InsiteVR

InsiteVR provides virtual reality (VR) solutions for the construction industry, specializing in building information modeling (BIM) integration for model rendering and collaboration, based in New York, New York. The SaaS platform enables architects and 3D designers to upload models for VR viewing on devices like Oculus Rift, facilitating design reviews and safety inspections. It supports wireless XR devices and helps iterate on 3D designs using VR engagement data, serving sectors such as data centers, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals. InsiteVR has raised a total of $1.62 million in funding, with its last raise of $1.5 million approximately nine years ago. The company has grown to 160 employees and is an alumnus of the Y Combinator W15 batch. It was founded in 2014 by Angel Say and Russell Varriale.

High-Level Overview

InsiteVR builds virtual reality (VR) software for the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, enabling teams to review and collaborate on building information modeling (BIM) files in immersive VR environments.[1][2][4] It serves construction firms, architects, engineers, and owners in sectors like data centers, healthcare, water treatment, and pharmaceuticals, solving coordination challenges by allowing full-scale model walkthroughs, issue detection, and design iterations without physical prototypes or costly field errors.[1][5] The platform integrates with tools like BIM 360, Navisworks, Revit, and SketchUp, supporting wireless XR devices such as Oculus Quest, Rift, HTC Vive, and Windows Mixed Reality for seamless multi-user meetings.[2][4] With $1.62M raised in seed funding (last round $1.5M nine years ago), InsiteVR remains at seed stage, demonstrating steady traction through contracts with architecture firms and real-world ROI, like Suffolk Construction avoiding critical RFIs on a $100M project after minimal VR sessions.[1][3][5]

Origin Story

InsiteVR was founded in 2014 by Columbia University roommates Angel Say (CEO) and Russell Varriale (COO), both driven by a frustration with overlooked design flaws in real-world construction.[3] The idea sparked from a new campus building blocking the astronomy observatory's view—a preventable error if visualized early—leading them to win Y Combinator's Disrupt Hackathon with "Vrbun," a VR tool for exploring urban environments via Oculus Rift.[3] Evolving from hackathon prototype to enterprise software, early traction included six contracts with architecture firms, branding agencies, and event producers, shifting focus from basic 3D model viewing to BIM-integrated collaboration for AEC workflows.[1][3] Headquartered in New York, the company has grown into cross-platform VR meeting software, launching innovations like Resolve in recent years.[2][4]

Core Differentiators

InsiteVR stands out in construction tech through these key strengths:

• Proprietary Model Loading Engine: Powers Resolve, the first commercial solution for rendering massive BIM files (hundreds of millions of polygons) directly on standalone Oculus Quest without PC tethering or streaming, enabling accessible VR reviews anywhere.[4][5]
• Broad Compatibility and Ease: Supports major BIM tools (BIM 360, Revit, Navisworks, SketchUp) and devices (Oculus Quest/Rift/Go, HTC Vive), with no model prep needed—upload CAD/BIM files for instant full-scale, multi-user VR sessions.[1][2][5]
• Collaboration and ROI Focus: Facilitates VR coordination meetings for design reviews, safety checks, and issue spotting, delivering proven results like 11 issues/hour detected and avoided RFIs, as seen in Suffolk's high school project.[5]
• Wireless-First Accessibility: Leverages Quest's popularity (over 50% of usage) for field-accessible reviews, reducing late-stage changes and enhancing communication across VDC, design, and field teams.[4][5]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

InsiteVR rides the construction tech (ConTech) wave, where digital twins, BIM, and XR transform fragmented AEC workflows amid labor shortages, rising costs, and sustainability demands.[1] Its timing aligns with standalone VR hardware maturation—like Oculus Quest's affordability ($400) and wireless freedom—democratizing immersive reviews previously limited to high-end setups.[4][5] Market forces favoring it include BIM mandates in large projects, remote collaboration surges post-pandemic, and ROI from error reduction in multi-billion-dollar builds.[5] By influencing the ecosystem, InsiteVR pushes VR beyond gimmickry into risk mitigation, inspiring competitors like XYZ Reality while enabling field staff access to 3D models, ultimately accelerating prefabrication and modular construction trends.[1][3]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

InsiteVR's path forward hinges on scaling Resolve-like innovations amid evolving XR hardware (e.g., Quest successors) and AI-BIM integrations for automated clash detection. Expect deeper cloud connectivity and enterprise adoption in megaprojects, potentially unlocking Series A funding as ConTech valuations rebound. Trends like digital twins and AR/VR hybrid tools will amplify its edge, evolving it from niche visualizer to AEC standard—echoing its hackathon roots by preventing the next "observatory blocker" at global scale.[3][4]