive training technology, pioneering the next decade of virtual reality learning for the private and public sector. Led by experts from immersive tech and entertainment, Moth+Flame combines artistic prowess with engineering excellence. The company’s PromiseVR and READY VR training platforms, powered by AI and natural language processing, offer innovative, adaptive learning programs for hard and soft skills. Moth+Flame customers include: Netflix, Accenture, IMAX, Estee Lauder Companies, Google, Oculus, AMC, Discovery, MTV, AT&T, Ram Truck, AMD and Taylor Swift. Moth+Flame work has been recognized for excellence by institutions including Television Academy, Cannes Lions, Mobile World Congress, SXSW, AICP NEXT, Future of Storytelling, Clio, Sundance, Tribeca Film Festival, and has been permanently archived in the Museum of Modern Art.
Contacts
Robert Busweiler
mothandflame@sunshinesachs.com