Participated · Seed · Apr 2021

PortalOne is developing an immersive, hybrid gaming platform that blends games with game-show/talk-show formats and is designed to work across mobile, consoles and VR headsets. The company emphasizes a cloud-based, modular production approach that it says reduces costs and enables reuse of components across titles. PortalOne has been running PortalOne Arcade in closed beta since last year and has produced roughly 200 shows in that beta. It plans a commercial launch of PortalOne Arcade later this year and is building studio capacity (notably in Los Angeles) with plans to expand to other cities. The startup is based in Oslo and has a significant presence in Los Angeles. The new funding will be used to continue building the platform and scale its operations en route to the Arcade launch. PortalOne builds an app that blends on-demand multiplayer games with live, playable talk-show-style broadcasts where users can play against special guests. Its technology stack combines VR, computer vision, bespoke gaming technology and software/hardware for low-resource capture and streaming; ARRI built a custom 3D camera for the product. Users can join via VR headsets or phones, play titles such as a reimagined Centipede and Blockbuster, earn prizes, and purchase virtual goods. The company has spent three years building a full stack and a content strategy, running a closed beta (launched June 2020) in the U.S. and Norway. PortalOne plans to launch PortalOne Arcade — an 80s-themed collection of multiplayer experiences and interactive talk shows — more widely in the U.S. and Norway later this year and then expand to other markets. It positions itself as part tech startup and part media company, producing daily shows in a compact studio setup to reduce costs versus traditional volumetric capture. Financially, PortalOne recently raised a $15 million seed round to fund its product rollout and content production plans.