Talespin LLC, a spatial computing company focused on workforce training using virtual reality, today announced it has raised $15 million in funding led by Cornerstone OnDemand Inc., a provider of enterprise-ready cloud-based learning and talent management.

Along with the Series B round, Cornerstone announced a partnership with Talespin that will provide the startup’s extended-reality training solutions using its platform.

According to Talespin, companies today are under pressure to find new ways to train workforces with rapidly changing technology, and soft skills such as leadership and communication are at a premium. Process-oriented jobs are also changing faster than ever before, making it more difficult for people to train for them using traditional and hands-on methods.

Using extended reality – the technology set that includes virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality – as a training environment mimics as closely as possible the way that of hands-on with another person.

Immersive training using XR technology makes it possible to put workers directly into a simulation of job tasks that would otherwise require direct access to the equipment and spaces needed for training. Instead, XR simulation delivers a lifelike environment including visually recognizable elements of equipment, space where work will happen, and instructions that accompany the simulation.

“Creating better alignment between skills and opportunities is the key to solving the reskilling challenges organizations across the world are facing,” said Kyle Jackson, co-founder and chief executive of Talespin. “That’s why it’s critical companies find a way to provide accelerated, continuous learning and create better skills data.”

Talespin’s training technology is used by companies across industries such as telecommunications, technology and healthcare.

The company has also produced a training simulation for soft skills using a “virtual human” to allow the training of employees in human resources roles. Some HR roles can involve extremely stressful situations, such as firing an employee, that cannot be learned from books or manuals. Using a VR simulation adds more emotional context and social awareness, giving trainees a chance to explore their own reactions and prepare for future needs.

Jackson said he believes the increased adoption of XR technology solutions will lead to faster training, better outcomes and greater ease of skilled learning. At the same time, since telemetry from XR training sessions goes through a computer simulation, employee workflow and training time is recorded, which provides a rich dataset to improve the training experience for future workers.

“We will open up career pathways for individuals that are better aligned to their natural abilities and learned skills, and enable companies to implement a skills-based approach to talent development, assessment and placement,” said Jackson. “Our new funding and partnership with Cornerstone will allow us to expand our product offerings to achieve these goals, and to continue building innovative solutions that redefine what work looks like in the future.”

With this round, Talespin has raised $20 million to date. The round included participation from existing investors, such as Farmers Insurance, an early customer of Talespin that has done extensive work with the platform to build a suite of insurance industry-related training.

The VR head-mounted display hardware maker HTC Corp. also joined the round as a new investor.

Image: Talespin