UploadVR

UploadVR is an American company and media brand focused on virtual reality and, more broadly, immersive technology. It was established in San Francisco in 2014 by Taylor Freeman, Will Mason, and Nick St. Pierre. The founders initially pursued a coworking and community-building model for the emerging VR industry, but the company gradually developed a broader portfolio that included events, startup incubation, developer education, and a trade publication website. The company’s media operation became its most durable public-facing activity. UploadVR published reporting, reviews, interviews, analysis, and industry news concerning virtual-reality hardware, software, games, platforms, developers, and business trends. Early contributors included Ryan Damm, Matthew Terndrup, Tony Davidson, and Ian Hamilton. Mason began writing about VR for the site in 2016, helping establish the publication as a specialist outlet during the first major consumer and enterprise expansion of modern VR. UploadVR pursued several initiatives intended to strengthen the surrounding developer ecosystem. In January 2016 it announced Upload Collective, an incubation and coworking program for VR startups. The space hosted numerous companies and recurring events. The company also worked with Udacity, Google, HTC, and Unity on a VR Nanodegree, and partnered with Make School on the UploadVR Academy, a ten-week program designed to teach advanced developers how to create desktop and mobile VR games with Unity. The business attracted outside financing as it expanded. Shanda provided a reported $1.25 million seed investment in December 2015, followed by a $4.5 million Series A round led by Colopl in September 2016. The Series A syndicate included General Catalyst, NetEase, Sparkland Capital, Unity Ventures, CRCM, GREE, GC Tracker, Outpost Capital, and other investors. In early 2017, the company rebranded its broader operating business as Upload while retaining UploadVR as the name of its media arm. Former IGN editor-in-chief Tal Blevins joined to lead editorial activities. Upload expanded its physical footprint in 2017, including a planned 20,000-square-foot facility in Marina del Rey, California. It also explored a $12 million venture fund called Upload Ventures, although that plan was abandoned. The expansion was followed by severe financial and organizational strain. A former employee filed a lawsuit in May 2017 alleging gender discrimination, sexual harassment, and wrongful termination. Upload disputed the allegations, and the case was settled in September 2017. The controversy prompted public apologies from Freeman and Mason and the departure of several employees. Anne Ahola Ward, appointed chief operating officer in June 2017, introduced mandatory anti-harassment training but left the company later that year. The operating company ultimately failed to secure sufficient additional financing. Funding reportedly provided by Palmer Luckey helped sustain Upload for a period, but the company shut its offices and coworking operations in March 2018 and released staff at its Marina del Rey headquarters. The UploadVR website continued operating through UVR Media, LLC, a new entity incorporated in March 2018. As a result, the surviving UploadVR identity is primarily that of a specialist virtual-reality publication rather than the larger coworking and incubation business originally envisioned by its founders.

UploadVR began in San Francisco in 2014 as a company founded by Taylor Freeman, Will Mason, and Nick St. Pierre. Its original concept was broader than publishing: the founders sought to build a physical and professional community around the emerging virtual-reality sector. St. Pierre left the company in early 2016, while Freeman and Mason continued to direct the business. The company’s online publication developed alongside its physical activities. In 2016, Mason began writing about VR for the website, which recruited contributors including Ryan Damm, Matthew Terndrup, Tony Davidson, and Ian Hamilton. The publication covered VR hardware, games, developers, platforms, and business developments. Over time, the site became the most persistent part of the UploadVR identity. UploadVR also attempted to provide infrastructure for the industry. In January 2016 it launched Upload Collective, a coworking and incubation space for startups. The collective hosted more than a dozen companies and recurring events. Education was another part of the strategy. UploadVR worked with Udacity, Google, HTC, and Unity on a VR Nanodegree and worked with Make School to create the UploadVR Academy, a ten-week Unity-focused course for developers building desktop and mobile VR games. The company raised $1.25 million in reported seed funding from Shanda in December 2015. In September 2016 it raised a reported $4.5 million Series A led by Colopl, with participation from General Catalyst, NetEase, Sparkland Capital, Unity Ventures, CRCM, GREE, GC Tracker, Outpost Capital, and other investors. In early 2017, the operating company rebranded as Upload, leaving UploadVR as the name of the media division. Tal Blevins, a former IGN co-founder and editor-in-chief, was hired to head editorial operations. Upload pursued physical expansion in 2017. It opened or planned additional facilities in Marina del Rey, California, including a large office and coworking site intended to serve as a headquarters. By May of that year the company had 17 full-time employees as well as contractors. It also considered raising $12 million for Upload Ventures, a proposed venture fund, but abandoned that plan. The expansion period was disrupted by a workplace lawsuit filed in May 2017 by Elizabeth Scott, a former director of digital and social media. The complaint alleged gender discrimination, sexual harassment, and wrongful termination. Upload described the claims as without merit, but the case was settled in September. The dispute received substantial media attention, led to public apologies from Freeman and Mason, and was followed by the departure of multiple employees. Anne Ahola Ward joined as chief operating officer in June 2017 and introduced mandatory anti-harassment training conducted by an outside consultant. She left the company by October. Upload subsequently experienced a financing crisis. Palmer Luckey was reported to have provided as much as $2.5 million in support, but that financing ended and the company could not obtain sufficient new capital. In March 2018, Upload closed its offices and coworking spaces; the Marina del Rey staff were dismissed on March 15. The physical properties were later transferred to other occupants. The media website was not closed. Instead, it continued under UVR Media, LLC, a new entity incorporated in March 2018. This transition left UploadVR as an active specialist VR publication after the collapse of the company’s coworking, incubation, and broader operating model.

