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Strivr

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Strivr
Information
Industry Enterprise training, virtual reality, artificial intelligence
Founded 2015
Founder Derek Belch, Jeremy Bailenson, Michael Manuccia
Notable Personnel Derek Belch (founder and CEO), Jeremy Bailenson (co-founder and chief visionary), Michael Manuccia (co-founder and COO)
Products Strivr VR training platform, Frontline Intelligence
Website https://www.strivr.com


Strivr (originally STRIVR Labs, from "Sports Training in Virtual Reality")[1] is an American company that makes virtual reality training software for employers. It grew out of Stanford University's Virtual Human Interaction Lab, where Derek Belch, a former Stanford football kicker, built a VR system to help the Stanford football team study plays. Belch co-founded the company with Jeremy Bailenson, the lab's founding director.[2][3] The company gives 2015 as its founding year.[4]

STRIVR first sold its system to college and professional sports teams; in 2015 the Dallas Cowboys became the first NFL team to adopt it. The company then moved into corporate training. One of its first large corporate deployments was at Walmart, which announced in September 2018 that it would place about 17,000 Oculus Go headsets loaded with STRIVR training in its U.S. stores.[5][6] Other customers have included Verizon, Bank of America, Tyson Foods, JetBlue, Fidelity and MGM Resorts.[3][7] By 2026 the company's website led with Frontline Intelligence, an AI system delivered through smart glasses that is designed to detect operational errors as work happens and guide correction, while still listing its VR training products.[8][4]

Reviewed 13 October 2026. Checked every claim against the cited Stanford GSB case, VR Fitness Insider, Strivr pages, TechCrunch, Road to VR, CNBC, Engadget, CIO, VentureBeat, Accenture, TechTarget, HR Dive, CBS, Fox, Reworked and UC Today articles. About review dates.

History

Stanford origins and sports training

Belch had played and coached football at Stanford. He turned his master's thesis project at the Virtual Human Interaction Lab into a VR athletic training company in late 2014, after testing the system with the Stanford football team throughout the 2014 season.[2] CNBC reported that he gave up a position as a graduate assistant football coach at Stanford to start the company, and that Stanford head coach David Shaw encouraged him and invested in it.[9] Shaw described the earliest camera rig as "like eight GoPros rubber-banded together", and Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan studied plays in the headset for about 20 minutes a day before games.[5]

The product put players inside recorded practice footage. STRIVR filmed plays with 360-degree cameras placed close to the players and played them back on PC-connected Oculus Rift headsets, building a library of plays for each team. Belch argued that real footage worked better than computer-generated imagery because players would otherwise make decisions based on "false cues".[10]

In June 2015 Engadget, citing ESPN, reported that the Dallas Cowboys were the first NFL team to adopt the system; the team set aside a room at its training facility for it and used it with quarterbacks, linebackers and safeties.[5] According to a Stanford Graduate School of Business case study, STRIVR had contracts with two NFL teams and six colleges by the end of June 2015, and by the end of August it had added four more NFL teams, three more college football programs, the NBA's Washington Wizards and the NHL's Washington Capitals.[2] CIO listed the Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals and New Orleans Saints as STRIVR users at the 2015 training camps.[10] The sports business continued after the company's move into corporate training: in 2020 the Tampa Bay Buccaneers used STRIVR to help Tom Brady learn the team's offense, and head coach Bruce Arians had used the system since coaching the Arizona Cardinals.[11]

Move into enterprise training

STRIVR raised a US$5 million seed round in 2016.[3] Walmart began using its VR training in 2017, first in 200 Walmart Academy training centers that used PC-tethered Oculus Rift headsets.[6][7] In September 2018 Walmart announced that it would place about 17,000 Oculus Go headsets in its stores by the end of the year, four for each supercenter and two for each Neighborhood Market, so that associates could take STRIVR courses without traveling to an academy.[6][9] The content was mostly 360-degree video with interactive on-screen prompts. Walmart also used it to let employees try new features such as the Pickup Tower before they were installed.[6]

In October 2018 STRIVR closed a US$16 million Series A round led by GreatPoint Ventures, bringing its total funding to US$21 million; GreatPoint managing partner Ray Lane joined the board.[12][3] CNBC listed its investors at the time as BMW iVentures, the NFL's strategic investment fund, GreatPoint Ventures and Signia Venture Partners.[9] Belch told TechCrunch that the company had 27 Fortune 500 customers.[12] It had recently opened offices in New York, Seattle and Nashville, in addition to Los Angeles and Menlo Park.[3]

Corporate projects from this period included a safety and hazard awareness pilot at Tyson Foods. HR Dive reported that Tyson's injuries and illnesses fell by more than 20 percent in fiscal 2017 compared with the previous year, and that 89 percent of learners in the pilot said they felt more prepared.[13] Verizon, a Strivr customer,[14] used VR to train store staff for armed robberies, with three scenarios: a robbery at opening, a robbery at closing, and a smash-and-grab during store hours. CBS News reported in December 2018, in a segment that featured Belch and Strivr imagery, that Verizon planned to put 15,000 front-line workers through the program that year.[15] By mid-2019 Walmart was using a VR skills assessment built with Strivr to evaluate candidates for middle-management roles. According to The Wall Street Journal, as reported by Road to VR, more than 10,000 employees had taken it, facing scenarios such as an angry shopper or an underperforming worker.[16]

