Why This Russian Billionaire Is Creating A Virtual Reality World For Music Festivals And Concerts
“Imagine watching your favorite artists in space, not a stage — with absolute freedom to get as close as you want,” Prokhorov said in an email to Forbes. “VR is a new form of art.”
The platform, called Sensorium Galaxy, is scheduled to launch in the first half of 2021. But there are still many unknowns. The company says it has attracted $100 million in investments from entertainment companies, but would not disclose the names of any investors. Despite claiming that it has “great artists onboard,” the company did not disclose which musicians or bands have signed on.
The pandemic has also impacted Sensorium Galaxy’s timeline, with “minor delays in terms of development,” says Matias Lapushin, a spokesperson for the company. “We have a huge [motion capture studio] where we virtually recreate artists in VR, but the crisis has obviously prevented us from doing so these past few months.
Sensorium, founded by Prokhorov in 2018, is registered in the Cayman Islands, with offices in Moscow, Zurich and Los Angeles. It owns a 27% stake in Redpill VR, a Los Angeles-based tech company that is also using virtual reality for entertainment events.
Prokhorov ran against Vladimir Putin as president for Russia in 2012, winning 8% of the vote. And he’s the only oligarch to have appeared on The Daily Show with Stephen Colbert.
See the full story here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/angelauyeung/2020/08/18/why-this-russian-billionaire-is-creating-a-virtual-reality-world-for-music-festivals-and-concerts/#711ca2227a34