Virtual reality startup Tripp Inc. announced today that it has raised $4 million in a Series A financing to expand development on its mind-altering VR experiences.

The funding round was led by Tim Chang, a partner at venture capital firm Mayfield Fund LLC., which is also serving as an adviser for the startup.

Tripp’s goal is to create what it calls “transformative digital experiences,” which combine the supposedly mind-altering power of guided meditation and hypnosis with the immersiveness of virtual reality.

“At Tripp, we’re developing a new way to create a state of mindfulness that isn’t just guided but happens ‘around’ you,” Tripp co-founder and Chief Executive Nanea Reeves said in a blog post. “We are combining multiple elements to create a completely immersive, supercharged experience that is crafted to put users in a different headspace. Using visuals, sounds and targeted interactivity to first create a state of calm, we then take you on a journey that can stimulate a number of different feelings and moods — enabling users to take a step back from their busy lives and enjoy a sensory experience unlike any other.”

Reeves and co-founder Zachary Norman have already spent years developing digital experiences in the gaming industry, having previously spent 15 years at companies such as game publishing giant Electronic Arts and mobile game developer Jamdat Mobile.

According to Reeves, Tripp wants to create “something that doesn’t exist on other platforms – a truly native application designed uniquely to the [VR] platform.” Reeves says that most of the current experiences that exist for VR are designed to recreate reality or to create 360-degree versions of experiences built for other platforms, she says that Tripp wants to use VR for “stimulation rather than simulation.”

While the company’s current focus is on VR, Reeves said that Tripp hopes to eventually make use of other immersive technologies that may be developed in the future, including mixed-reality platforms and other devices yet to be invented.

Tripp has yet to demonstrate any of its VR experiences, but the company plans on combining procedural generation with neural networks to create a unique experience for each user every time they use the platform.

Photo: lhl Viking via photopin (license)