Job Simulator creator Owlchemy Labs raises $5 million for VR games

Owlchemy Labs, the maker of the hilarious Job Simulator virtual reality game, has raised $5 million in funding from Qualcomm and others.

The Austin, Texas-based startup aims to create premium VR games across multiple platforms. In addition to Qualcomm Ventures, investors include HTC, The VR Fund, Colopl Next, Capital Factory, and other Austin technology investors. Owlchemy will use this investment to grow its content development teams, create original VR software, and build technology that pushes the limits of VR across multiple platforms.

Owlchemy is continuing to expand Job Simulator with new content, and it recently announced a partnership with Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim to bring hit animated series Rick and Morty into virtual reality.

“VR has been a deep passion of ours for many years, and being at the forefront of designing new virtual worlds is truly a dream for our whole team,” says Owlchemy Labs CEO Alex Schwartz in a statement. “We’ve solved some of the toughest design and development challenges in this new medium, and with this investment we’ll apply these lessons to a portfolio of full games.”

Founded in 2010, Owlchemy Labs created Job Simulator as a bundled launch game with the HTC Vive. It was also a launch title for Oculus Touch, and it’ll come with the upcoming PlayStation VR.

“Qualcomm Ventures has made significant investments in early stage frontier technologies, such as virtual reality, and is continuously looking to identify category leaders in this space. We believe that Owlchemy has proven their ability to stand at the forefront of the VR movement with their innovative approach to developing leading VR experiences, and we look forward to working with Owlchemy as they continue to lead the way in developing original content and compelling VR technologies and solutions,” said Richard Tapalaga, a senior investment manager at Qualcomm Ventures, in a statement.