Meta (Facebook) bets high on VR, acquires Within the developers ‘Supernatural’ VR fitness app

Facebook aka Meta seems to be betting high on VR. Just a day after rebranding the company to Meta, Facebook announced that it is acquiring LA firm Within, the developer behind Supernatural, a Beat Saber-style workout app.

As per a TechCrunch report, Supernatural has been one of the real success stories in virtual reality fitness, with movement-based high-impact cardio exercises.

It is a sensible acquisition as the company looks to broaden its VR and other ambitions into a kind of metaverse, the report said.

“We are excited because our partnership with Meta means we will have more resources to expand and bring you even more music, more creative ways to workout, more features, and more social experiences for VR,” Within CEO Chris Milk and Head of Fitness Leanne Pedante wrote in a blog post.

“And of course, we will still be launching new workouts every single day,” Milk added.

Financial details of the acquisition have not been disclosed. The company added that its existing staff of coaches, choreographers, and managers will remain on board after the acquisition. Supernatural will operate as part of Meta’s Reality Labs division.

“Together we will also explore ways we can enhance future hardware to support VR fitness apps, encouraging other developers to bring new fitness experiences to VR,” Meta’s VP of Play Jason Rubin wrote in a separate post.

Founded in 2015, Within has raised in excess of $50 million, including, most recently a $40 million Series B back in 2017. That round was led by Temasek and Emerson Collective. Other investors include Andreessen Horowitz, 21st Century Fox, Raine Ventures, WPP, and Macro Ventures.

(With IANS inputs)

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