Series B, acquisitions and platform

In March 2020 Strivr raised a US$30 million Series B led by Georgian Partners, for a total of US$51 million raised. TechCrunch reported that 22,000 of its headsets were in use, with 1.6 million registered sessions, and that all of its hardware came from Oculus. Named customers included FedEx, JetBlue, Verizon and BMW.[14] Strivr's announcement named Franklin Templeton and Prologis Ventures as new investors, alongside existing investors GreatPoint Ventures and Alumni Ventures Group. It also announced a patent issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for measuring VR training data, which groups learners using sensing data such as head, hand and eye movements and physiological data; Strivr said a related algorithm predicts how performance in VR maps to real-world performance.[17]

In April 2021 Strivr acquired Observer Analytics, a company that had built an SDK and platform for collecting, analyzing and visualizing user behavior in mixed reality applications.[18] In March 2021 Bank of America said it would expand its use of Strivr training to more client-facing staff after a pilot with about 400 employees; its VR lessons covered subjects such as notary services and fraud detection.[19] In December 2021 MGM Resorts said it would let job applicants try casino and hotel roles in VR with Strivr content before accepting an offer, in addition to using Strivr to train new employees.[20]

In April 2022 Strivr announced a US$35 million extension of its Series B, led by Georgian, with Accenture Ventures, Workday Ventures and Gaingels taking part and Bank of America investing directly. VentureBeat reported that Bank of America was rolling Strivr training out to about 45,000 employees across 4,000 U.S. banks.[7] Accenture said the investment, whose terms it did not disclose, made Strivr part of its Project Spotlight program. Both announcements gave Strivr's headquarters as Santa Clara, California.[7][21] In October 2022 Strivr opened its platform to third-party developers and announced partnerships with VMware, Qualcomm, Accenture and the headset maker Pico, among others. TechTarget reported that it had trained more than 1 million workers by then.[22] In May 2024 VirtualSpeech announced that its communication and leadership modules would be available in the Strivr content library; the announcement put Strivr's totals at over 1 million learners and over 2 million XR experiences launched.[23]

Frontline Intelligence

Strivr's own account says that working with large employers convinced it that training alone was not enough, and that this led to Frontline Intelligence, which it describes as "an AI-native, hands-free intelligence layer that detects issues and guides correction in real time".[4] The system runs on smart glasses. For each customer, Strivr builds a custom visual language model from that customer's procedures, SOPs and manuals, then uses it to spot deviations and guide workers through corrections.[8] In a July 2026 review, UC Today described the product as being in early access, noted that no specific glasses model was named, and pointed out that no customer outcomes for Frontline Intelligence had been published.[24] As of October 2026 Belch is still founder and CEO, Bailenson is co-founder and chief visionary, and Michael Manuccia is co-founder and COO; Ray Lane remains on the board, and David Shaw is an advisory board member.[4]

Funding

Date Round Amount Lead investor Notes
2016 Seed US$5 million [3]
October 2018 Series A US$16 million GreatPoint Ventures Total raised US$21 million[12]
March 2020 Series B US$30 million Georgian Partners Total raised US$51 million[14]
April 2022 Series B extension US$35 million Georgian Accenture Ventures, Workday Ventures, Gaingels; direct investment by Bank of America[7]

Products

Product Description
VR training platform Enterprise immersive learning platform with software, content, hardware deployment and services, plus analytics on usage and engagement[7]
VR Content Studio Ready-made, custom and template-based immersive training simulations[25]
Frontline Intelligence AI error detection and guidance delivered through smart glasses, built on custom visual language models; in early access in 2026[8][24]

Customers

Customer Use Reported
Dallas Cowboys and other NFL teams Quarterback and defensive play study with recorded 360-degree practice footage 2015[5][10]
Walmart Academy training (from 2017), in-store training on about 17,000 Oculus Go headsets (2018), middle-manager assessment (reported 2019) 2018-2019[6][16]
Tyson Foods Safety and hazard awareness pilot 2018[13]
Verizon Armed robbery response training for store staff 2018[15][14]
Bank of America Notary, fraud detection and client conversation training for financial center staff 2021-2022[19][7]
MGM Resorts Job previews for applicants and employee training 2021[20]
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Playbook study, used by Tom Brady 2020[11]

