Jaunt VR

Jaunt VR was established in 2013 by co-founders Arthur van Hoff, Jens Christensen, and Tom Annau, positioning itself as a pioneer in cinematic virtual reality. The company embarked on creating a comprehensive platform for VR content, encompassing proprietary 360-degree 3D cameras, software for stitching video, and distribution applications. Van Hoff, who served as CTO, brought extensive experience as a serial entrepreneur and a key engineer in the early development of the Java programming language at Sun Microsystems. Christensen, the initial CEO, was also a serial entrepreneur, and he stepped down in 2016 to pursue new ventures, with van Hoff taking over as interim CEO. Annau, the founding VP of Engineering, had a strong background in software engineering, with significant roles at Google and a Ph.D. in Computational Neuroscience from Caltech.

The company's business model initially focused on developing an end-to-end solution for creating and distributing high-quality, immersive VR experiences. This involved leasing its professional-grade camera systems, like the Jaunt ONE, to filmmakers and production companies, and then providing the software and cloud services to process the footage into a single, cohesive VR experience. The content was distributed through its own application, which was envisioned as a 'Netflix for VR,' and was available on various platforms including Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear VR, and Google Daydream. Jaunt produced original content and partnered with major brands and artists like Disney, the NFL, and Paul McCartney to build a library of cinematic VR.

Financially, Jaunt attracted significant investment, raising over $100 million in total. Notable funding rounds included a $27.8 million Series B in 2014 with participation from Google Ventures and Sky, and a substantial $65 million Series C in 2015 led by The Walt Disney Company, Evolution Media Partners, and China Media Capital. This capital was intended to scale up production, advance its technology, and expand its teams.

By 2018, the company executed a significant strategic pivot. Recognizing challenges in the consumer VR market, Jaunt shifted its focus from content production to a B2B software-as-a-service (SaaS) model centered on its Jaunt XR Platform. This platform enabled media companies and brands to distribute immersive content—including VR, AR, and 360-degree video—through their own applications. As part of this transition, Jaunt began exploring volumetric capture and acquired Personify's 'Teleporter' technology to create real-time 3D avatars for AR and VR. This move led to a significant restructuring and staff reduction. Ultimately, in late 2019, Verizon acquired Jaunt's software, technology, and other assets, marking the end of the company's independent operations.

Keywords: cinematic VR, virtual reality platform, 360-degree video, content distribution, immersive experiences, augmented reality, volumetric capture, XR platform, media technology, B2B SaaS