Roto VR, the UK-based creator behind 360-degree VR chairs, announced a new funding round of £2.4 million (~$3 million) which the company says will be used to fulfill demand of its recently launched Roto VR Explorer chair.

Led by Pembroke VCT, the continuation of company’s second funding round includes participation of existing as well as new angel investors from both the UK and US.

According to Crunchbase data, this brings Roto’s total investments to £3.9 million (~$5 million) following its £1.5 million (~$1.86 million) seed round in April 2020.

As an early investor, Pembroke VCT is continuing its role as a strategic partner, advising on key hires, providing counsel as well as access to its industry network.

Roto says the investment will support its “next phase of growth” following the launch of its Roto VR Explorer chair, the rotating VR chair which released globally for in November 2024, priced at $799.

Funds will be used to “fulfil demand for the launch of the VR Explorer by enhancing operational capacity and broadening its market reach,” the company says.

The company notes its VR chair includes proprietary head-tracking technology which helps align the users’ gaze with physical rotation for improved immersion, coming in addition to the device’s aim to reduce motion-related discomfort from artificial locomotion.

Roto VR Explorer | Image courtesy Roto VR

The company notes it’s already started mass production in China, which will provide “greater cost efficiencies for global distribution” amid the upcoming launch of suspected VR headsets from Samsung and Google, the company says.

Notably, Roto VR Explorer has since been certified by Meta’s ‘Made for Meta’ accessories program in addition to supporting for over 400 Quest games and apps and partnering with retailers in the UK and US such as GameStop and Amazon.

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Founded in 2015, Roto VR pressed on following its 2015 Kickstarter, which was cancelled after having fallen short of its £85,000 (~$105,000) goal.

The company then went on to announce the release its first Roto VR chair for consumers and businesses, then-slated to launch in early 2018. That particular version suffered multiple delays, leading many consumers to receive units in late 2019 amid a price raise from $999 to $1,499.

You can learn more about the new Roto VR Explorer on its website, including specs, price and ordering information.

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Scott Hayden
Well before the first modern XR products hit the market, Scott recognized the potential of the technology and set out to understand and document its growth. He has been professionally reporting on the space for nearly a decade as Editor at Road to VR, authoring more than 4,000 articles on the topic. Scott brings that seasoned insight to his reporting from major industry events across the globe.
  • Arno van Wingerde

    Wow, a desk chair with a motor and support for very few games for only a thousand box and no option for cabled VR sets… sign me up! I expect sales to hits dozens or perhaps even a hundred?

    • Phil

      I think you're being optimistic with that hundred :D

  • JakeDunnegan

    GOOD LORD, are they insane?

    Gamers would perhaps shell out $200-$300 for a chair, maybe even $500 if it delivered pizza for you, but $1500???

    I need to find out who their investor is. I have some crazy ass projects I'd like to fund.

    • Ivan

      I believe the price is $800 USD, not $1,500. Still quite high though for only yaw rotation.

      It also has some limitations, how do you stand/crouch while using it, how noisy are the motors, what if you want to lean forward to reach for something but then you turn your head (you will be off your original center of gravity, will that make you fall off), etc.?

      The idea is interesting though, maybe this will further improve over the years.

      What I found interesting is their partnership with Meta and that they have a tracker in their system (which is probably just an IMU to track rotations). Hopefully this opens up the possibility so other companies create hardware add-ons, like the HTC Vive Ultimate trackers but make it work with standalone headsets without a computer in between. This would be useful for various industries (i.e. health, robotics, etc.) and research, not just for those that want full-body tracking for social VR.

      • JakeDunnegan

        I was referring to the end of the 2nd to last paragraph in the article.

  • duked

    Why would I want to rotate to where I look? I want to be able to walk straight while looking to the sides. All this rotation would make me motion sick.