SideQuest, the sideloading software program and unofficial app retailer for Meta’s Quest and Quest 2, introduced it accomplished a $12 million Sequence A funding, this time led by Google’s funding arm, Google Ventures (GV).
Based in 2019 by Belfast-based staff Orla and Shane Harris, SideQuest has basically turn out to be the de facto unofficial app retailer, to not point out the main sideloading platform for Quest and Quest 2.
As first reported by Tech Crunch, Google GV’s M.G. Siegler shall be becoming a member of the corporate’s board. As a GV basic associate, Siegler he has backed a lot of early-stage startups together with Anchor (acquired by Spotify), CTRL-Labs (acquired by Meta), Matter, Slack, Stripe, theSkimm, and Universe.
SideQuest has largely stayed out of Meta’s crosshairs by circuitously competing with Meta by charging for content material additionally out there on the official Meta Retailer or its early entry content material outlet App Lab; it largely acts as extra of a hub for itemizing something and all the pieces.
SideQuest co-founder Shane Harris tells Tech Crunch that the mission has added “an enormous quantity of worth to their headset,” nevertheless doesn’t have any plans to monetize on the Quest platform so as to not compete with them.
Nonetheless, that doesn’t imply the corporate needs to take a again seat because the ecosystem grows. In a GV blogpost Siegler says SideQuest is hoping to turn out to be “a primary hub and software program layer for the broader XR ecosystem.”
“SideQuest’s final aim extends far past these early days, however is centered across the improvement on prime of OpenXR, an open, royalty-free API commonplace, offering engines with native entry to a spread of units throughout the blended actuality house,” Siegler says. “And the corporate has partnered with the likes of Meta on tasks equivalent to App Lab for Oculus Quest headsets.”
SideQuest tells Tech Crunch that they’re searching for other ways to monetize that don’t contain instantly stepping on Meta’s backside line, together with constructing extra developer instruments and probably providing up a publishing fund to financially again profitable titles, basically making SideQuest a VR sport writer within the course of.
Up to now, SideQuest has garnered funding from enterprise capital companies and people equivalent to Oculus VR co-founder Palmer Luckey, Increase VC, and Join Ventures.
With the $12 million funding, SideQuest says they wish to double or triple their staff, which might convey one other three to 6 individuals to the trouble. Google’s assist represents the biggest single funding within the firm, bringing SideQuest’s general outdoors funding to $15.6M, in response to Crunchbase information.
For those who haven’t already messed round with SideQuest, the free software program not solely affords up an effective way of seeing all the pieces out there for Quest in a single place, but additionally offers you entry to tons of video games you received’t discover on the principle retailer or App Lab. Take a look at our fast begin information right here on the right way to get began.