Prefrontal Cortex

Name

Prefrontal Cortex

Legal name

prefrontal cortex GmbH

Website

https://prefrontalcortex.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Immersive Experience Design

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (512110), Graphic Design Services (541430)

akta.pro primary industry

VR/AR/XR Game Studios (MPAFAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Virtual Field Trips & Experiential Learning Environments (Museums, Geography, History) (EDAFAJAG), Virtual Worlds & Social Sandbox Experiences (persistent social spaces) (MPAFAIAG)

Keywords

• Immersive experience design
• VR AR development
• Interactive installations
• Unity3d development
• Experiential design studio

Headquarters

HQ city

Halle An Der Saale

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Custom VR/AR Project Development: Development of custom immersive experiences, installations, and visualizations for enterprise clients, cultural institutions, and commercial partners
2. Consumer Mobile Games: Development and distribution of mobile multiplayer games through app stores (iOS, Android, Windows) with multitouch support
3. Technology Demonstrators and Installations: Creation of prototype demonstrations for technology companies (Telekom, Intel) for trade shows and corporate installations

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Prefrontal Cortex is a German experiential design studio that develops custom VR/AR/XR experiences, interactive installations, and consumer mobile games. The studio creates immersive visualizations, educational tools, brand installations, and cultural heritage applications using Unity3D, motion-tracking hardware, and AR/VR headsets. Outputs are delivered either as commissioned projects for enterprise clients (Intel, Deutsche Telekom/T-Labs, Porsche, Robert S Engineering) or as standalone consumer apps distributed through major app stores.

Product overview

Prefrontal Cortex is a German experiential design studio that creates custom immersive experiences, games, and interactive installations rather than a unified software product. The portfolio spans consumer mobile games (Weaver, Boat for Two, MohWorld, Bullying Cells), educational tools (Dáskalos), creative tools (Iterazer, Metaworlds), VR/AR experiences (Swing VR, Into Music, Würfelwald VR, Telekom VR Demonstrator), interactive installations (Savanna, [l]ichtbar, Immersive Communication), and augmented reality applications (Xmas AR, Bybassos AR). Projects utilize hardware platforms including Samsung Gear VR, HTC Vive, Microsoft HoloLens, Meta 2, and leverage technologies such as Intel RealSense depth cameras, Leap Motion, and Microsoft Kinect for interaction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom VR/AR/XR Experiences and Installations Custom immersive VR and AR experiences, including interactive installations for exhibitions, museums, corporate events, and public spaces. Examples include architecture visualization (Innovation Hub), historical tours (Francke Zeitzeugen), and digital archaeology (Warship Mars).
• MohWorld Mobile multiplayer game featuring four mini-games (MohWalk, RoomExplorer, EatRock, MohPaddle) with extraordinary input methods including tilt sensors, marker-based AR, and multitouch.
• Weaver Family-friendly multiplayer game for touchscreens where up to 10 players weave webs with spiders to catch insects. Developed with Unity3D; reached the final round of the Intel App Innovation Contest 2013.
• Boat for Two Mobile game for couples about navigating a metaphorical relationship through waves and obstacles, featuring poetry-driven narrative and cooperative touchscreen gameplay.
• Dáskalos Interactive chemistry teacher and science learning tool for AR featuring platonic solids, optical lens systems, atom models, and periodic table visualization. Winner of the Epson Moverio Develop The Future App Challenge.
• Bullying Cells Mobile game about diversity, exclusion, and social structures that transfers bullying themes to microscopic cells. Created with Gamification Lab, Leuphana University.
• Iterazer Fractal composition tool for tablet PCs using multitouch gestures to create self-similar structures via iterated function systems. Available on Android, iOS, and Windows tablets.
• Metaworlds / Metaworlds 2.0 Immersive world-building experience with fluid-like interactive surfaces (Metaworlds) and its enterprise version (Metaworlds 2.0) for corporate brand communication, enabling dynamic real-time visualization for websites, print materials, VR/AR experiences, and events.
• Xmas AR Augmented reality mobile app for Android and iOS using ARCore/ARKit where users place procedural Christmas sculptures in their environment and play Christmas melodies.
• WvW Rush Box Overwolf extension for Guild Wars 2 providing real-time WvW battle information, live maps, and points display. Winner of the Overwolf TeamSpeak/Guild Wars 2 App Contest.
• Fight with Light Top-down shooter using eye-tracking technology (Overwolf Sentry) where players use mouse and eye gaze to scan the environment and throw grenades at monsters. Winner of the Overwolf Sentry Eyetracking Challenge 2014.
• Savanna Interactive installation at Intel headquarters using Intel RealSense cameras for hand tracking; users dig canyons in virtual terrain, water flows bring plants and animals, and AI drives stampede behavior.
• Bybassos AR AR application visualizing archaeological terrain and settlement structures around the ancient city of Bybassos, originally developed as a desktop app with Philipps-Universität Marburg and later expanded to the Meta 2 AR headset.

