In this episode of the Funding Files, Jessica Manins, co-founder of Beyond Studios, shares the rollercoaster journey of her gaming business 🎢 From COVID shutting down her interactive VR arcade game weeks after it launched in the US through to later paying out dividends to shareholders.She shares how she got into tech, from her early work at Star Now and community building at Biz Dojo, through to founding Beyond.Beyond began as a service company in the augmented reality space, later developing their own product, Oddball, a multiplayer VR arcade game which they licensed to Two Bit Circus in LA. Her first funding came through a personal friendship with Xero co-founder Rod Drury, followed by angel rounds in New Zealand. The COVID-19 pandemic forced layoffs and a reckoning for the business - could they even survive? They decided to keep going and pivot to consumer VR games for home use, supported by further investment. Beyond also collaborated on virtual worlds, including a project linked to Snoop Dogg's team. They also diversified into VR fitness programs for schools and VR therapy for people with breast cancer. Highlights include showcasing their game at Apple's WWDC for the Vision Pro headset and paying dividends to early investors. Jessica focuses on the importance of validated products, strong investor relationships, and the resilience needed in the funding (and business) journey.-- Kia ora and welcome everyone to THE FUNDING FILES, where we explore the highs, lows and cashflows of funding a business in Aotearoa New Zealand. Huge thanks to the founders for sharing their stories, to our board for inspiring us to make this pod, and to Rory Harnden for making our design and intro string.

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