Upload VR

Market position

UploadVR is a dedicated virtual reality trade publication whose coverage includes early hands-on access to unreleased hardware and prototypes, such as Meta's Tiramisu and Boba 3 prototypes and reviews of the Meta Ray-Ban Display and Samsung Galaxy XR. The editorial arm was led from January 2017 by Tal Blevins, a co-founder and former editor-in-chief of IGN.

The outlet focuses exclusively on virtual, augmented and mixed reality, publishing platform-specific reviews, impressions and industry reporting, and organizes branded activities such as the VR Games Showcase and Humble Bundle game bundles alongside its editorial output.

Go-to-market

Distribution is primarily via the uploadvr.com website, which publishes daily articles across VR gaming, hardware, fitness and industry news categories. The brand also runs the VR Games Showcase and branded Humble Bundle game bundles, and in its Upload era hosted frequent events and parties at its own offices and at industry conferences, often in collaboration with technology companies.

Readers interested in consumer and enterprise virtual and augmented reality, including VR headset owners and players on Meta Quest, PlayStation VR2 and PC VR, plus developers and industry professionals in the VR/AR sector. In its earlier coworking and education phase the company also served VR startups and developers seeking workspace and training.

Geography

Founded and originally headquartered in San Francisco, with a second location and later headquarters in Marina del Rey, Los Angeles, California. Wikipedia lists the company's headquarters as Los Angeles, US. The San Francisco and Marina del Rey properties were given up in 2018.

History

After its 2014 founding as a VR coworking company, UploadVR raised $1.25 million in seed funding from Shanda Group in December 2015 and launched Upload Collective, an incubation and coworking space, in January 2016. It partnered with Udacity, Google, HTC and Unity on a VR Nanodegree in 2016 and with Make School on the UploadVR Academy, a 10-week developer boot camp. A $4.5 million Series A led by Colopl closed in September 2016. In early 2017 the company rebranded to Upload and moved the "UploadVR" name to its media arm, hired Tal Blevins to lead editorial, and signed a 20,000-square-foot lease in the Marina Business Center in Marina del Rey, California, which became its headquarters. Plans for a $12 million venture fund, Upload Ventures, were abandoned in 2017. A former employee sued the company and its co-founders in May 2017 over gender discrimination, sexual harassment and wrongful termination; the case was settled in September 2017. The company hired Jacquelyn Ford Morie to lead education efforts and Anne Ahola Ward as chief operating officer in June 2017; Ward introduced mandatory anti-harassment training and departed by October 2017. Oculus VR founder Palmer Luckey reportedly provided as much as $2.5 million in continued funding, but ceased financing by March 2018, when Upload shut its offices and coworking spaces and let go of staff. The San Francisco and Marina del Rey properties were transferred to Starfish and The Riveter respectively. The UploadVR website continued to operate under UVR Media, LLC, incorporated in March 2018.

Risks & controversies

In May 2017, Elizabeth Scott, the company's director of digital and social media from April 2016 to March 2017, filed a civil lawsuit against Upload and co-founders Will Mason and Taylor Freeman alleging gender discrimination, sexual harassment and wrongful termination. The complaint described a "boy's club" environment, graphic sexual discussion about female employees, a designated "kink room" containing a bed, unequal pay and menial task assignments for women, and retaliation after she raised concerns; both Upload, Inc. and UploadVR, Inc. were named as defendants. The company stated the allegations were "entirely without merit." The suit was settled in September 2017 for a "modest sum." The case generated a front-page New York Times article and a public apology from Freeman and Mason, and at least six employees left in solidarity with Scott. Separately, the business faced financing failure: plans for a $12 million Upload Ventures fund were abandoned in 2017, and after Palmer Luckey reportedly stopped funding the company, Upload's offices and coworking spaces closed in March 2018 with staff let go.