Icaros is receiving several million euros in fresh funding. The Tyrolean private venture firm Segnalita is investing in the Munich-based VR fitness startup.
Icaros builds a virtual reality fitness device: The user maintains balance on the device in the so-called "plank position" and controls a video game in virtual reality by shifting his or her body. This is fun and quite strenuous, as we will see in the Self-experiment already found out.
The company has been successful with its fitness equipment for some time, participated in the German Accelerator and moved from Munich's university district to a large office in MartinsriedThe Tyrolean venture capitalist Segnalita is also apparently convinced by the Munich-based company's product and is investing a "mid-seven-figure sum," as the company announced — in other words, a sum in the order of around 5 million euros. Michael Schmidt Co-founder and CEO of Icaros, says:
“The financing from Segnalita enables us to enter new markets and, in particular, to significantly accelerate our research and development work in the health segment.”
Since co-founder and CEO Johannes Scholl says:
"The commitment of Segnalita offers us a unique opportunity to fully exploit the physiological benefits of Icaros training and to synergistically combine them with the entertainment value of VR technology."
Bernhard Letzner, Managing Director of Segnalita, says:
"Icaros has delivered unique, future-oriented products that brilliantly combine the areas of sports, fitness, and gaming, thus capturing the spirit of the times."
His company now enables the startup to continue to grow in its existing segment and make its products accessible to the medical sector.
“Our vision was to create a new sport”
The startup already has concrete plans for the coming months: This summer, the already longer announced The "Icaros Home" exercise bike will be launched on the market. Users will then be able to virtually move around in space, above the clouds, and underwater worlds at home. The exercise bike will also have access to the recently launched "Icarace" multiplayer mode. Users can compete against each other around the world and against AI opponents flown in by professionals.
“The multiplayer opens up completely new possibilities and takes the training experience to a new level,”
says Johannes Scholl.
"Our vision was to create a new sport. Fair competition, improving physical skills, and measuring performance are important components of a sport. The online multiplayer game Icarace offers all of this."
says Michael Schmidt.
