Splash, the mobile application with 360° video capabilities that captures your surroundings in real time, is now announcing that it has raised $2.5 million in funding alongside the launch of a completely new version packed with virtual reality social features and Videopainting technology.
Splash is backed by an international syndicate of investors, from the United States to Europe and even Asia, with deep industry knowledge across the media, entertainment, games, and virtual reality industries. Led by Greycroft Partners, other participants in this round include Advancit, Felix Capital, BDMI, Seedcamp, DeNA, Kevin Wall, and e.ventures.
Virtual reality is currently a significant trend in the industry. But most of virtual reality hardware and software is neither affordable, easy to use, or convenient. Splash is democratizing virtual reality, with a free seamless mobile application that enables users to share videos and photos in 360° instantly, without any additional editing needed. Splash is faster and more intuitive in capturing your environment, with Splashes instantly shareable to YouTube and Facebook, and viewable on Google Cardboard, as well as other headsets.
Imagine, there is a giant music festival happening with different stages spread out among the venue. Of course, you can’t be at all the shows at once so you and your friends split up. Your friend takes a video in real time and instantly sends it to you. You can see their entire view, and all of their surroundings, as if you were there yourself. Not only that, but you can actually hear everything that’s happening too. Splash is a perfect app so you never miss another moment again.
Splash’s new application uses proprietary capture technology, ideal for social sharing. Now, when viewing a splash, users can engage with social virtual reality features such as liking and commenting in 360° on the Splash itself. The Splashes are immediately viewable on smartphones, and now offer various sharing options, such as private messaging to friends or public messaging to the Splash community. In taking the Splashes, the Videopainting technology allows users to wave the phone around to capture their surroundings effortlessly. Whether one finds themselves in a deserted city square or in the midst of thousands of people at a music festival creating a mixed-reality experience, Splash is portable and perfect for reality-sharing.
“We’re excited by the possibilities for democratizing virtual reality that Splash’s technology offers,” said Paul Bricault, Venture Partner at Greycroft Partners. “VR platforms can be inaccessible for most consumers and we’ve found that this app allows mainstream users to fully take part. Splash changes the way users can record and engage with their surroundings with a Snapchat-like platform that shares 360° video.”
“We wanted to make virtual reality accessible to ordinary people like you and me,” Splash co-founder Michael Ronen said. ”We wanted to create an emotional experience so that no matter what vacation, family event, or everyday Splash, the participants feel that they are also there.”
Those involved in Splash have backgrounds that include work at Ubisoft, SoundCloud, Cartoon Network, and Rockstar Games. Splash’s Board of Advisors include Shiva Rajaramanm, the VP of Product at Spotify, former PM at Google/YouTube and Twitter, Andy Stack, the former Head of Creator Technology at YouTube, Jeremy Welt, the former SVP at Maker Studios, Keith Boesky, a Professor, Media Executive, and former CEO at Eidos Interactive, and instrumental in turning Tomb Raider franchise into films. Also, Mike Alger, a VR Designer at Google, and Paul Jeffries Head of Legal Operations at Facebook.
