VRAI, a Dublin-based startup focused on military and defence applications of VR, Mixed Reality and simulations, has raised €5 million in a Series A led by VC firm Beringea.

VRAI has raised €3 million to date from investors including Enterprise Ireland, Northstar Ventures, and several leading Irish family offices.

Pat O’Connor, Founder and CEO of VRAI, commented: “We are delighted to announce our latest investment round, which marks a significant milestone in our mission to redefine exceptional human performance through data driven simulation. We aim to be global leaders in our niche. This investment will allow us to continue innovating for our existing customers, continue building a talent dense team and growing the company through our new US office.”

Founded in 2017 by Pat O’Connor, VRAI is a simulation technology company working with customers in defence and security such as the British Army, Irish Defence Forces, The Royal Air Force, BAE Systems and Kongsberg, as well as customers in offshore energy and emergency services.

Its mission is to “redefine exceptional human performance through data-driven simulation“. VRAI believes human performance data is currently the untapped resource in training and, as a result, built its product, HEAT, which integrates with simulators to provide an analytics layer that delivers actionable insights into human performance.

One of its initial applications was providing the United Nations Mine Action Service in Somalia with insights into the difficulty of identifying IED threats within VR training environments.

Simulations – spanning VR, mixed reality, and traditional simulators – provide safe, cost-effective, and data-driven environments for training. In industries with complex and expensive equipment, such as aerospace, defence and security, simulation-based training has become a vital and growing approach to preparing employees for their roles.

According to VRAI, estimates suggest that the global market for simulation learning could triple in size to a value of almost €43.1 billion by 2032.

VRAI’s data platform integrates with simulation solutions, including VR headsets and traditional simulators, to provide actionable insights into the performance of individuals participating in immersive training.

This round of investment will leverage Beringea’s transatlantic footprint and drive VRAI’s expansion in the U.S., the world’s largest market for immersive technologies in aerospace, defence and security.

The company also expects to double its headcount, investing further in its product, sales, and marketing functions.

Luke Edis, Investment Director at Beringea, commented: “Global industries – particularly defence and aerospace – are increasingly turning to simulated environments to provide training. Gone are the days when individuals had to learn within expensive pieces of equipment – you can now train in simulated environments that are cheaper, safer, and more measurable.

“VRAI is fundamental to ensuring this process is effective. Beringea will be working closely with Pat to drive the next chapter of growth for VRAI, particularly through leveraging our network in the U.S.”

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