Loft Dynamics raises $20M to deal with pilot scarcity with VR coaching • TechCrunch

Loft Dynamics, a Swiss startup creating digital actuality (VR) simulation expertise for helicopter pilots, has raised $20 million in funding from U.S. enterprise capital (VC) corporations together with David Sacks’ Craft Ventures, Sky Dayton, and Up Ventures.

Alongside the funding, the corporate can also be formally saying its name-change from VRM Switzerland.

Based out of Zurich in 2016, Loft Dynamics has developed a slew of simulators for among the most typical helicopters, together with the only turbine Airbus H125. By this, budding pilots can have interaction in sensible coaching eventualities together with night-time flying and carryi out proficiency checks, with force-feedback to simulate system failures and different points.

On prime of that, pilots also can now obtain coaching credit for time spent in a simulator, after the European Union Aviation Security Company (EASA) licensed Loft Dynamics’ Airbus H125 flight coaching gadget again in Could.

The corporate says that its platform goes a way towards addressing the worldwide pilot scarcity, an issue exacerbated by the pandemic as pilots elected to go for early retirement or change careers, because it opens up extra coaching alternatives and reduces lots of the prices concerned in going out in an actual helicopter.

Furthermore, Loft Dynamics says that as a result of its simulators are round one-tenth of the scale of conventional simulators, they’re simpler to deploy at scale with out requiring purpose-built amenities.

Different firms are utilizing VR simulation to deal with related workforce scarcity issues or in any other case improve present coaching packages. VRAI, for instance, is growing expertise to help coaching for the offshore wind business, whereas FundamentalVR not too long ago raised $20 million to assist practice surgeons via VR.

With one other $20 million within the financial institution and a brand new title, Loft Dynamics is now well-positioned to develop outdoors of Europe and into the profitable U.S. market.

“After a few years in growth, we’re able to develop Loft Dynamics to change into a worldwide firm and convey our expertise and coaching options to the world,” Loft Dynamics’ cofounder and CEO Fabi Riesen stated in a press launch. “This funding comes at precisely the correct second as we will meet the escalating demand for flight faculties and speed up the vary of plane sorts we help.”