ASU Media and Immersive eXperience (MIX) Center

What ASU Media and Immersive eXperience (MIX) Center does

The ASU Media and Immersive eXperience (MIX) Center is a state-of-the-art academic facility that opened in fall 2022 in Mesa, Arizona, operated by Arizona State University's Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. It is anchored by the ASU-City of Mesa collaboration and functions as a laboratory for advanced media technologies, media production, game development, and immersive content creation. The facility serves ASU students and faculty, the broader Mesa community, K-12 students through partnerships with Mesa Public Schools, and industry collaborators through the Mesh Labs guild structure. End users include makers of films, virtual worlds, video games, and immersive media experiences, as well as community members accessing entrepreneurship programs through the J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute.

The facility's core technical infrastructure comprises 24,000+ sq ft of flexible classroom and project space, 8,100 sq ft of professional soundstages, a 3,200 sq ft Enhanced Immersion Studio with 150-person capacity, Dolby-specification screening rooms (76-seat and 257-seat), a 2,400 sq ft Fabrication Lab, dedicated post-production facilities, and an LED volume stage ("The Volume" at Soundstage 3) powered by Unreal Engine, Disguise, and Pixera media servers. The MIX Center also operates Dreamscape Learn Classroom and Free-Roam VR pods with haptic feedback and infrared motion tracking. Seven dedicated research labs cover game-based learning, environmental XR and robotics, AI/robotics, immersive audio, computational media, and emerging-technology policy. Integration partnerships include Avid (post-production), Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series S (gaming lounge), and Google Forms (reservation system).

The MIX Center is not a commercial entity; it is a publicly funded university facility within a government state entity (Arizona State University). There is no pricing model or revenue stream; instead, the facility is funded through ASU's academic budget, public capital, and the City of Mesa partnership. Distribution is through ASU academic enrollment, online reservation forms for events and equipment rentals, community programming, and The Studios community space operated by the Edson Institute. As a student-centered educational hub inside a public-private partnership, the MIX Center's "business model" is mission-driven rather than revenue-driven, focused on workforce development, research output, and community impact in the Phoenix metropolitan area.

Name

ASU Media and Immersive eXperience (MIX) Center

Legal name

Arizona State University

Website

https://mix.asu.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The MIX Center is a state-of-the-art ASU academic facility in Mesa, Arizona, opened in 2022, serving ASU students, faculty, the Mesa community, and industry collaborators through film production studios, VR/AR/XR labs, LED volume virtual production, fabrication, and seven interdisciplinary research labs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Media Arts Education Facilities

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Fine Arts Schools (611610)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Immersive Collaboration Classrooms (Multiuser VR, Social Learning Spaces) (EDAFAJAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Game Development (Unity, Unreal, 2D/3D) (EDAMACAE), Film, Television & Media Arts Colleges (EDAHAJAE), Animation, Game Art & Digital Arts Colleges (EDAHAJAI), STEM & Lab Simulation Media (Virtual Labs, AR/VR) (EDAGALAF)

Keywords

• Immersive media production
• Virtual reality education
• Extended reality research
• Film production facilities
• Game-based learning research

Headquarters

HQ city

Mesa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The ASU MIX Center is an educational facility combining professional film production studios, immersive VR/XR experience spaces, post-production suites, fabrication labs, and research laboratories under one roof. It provides ASU students, faculty, and Mesa community members access to industry-grade equipment and hands-on learning environments for film, game development, XR creation, and immersive media research. The facility also functions as a public amenity with community programming, entrepreneurial support via the Edson Institute, and a three-acre public Plaza.