• 2018

  Physical operations closed

  [1]UploadVRen.wikipedia.org

  Upload shut its offices and coworking operations after failing to secure further financing.

• 2018

  Website transferred to UVR Media

  [1]UploadVRen.wikipedia.org

  UVR Media, LLC became the operating entity for the continuing UploadVR website.

• 2017

  Rebranded as Upload

  [1]UploadVRen.wikipedia.org

  The broader company adopted Upload as its corporate-facing name while retaining UploadVR for the publication.

• 2017

  Workplace lawsuit settled

  [1]UploadVRen.wikipedia.org

  A former employee’s lawsuit alleging discrimination, harassment, and wrongful termination was settled.

• 2016

  Upload Collective launched

  [1]UploadVRen.wikipedia.org

  The company announced a VR startup incubation and coworking initiative.

• 2016

  Series A financing

  [1]UploadVRen.wikipedia.org

  Colopl led a reported $4.5 million Series A round.

• 2015

  Seed financing

  [1]UploadVRen.wikipedia.org

  Shanda provided reported seed funding of $1.25 million.

• 2014

  Company founded in San Francisco

  [1]UploadVRen.wikipedia.org

  Taylor Freeman, Will Mason, and Nick St. Pierre founded UploadVR as a VR-focused coworking and community company.

A specialist media and ecosystem brand serving virtual-reality developers, companies, enthusiasts, and industry professionals, with its enduring identity centered on independent VR news and analysis.

• Media publication · 2014

  UploadVR website

  UploadVR’s principal surviving offering is a specialist online publication covering virtual-reality hardware, games, software, platforms, developers, and industry developments. Its editorial output includes news, reviews, interviews, features, and analysis aimed at VR enthusiasts and professionals. The site originally operated as one part of a broader Upload business but continued after the company closed its physical offices in 2018.

• Coworking and incubation · 2016

  Upload Collective

  Upload Collective was a coworking and startup-incubation program created for companies working in virtual reality. It provided shared space, community access, and recurring events intended to connect startups, developers, investors, and other participants in the VR ecosystem. The program ended when Upload closed its physical offices and coworking operations in 2018.

• Developer education · 2016

  VR Nanodegree

  UploadVR partnered with Udacity, Google, HTC, and Unity to develop a virtual-reality Nanodegree program. The initiative was intended to provide structured training for people learning to design and build VR applications and games.

• Developer education · 2016

  UploadVR Academy

  Created with Make School, UploadVR Academy was a ten-week boot camp for advanced developers. Its curriculum focused on creating desktop and mobile VR games with Unity, reflecting UploadVR’s effort to support the technical talent pipeline for the emerging industry.

• 2017

  Workplace discrimination and harassment lawsuit

  Elizabeth Scott, a former Upload director of digital and social media, filed a civil lawsuit alleging gender discrimination, sexual harassment, and wrongful termination. Upload said the allegations lacked merit. The case was settled in September 2017 for an undisclosed amount. The dispute received prominent media coverage, prompted public apologies from the founders, and was followed by the departure of several employees. The company also introduced mandatory anti-harassment training after Anne Ahola Ward became chief operating officer.

  Source

Read more

• 2018

  Close offices while preserving the publicationStrategy

  Background

  Upload was unable to secure sufficient additional financing after reported support from Palmer Luckey ended.

  Action taken

  The company shut its offices and coworking spaces and released its remaining physical-operations staff.

  Aftermath

  The UploadVR website continued under UVR Media, LLC, incorporated in March 2018.

  Source

• 2017

  Separate the operating company from the media identityStrategy

  Background

  The company had expanded from a VR coworking concept into events, incubation, education, and publishing.

  Action taken

  It rebranded the broader business as Upload while continuing to use UploadVR for the media arm.

  Aftermath

  The UploadVR publication outlasted the company’s physical coworking and incubation operations.

  Source

• 2017

  Abandon Upload Ventures fund plansStrategy

  Background

  Upload had been seeking approximately $12 million for a venture fund intended to invest in the VR ecosystem.

  Action taken

  The company discontinued plans to establish Upload Ventures.

  Aftermath

  Upload later faced a broader financing shortfall and closed its physical operations.

  Source

1. 1UploadVRen.wikipedia.org
2. 2UploadVR official websiteuploadvr.com