EKTO VR

What EKTO VR does

EKTO VR is a Pittsburgh-based private company developing wearable robotic footwear that enables natural walking in virtual reality while keeping the user physically near the center of a small footprint (about a 10 by 10 foot space). The core system is built on omnidirectional drive technology and an adaptive control software layer that maps head movement to walking motion in order to prevent cybersickness, with U.S. Patent No. 11,995,225 covering the underlying method. After roughly seven years of R&D iterated across eight major hardware versions, the company is transitioning from research prototypes to commercial product, currently delivering the Voyager SE Boots at $20,000 per pair and developing a consumer-priced Genesis model that targets a ~50% cost reduction and 23% weight reduction.

The company's go-to-market spans direct-to-consumer e-commerce with a waitlist, charter and lease programs for venue operators, and community-led growth through a Discord-based 'EKTOpia' community, influencer partnerships, and industry showcases such as Two Bit Circus and Peter Diamandis's Abundance 360. Customer segments include location-based entertainment and experience marketing operators, enterprise training and visualization verticals (medical, industrial, architecture, real estate), prosumers and VR enthusiasts, and applied physics researchers. Capitalization to date totals roughly $490,000 of disclosed angel and grant funding from Reinforced Ventures and Innovation Works across 2019-2023, followed by an undisclosed SEC Regulation Crowdfunding raise via Honeycomb Credit in mid-2025.

The team is led by founder and CEO Brad Factor (Cornell ECE, CMU MS in Robotic Systems Development; former Honeywell Aerospace flight controls engineer) and co-founder and Head of Growth Jenn Sydeski, supported by advisors including designer Philipp Haban, a Design for Manufacturing advisor, and a branding/digital strategy advisor. Strategic partners and ecosystem participants include HTC VIVE (ISV), Varjo, LG Nova (First 50 program), and the AlphaLab Gear accelerator (Innovation Works). Scientific validation includes a Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory study in which the boots were the only locomotion system rated 'Excellent' on usability and best at mitigating motion sickness.

Name

EKTO VR

Legal name

EKTO VR, Inc.

Website

https://ektovr.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

EKTO VR is a Pittsburgh-based company that builds motorized robotic footwear enabling natural walking in virtual reality while keeping the user physically in place, serving location-based entertainment operators, enterprise training verticals, and consumer VR enthusiasts via its Voyager SE and Genesis product lines.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

VR Locomotion Hardware (Wearable Robotics)

NAICS

Computer Terminal and Other Computer Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing (334118)

SIC

Computer Peripheral Equipment, Nec (3577)

akta.pro primary industry

VR/XR Hardware & Accessories (Headsets, Controllers, Trackers, Haptics) (MPAFAGAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

VR/AR Gaming Platforms (BPAMAKAG)

Keywords

• VR locomotion boots
• Wearable robotics
• Robotic footwear
• VR motion sickness solutions
• Omnidirectional drive technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsburgh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales - Voyager SE Boots: Sale of EKTO VR Boots at $20,000 per pair via company website shop. Currently delivering units to customers.
2. Charter/Lease Program: Charter and lease arrangements for VR boots usage. Part of commercial and professional deployment offerings.
3. Equity Crowdfunding: Community equity crowdfunding campaign via Honeycomb Credit (Summer 2025, closed). SEC filings under Regulation Crowdfunding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

EKTO VR designs, develops, and sells motorized wearable robotic boots that let users walk naturally in virtual reality while remaining stationary in physical space. The boots use patented omnidirectional drive technology and AI-powered adaptive control software to prevent cybersickness, and are sold commercially as Voyager SE Boots ($20,000/pair) with a consumer version (Genesis) in development.

