Walt Disney Co. DIS, +0.35% Sky PLC and other global media firms are investing $65 million in a Silicon Valley virtual-reality startup, signaling increasing interest in the immersive technology among traditional media.
Other new investors in Jaunt Inc., of Palo Alto, Calif., include German media conglomerates Axel Springer SE and ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG; China Media Capital, a Chinese government investment firm focused on entertainment; and Evolution Media Partners, a venture fund backed by private-equity firm TPG and Creative Artists Agency LLC, Hollywood’s largest talent agency.
The investment is among the largest funding rounds in virtual reality and brings Jaunt’s funding to about $100 million. Google Inc. GOOG, +0.69% GOOGL, +0.69% and several venture funds last year invested $542 million in augmented-reality firm Magic Leap Inc., and virtual-reality-headset maker Oculus VR raised $75 million in 2013 before Facebook Inc. FB, +1.48% purchased the company for $2 billion last year. Jaunt declined to disclose its valuation.