Quantifiable outcome

• Projects showcased at international venues including Geneva Motor Show, Mobile World Congress Barcelona, Intel headquarters, and various festivals worldwide
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration14 records

AI capability24 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Robert S EngineeringminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2017Collaboration on Mixed Reality Bike project for visualizing bicycle design process from drawing to CAD model using VR/AR technology.
• ARC SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2017Collaboration partner on Mixed Reality Bike project for pre-visualization capabilities demonstration.
• DrefabrikminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Cooperation on Into Music VR music visualization project with Prof. Anette Scholz from Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle.
• mdr KLASSIKminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Collaboration on Into Music project featuring 30 audio tracks from MDR Symphony Orchestra for 360-degree music visualization.
• DREFA Media Holding GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Project client and partner for Into Music VR music visualization project.
• Intel Agency InsidecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Ongoing partnership for creating brand installations at Intel headquarters including Savanna and Kelp Forest interactive lobby experiences using Intel RealSense technology.
• Ryan YoshimotominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Creative collaboration on Savanna and other Intel installation projects.
• Chris RojasminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Creative collaboration on Savanna interactive installation and Coachella Hydeaway Visuals project.
• IntelcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Ongoing partnership for Intel lobby installations including Savanna interactive experience at Santa Clara headquarters.
• Copyright Communications GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2016E-Performance Challenge project showcasing Porsche Panamera E-Hybrid at Geneva Motor Show.
• T-Labs (Telekom Innovation Laboratories)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2016Collaborative development of Immersive Communication project featuring holographic telepresence with digital assistant 'Tinka' for future communication scenarios.
• CharamelminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Collaboration on life-size digital assistant 'Tinka' exhibited at Mobile World Congress 2016 in Barcelona. Charamel provided the assistant design while PFC handled holographic setup conception.
• Gamification Lab, Leuphana Universität LüneburgminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2015Cooperation on educational game development including Boat for Two (relationship simulation game) and Bullying Cells (social dynamics educational game). Projects developed as cooperation between Prefrontal Cortex and the university's research lab.
• International Malling-Hansen SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Collaboration on digital reconstruction of Schreibkugel (Writing Ball) historical writing machine.
• Felix Herbst, Duc Phan Tran, Christian Freitag, Paul Kirsten, Thi Binh Minh Nguyen (Team MohWorld)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2012Internal team collaboration on MohWorld mobile multiplayer game project.
• Philipps-Universität MarburgminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Initial development of Bybassos AR desktop application for archaeological data visualization in collaboration with the university.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• UNIT9: London-headquartered creative production and technology studio with a dedicated immersive / AR/VR practice delivering interactive brand experiences and installations. Comparable in business model (project-based custom immersive work) and in serving global brand and technology clients.
• Merge: US-based company combining an XR platform (Merge Cube / Merge EDU) with custom 3D and AR/VR experience development. Comparable to Prefrontal Cortex on the AR/VR experience design side and on educational and consumer XR product work such as Dáskalos.
• Holo-Light: Bavarian XR engineering company focused on streaming and visualization of large 3D models for industrial AR/VR. Overlaps with Prefrontal Cortex's engineering-heavy XR visualization work (e.g., Siemensstadt digital miniature, Mixed Reality Bike CAD visualization) and shares the German enterprise-customer base.
• RE'FLEKT: Munich-based enterprise AR/VR studio delivering custom immersive applications and an AR authoring platform for industrial and brand clients. Closest direct German comparable to Prefrontal Cortex's custom VR/AR/XR installation business for enterprise customers.
• Innoactive: Munich-based XR software company providing enterprise VR/AR solutions and a content-management platform for industry training and operations. Comparable to Prefrontal Cortex on the enterprise custom-installation side and on serving large industrial/tech clients in the DACH region.
• Tool: Los Angeles-based creative studio and production company with deep AR/VR, interactive installation, and experiential work for major brands and technology partners. Comparable to Prefrontal Cortex in producing custom AR/VR installations and brand experiences for tier-1 technology clients.
• Magnopus: Los Angeles- and London-based studio building immersive experiences, VR installations, and real-time 3D tools for entertainment and enterprise brands. Closely comparable to Prefrontal Cortex on cross-platform VR/AR project delivery for tier-1 brand and technology clients.

Regional players

• Exozet: Berlin-based digital agency with VR/AR and interactive media capabilities, serving German and European enterprise and media clients. Comparable as a German custom immersive-experience provider, though Exozet operates at broader agency scale.

Emerging players

• Talespin: Los Angeles-based enterprise XR company building immersive training and simulation software (including VR soft-skills training). Adjacent to Prefrontal Cortex's emerging corporate training work (e.g., DigiCare VR, Cargo VR) but more productized and platform-led.
• Wonda VR: Paris-based company offering a VR creation and collaboration platform plus custom immersive experience services for enterprise learning and brand marketing. Partially comparable to Prefrontal Cortex on the enterprise VR/AR experience side, with a heavier platform-product emphasis.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/prefrontlcortex
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCbM8NVQuKVdW2ptjrqObPzA
• Facebookfacebook.com/prefrontalcortex.de
• Instagraminstagram.com/prefrontalcortex.de

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Prefrontal Cortex