Product overview

EKTO VR offers a portfolio of motorized VR boots for walking naturally in virtual reality. The product line spans from commercial products (Voyager SE Boots at $20k) to consumer-focused options (EKTO GENESIS VR Adventure Shoes). The underlying EKTO VR System platform integrates advanced robotics, omnidirectional drive technology, and adaptive control software that connects head movements with natural walking motion to prevent cybersickness. Products have undergone 8 major versions over 7 years of R&D, with the latest consumer design iterations achieving 50% cost reduction and 23% weight reduction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Voyager SE Boots Commercial and professional-grade motorized VR boots priced at $20,000 that enable users to walk naturally in virtual reality without physically moving through the room. Currently delivered to enterprise, location-based entertainment, training, and research customers.
• EKTO GENESIS VR Adventure Shoes Consumer-focused VR adventure shoes designed for the mass market. Aimed at in-home VR users seeking natural walking locomotion without motion sickness, positioned as a lighter, more affordable successor to the commercial Voyager SE Boots.
• EKTO VR Boots / Ekto One Original generation of EKTO VR's motorized robotic footwear enabling natural VR walking while staying physically in place. Used by hundreds of people in professional and commercial environments and showcased at the Bata Shoe Museum 'Future Now' exhibit.
• EKTO VR System Core proprietary technology platform combining wearable robotics, omnidirectional drive technology, and adaptive control software that enables limitless VR experiences without motion sickness within approximately 10x10 foot physical spaces.
• Voyager SE Charter/Lease Program Charter and lease arrangements for commercial and professional use of EKTO VR Boots, providing access to the Voyager SE platform without outright purchase for enterprise and location-based entertainment customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ user experiences in professional and commercial environments
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Palmer Luckey (Oculus Founder)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2023Long-time supporter of EKTO VR who invited the company for a private demo and has encouraged boot development since inception.
• Two Bit CircusminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2023Micro-amusement park venue selected for showcasing EKTO VR's immersive technology and releasing a new boot design on March 18, 2023.
• ZulushiminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 March 2023Influencer partnership for exclusive immersive VR experience using EKTO VR's cutting-edge boots. Video content created for marketing purposes.
• Peter Diamandis (Abundance 360)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 March 2023EKTO VR selected as one of 30 technologies to anchor Abundance 360 futurism summit, reinforcing position at VR industry forefront.
• Philipp HabancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2023World-renowned designer who unveiled stunning concept model for EKTO VR boots, blending high-fashion aesthetics with sporty functionality. Serves as Design Advisor.
• LG NovaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLG Nova First 50 program participant as part of LG's innovation ecosystem for emerging technology companies.
• Bata Shoe MuseumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMuseum exhibit featuring EKTO ONE boots in 'Future Now' exhibit about virtual sneakers and cutting-edge kicks.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Virtuix: Developer of the Omni omnidirectional treadmill, the most direct competitor to EKTO VR in the VR natural-walking category. Both companies target location-based entertainment, enterprise training, and consumer gaming with hardware that simulates walking in place, and both compete for the same LBE operator and enthusiast buyer.
• Kat VR: Maker of the Kat Walk series of omnidirectional VR treadmills, a direct competitor in VR locomotion hardware. Comparable target customers (LBE, VR arcades, home enthusiasts) and overlapping value proposition around cybersickness reduction and natural walking motion.
• Cyberith: Austrian developer of the Virtualizer, an omnidirectional treadmill for VR locomotion. Competes with EKTO VR for LBE and enterprise training accounts and offers a closely comparable hardware mechanism for walking-in-place VR movement.
• 3dRudder: Developer of a foot-controlled seated VR locomotion device. While not a walking solution, it competes in the broader 'VR feet-based input' category and targets similar PC-VR enthusiast and enterprise training use cases.
• Virtuix (Omni One consumer treadmill): Virtuix's Omni One consumer-targeted treadmill product is the closest head-to-head with EKTO's planned Genesis consumer SKU. Pricing, footprint, and target buyer overlap materially, making this the most direct competitive benchmark for consumer launch.

Broad incumbents

• Meta (Quest / Reality Labs): Largest VR headset platform and an existing partner ecosystem (Palmer Luckey founded Oculus). Meta's locomotion roadmap (passthrough, redirected walking, software-based natural movement) shapes the addressable demand for EKTO's hardware.
• HTC VIVE: Major VR headset OEM and a disclosed ISV partner of EKTO VR. VIVE controls significant share of the PC-VR and enterprise training market that EKTO's boots integrate into, making it both a distribution channel and a potential competitive platform play.

Emerging players

• bHaptics: Maker of wearable haptic suits and accessories for VR. Adjacent category (body-worn VR peripherals) targeting the same enthusiast and LBE buyers, with potential to bundle or compete at the per-user peripheral budget level.
• StriVR (operated by Infinite Reality): Enterprise VR training platform that uses headsets and sometimes locomotion peripherals for sports, retail, and industrial training. Represents the demand side of the enterprise VR locomotion market EKTO targets.
• Tactical Haptics: Developer of reactive grip and haptic feedback controllers for VR. Adjacent wearable VR peripheral category serving similar immersive-experience goals, with potential overlap in LBE and training operator procurement budgets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ektovr
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCq_lm-bScpZyQQYtPhHpzbA
• Facebookfacebook.com/ektovr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ektovr
• Instagraminstagram.com/ekto.vr
• TikToktiktok.com/@ektovr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about EKTO VR