XR work

Strivr does not make its own headsets and works with outside hardware makers.[7] Its sports product ran on PC-connected Oculus Rift headsets,[10] and the Walmart academy rollout also used tethered Rifts before Walmart moved to the standalone Oculus Go for in-store training.[6] In 2020 TechCrunch reported that all of its hardware came from Oculus, and that its software often combined interactive 360-degree video with computer-generated scenarios.[14] The 2022 platform partnerships added Pico as a hardware partner.[22] TechTarget noted in 2022 that large companies such as Meta and Microsoft were moving into corporate learning; Belch called Strivr's relationship with Meta and Oculus "a fruitful relationship" and said of its partners and investors, "we are working with these companies, we're not competing with them."[22] Frontline Intelligence moves the company's focus from VR headsets to smart glasses used during work itself.[4][24]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Osmond Arnesto (2016-09-05). "From the Playbook to the Headset". VR Fitness Insider. https://www.vrfitnessinsider.com/from-the-playbook-to-the-headset/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 George Foster, Ryan Kissick (2016). "STRIVR Labs". Stanford Graduate School of Business. https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/strivr-labs. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Scott Hayden (2018-10-04). "STRIVR Secures $16M Series A Financing to Expand Enterprise VR Training". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/strivr-secures-16m-series-financing-expand-enterprise-vr-training/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 "About Strivr". Strivr. https://www.strivr.com/about-us. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Steve Dent (2015-06-08). "Dallas Cowboys become the first NFL team to go all-in on VR". Engadget. https://www.engadget.com/2015-06-08-dallas-cowboys-strivr-vr-tech.html. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Lucas Matney (2018-09-20). "Walmart is putting 17,000 Oculus Go headsets in its stores to help train employees in VR". TechCrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2018/09/20/walmart-is-putting-17000-oculus-go-headsets-in-its-stores-to-help-train-employees-in-vr/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 Paul Sawers (2022-04-19). "Enterprise VR training company Strivr raises $35M to help reskill the workforce". VentureBeat. https://venturebeat.com/business/enterprise-vr-training-company-strivr-raises-35m-to-help-reskill-the-workforce. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Strivr". Strivr. https://www.strivr.com/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Lora Kolodny (2018-10-09). "Strivr CEO Derek Belch left a dream job coaching football at Stanford to help others train for theirs". CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/09/strivr-ceo-derek-belch-left-dream-job-to-help-others-train-for-theirs.html. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Lauren Brousell (2015-08-06). "NFL teams test virtual reality at 2015 training camp". CIO. https://www.cio.com/article/244752/nfl-teams-test-virtual-reality-at-2015-training-camp.html. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Thomas Barrabi (2020-09-01). "Tom Brady using virtual reality to learn Buccaneers offense as season approaches". Fox News. https://www.foxnews.com/sports/tom-brady-virtual-reality-buccaneers-offense-strivr. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Lucas Matney (2018-10-03). "STRIVR nabs $16M to train the future workforce in virtual reality". TechCrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2018/10/03/strivr-nabs-16m-to-train-the-future-workforce-in-virtual-reality/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Riia O'Donnell (2018-09-18). "Tyson Foods reduces worker injuries, illnesses with VR safety training". HR Dive. https://www.hrdive.com/news/tyson-foods-reduces-worker-injuries-illnesses-with-vr-safety-training/532452/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 Lucas Matney (2020-03-31). "VR workplace training startup Strivr lands $30 million Series B". TechCrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/31/vr-workplace-training-startup-strivr-lands-30-million-series-b/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Companies use VR to train employees for hostage situations, robberies". CBS News. 2018-12-20. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/companies-use-vr-to-train-employees-for-hostage-situations-robberies/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Scott Hayden (2019-07-03). "Walmart is Using VR to Assess & Promote Employees". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/walmart-vr-promote-managers/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
  17. ↑ "Strivr raises $30 million in series B funding". Strivr Blog. Strivr. https://www.strivr.com/blog/funding-patent-immersive-learning-platform. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
  18. ↑ "Strivr acquires VR data analytics firm". Strivr Blog. Strivr. 2021-05-11. https://www.strivr.com/blog/vr-analytics-firm-data. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Lucas Matney (2021-03-03). "Bank of America is bringing VR instruction to its banks". TechCrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2021/03/03/bank-of-america-is-bringing-vr-instruction-to-its-4000-banks/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Steve Dent (2021-12-13). "MGM lets potential employees try out jobs in VR before signing on". Engadget. https://www.engadget.com/mgm-is-letting-potential-employees-try-out-jobs-in-vr-before-signing-on-101720483.html. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
  21. ↑ "Accenture Invests in Strivr to Help Advance Immersive Learning in the Metaverse Continuum Era". Accenture Newsroom. Accenture. 2022-04-19. https://newsroom.accenture.com/news/2022/accenture-invests-in-strivr-to-help-advance-immersive-learning-in-the-metaverse-continuum-era. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Patrick Thibodeau (2022-10-24). "To compete with tech giants, Strivr opens its VR platform". TechTarget. https://www.techtarget.com/enterprise-software/news/252526438/To-compete-with-tech-giants-Strivr-opens-its-VR-platform. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
  23. ↑ "VirtualSpeech and Strivr join forces to expand VR training for soft skills development". Reworked. 2024-05-08. https://www.reworked.co/the-wire/virtualspeech-and-strivr-join-forces-to-expand-vr-training-for-soft-skills-development/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 Alex Cole (2026-07-13). "Strivr Frontline Intelligence Review: Is This the Future of Immersive Workplace Performance?". UC Today. https://www.uctoday.com/immersive-workplace-xr-tech/strivr-frontline-intelligence-immersive-workplace-review/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
  25. ↑ "VR Content Studio". Strivr. https://www.strivr.com/content-studio. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
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