Tripp raises $11m for psychedelic VR meditation

Good news for the CEO who said he was fired for microdosing at work.

Tripp — a Los Angeles-based VR meditation and wellness app — just scored $11m in funding. Its CEO Nanea Reeves tells TechCrunch that Tripp can be a “low-friction alternative” to taking psychedelics.

“The idea is to take mindfulness structures and video game mechanics together to see if we can actually hack the way that you feel,” she said.

Tripp offers several experiences…

… designed for relaxation, focus, and meditation.

Owners of VR headsets — like Facebook’s Oculus and PlayStation VR — pay a subscription fee ($4.99/month, $14.99/year, $29.99 for life) for:

• Daily calming exercises
• Meditations on gratitude in a field of giant mushrooms
• “Escapes” to a Bavarian cow pasture or a beach in Mallorca
• The ability to “compose” their own experiences

Per TechCrunch, Tripp also envisions itself as a possible in-office wellness option — assuming you don’t mind going back to work with VR headset lines on your face.

Mindfulness apps are in right now:

• Calm saw downloads increase by 1/3 amid the pandemic and is now valued at $2B, per The Atlantic.
• Headspace — which made itself free to LA County residents during the pandemic — has scored partnerships with Apple Podcasts, Netflix, and Microsoft. It has raised $200m+.

For something especially trippy, check out Atlas V’s Ayahuasca VR: A Kosmik Journey.