Nomadic is a virtual reality (VR) entertainment company based in San Rafael, California.[2][4][5] Nomadic partners with film and gaming companies to create virtual reality "arcades",[3] or various commercial brick and mortar locations such as malls and theaters, where participants' tactile and virtual realities are merged.[2] Users wear headsets and computer backpacks to explore virtual environments, and often use physical props as part of the VR narrative.[3][6] Venues host modular sets that can be easily adapted to accommodate regularly-updated VR content.[6][7]
The company's founders have backgrounds in the brand, film, gaming, and retail industries.[2][6] Doug Griffin serves as chief executive officer, and Rick Schulze serves as creative director.[2] John Duncan is the "head of physical production", and Kalon Gutierrez holds the role of "head of growth".[2][8][9]
History
Nomadic's initial $1 million in funding was provided by "family and friends".[8] The company had six full-time employees, as of 2017.[8]
The company unveiled its prototype at the CinemaCon trade show, which is presented by the National Association of Theatre Owners,[1] in Las Vegas in March 2017.[1] In June 2017,[10] Nomadic received $6 million in seed funding from Horizons Ventures, Maveron, Presence Capital, Verus International, and Vulcan Capital,[3][4][11] which was used to hire staff, develop technology, and enter new markets and venues.[2] The company's experience was made available to the general public in the Wonderful Worlds of Whampoa mall in Hong Kong in mid 2017.[12] The Technicolor Experience Center, in Culver City, California, hosted a temporary installation in October.[13] Nomadic plans to launch public location-based VR experiences by early 2018.[2][10]