Product overview

The ASU Media and Immersive eXperience (MIX) Center is a unified educational facility (opened fall 2022) in Mesa, Arizona, combining film production studios, immersive experience spaces, VR learning pods, post-production suites, and research labs. The facility includes two Dolby-specification screening rooms (76-seat and 257-seat), an Enhanced Immersion Studio, professional soundstages, The Volume LED stage (powered by Unreal Engine), Fabrication Lab, Computer Labs, Dreamscape Learn Classroom Pod and Free-Roam Pod for VR education, and comprehensive post-production facilities. Research labs include Endless Games and Learning Lab, Environmental XR and Robotics Lab, Mesh Labs, MEDIAted eXperiences Lab, Resilient Visions Collaboratory, People and Robots Lab, and Sonora Immersive Audio Lab. The center serves film, media arts, design and emerging technology students while functioning as a public amenity in Mesa's Innovation District.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Soundstages / Production Studios
• The Volume at Soundstage 3
• Screening Rooms

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of students developing into media and technology professionals annually

Named customers5 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

Integration8 records

AI capability3 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• City of MesacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Collaboration between Arizona State University and the City of Mesa to create the ASU Mesa Center for Creative Technology, with the MIX Center as its centerpiece facility. The city provides the location in Mesa's Innovation District and supports the vision for an advanced media technology hub embedded in the community.
• Mesa Public SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership bringing in children and high school students from Mesa Public Schools to participate in programs at the MIX Center, providing youth exposure to media arts and technology education.
• Mesa Arts CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with community arts organizers from the Mesa Arts Center for collaborative programming and cultural exchange at the MIX Center.
• Downtown Mesa AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Downtown Mesa Association for community representation and coordination of public programming and events.
• J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute at ASUcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEdson Institute provides resources and programs to support current and aspiring entrepreneurs at The Studios, an inclusive community space within the ASU Mesa Center for Creative Technology complex. Also operates the three-acre Plaza with public park amenities.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Dreamscape Immersive: Company behind Dreamscape Learn and the free-roam VR pod technology deployed at the MIX Center; comparable as the technology partner whose platform powers the center's distinctive immersive learning pods.
• Stanford d.school / Hasso Plattner Institute of Design: University-affiliated interdisciplinary design and innovation institute; comparable to MIX Center's Edson Institute entrepreneurship and innovation programming plus its interdisciplinary lab model.

Direct peers

• MIT Media Lab: Interdisciplinary research lab within a major university focused on emerging technologies including XR, AI, robotics, and immersive media; comparable to MIX Center's multi-lab model spanning AI, XR, robotics, and creative practice.
• Full Sail University: For-profit institution focused on entertainment, media, and technology with industry-standard production facilities; comparable to MIX Center's production studios, post-production suites, and game/XR curriculum.
• NYU Game Center: University-based game design program at NYU with research labs and industry-standard tooling; comparable to MIX Center's The GAME School and game-development infrastructure (Unreal-based workflows, XR labs).
• Emerson College (Visual and Media Arts): Specialized arts/media college with film, production, and emerging media programs; comparable to MIX Center as an academic institution dedicated to media production and creative technology training.
• Georgia Tech Digital Media program: University program combining digital media production, interactive computing, and research labs; comparable to MIX Center in bridging media arts, computing, and industry-grade infrastructure.
• USC School of Cinematic Arts: Premier university film/media arts program within a major research university; comparable to MIX Center because it integrates film production, immersive media, and game/interactive curricula within an academic institution and operates industry-grade facilities.
• Carnegie Mellon Entertainment Technology Center: Interdisciplinary graduate program at CMU combining technology and creative design for games, immersive experiences, and interactive storytelling; directly comparable to MIX Center's The GAME School and Mesh Labs XR/industry guilds.

Regional players

• Berklee College of Music (Boston Conservatory at Berklee): Specialized arts institution combining music, performing arts, and now film/media; comparable to MIX Center as a design/arts institution under a larger university ecosystem, though focused on performing arts rather than XR.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/asumixcenter
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ASUMIXCenter?si=uxX2numxgehztOM6
• Facebookfacebook.com/asumixcenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/asu-mix-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/asumixcenter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 ASU Media and Immersive eXperience (MIX) Center