Imbiba is a specialist leisure sector investor.
Portfolio
3
companies
Otherworld
Otherworld operates multi-sensory virtual reality venues.
Electric Gamebox
Electric Gamebox provides immersive group gaming experiences in interactive digital rooms.
Wireless Social
Wireless Social provides guest Wi-Fi and analytics platforms for the hospitality sector.
Darrel Connell
Partner
Darrel brings investment and non-executive experience across growth brands. He serves as a partner at Imbiba and holds non-executive roles including at F1 Arcade and Farmer J.
LinkedInThe capital will back domestic and international venue expansion alongside the launch of an upgraded virtual reality platform.
"People are seeking ever-greater levels of immersion, but through social experiences they can enjoy with friends and family. We can’t wait to take the OTHERWORLD experience to new markets around the world."
The funding round was backed by Brookfield Asset Management, Index Ventures, JamJar, and Project A to support expansion across the UK and US.
"We are thrilled to be working with Brookfield to accelerate our expansion furthering our mission to reinvent how consumers interact with video games. We aim to be the Netflix of Immersive Entertainment, with 1000+ units playing 100+ games in the next 5 years – working with real estate leaders like Brookfield brings us one step closer to achieving this."
The leisure-focused investor backs the guest Wi-Fi provider in its first technology sector investment.
"We are delighted to partner with the team at Wireless Social. Our investment enables ongoing tech innovation, including the development of a new-to-market platform designed to simplify brand-sponsored email and SMS campaigns in real time, when consumers are in the venues. This platform, branded Hedgehog, is a key sales-enabled marketing tool and meets the high demand we see from a significant range of leisure and hospitality brands. Our support will also help create a number of key jobs as the Chorley-based tech firm expands its Sales, Product Development, Customer Support, and Marketing departments. Wireless Social has expansion plans for the US market where there is a significant opportunity for their hospitality-focused service and transformative Hedgehog solution."
