Acute XR is a technology company.
Acute XR is a technology company.
Acute XR has raised $30K across 1 funding round.
Acute XR has raised $30K in total across 1 funding round.
Acute XR has raised $30K in total across 1 funding round.
Acute XR's investors include Health Wildcatters.
Acute XR is a healthtech startup developing immersive VR biofeedback games for pediatric mental health therapy, targeting emotional regulation, stress, anxiety, and depression in children and adolescents.[1][2][3][4][5] Their flagship product, *Calm Quest*, uses a player's heart rate as a controller to teach self-regulation through fun, magical worlds, reducing therapist session inefficiencies by 40-60% while delivering clinical results like over 30% symptom reduction after 10 sessions.[4][5] Serving therapists and young patients, Acute XR solves the problem of engaging, effective mental health treatment by fusing evidence-based medical advancements with game design, making therapy playful rather than gamified.[1][3][5]
Founded in 2024 and based in Barcelona with U.S. incorporation, the company has raised $87,000, completed a clinical trial with sustained results, and accelerated through programs like Health Wildcatters, Darden's i.Lab, and eWorks.[4][5] Recognized as a 2024 Most Disruptive MBA Startup by Poets & Quants from Esade Business School, Acute XR shows strong early momentum in pediatric digital health.[5]
Acute XR was founded in 2024 by Dominik Kirchdorfer (CEO, MBA from University of Virginia Darden, writer & entrepreneur) and Andreas Lenz (CTO, game designer & researcher from FH Technikum Wien, ex-Toadman Interactive).[4][5] The idea emerged from a personal connection: Kirchdorfer met Lenz and his brother 12 years ago playing an online video game, sparking a long-term vision to transform therapy into play.[5] Kirchdorfer pursued an MBA at Darden to build business expertise, while Lenz focused on game systems.[4][5]
Pivotal early moments include incorporating in the U.S. in May 2024, graduating from Darden's i.Lab incubator in August, joining Health Wildcatters accelerator in Dallas, and completing a clinical trial proving 30%+ reductions in chronic stress and anxiety symptoms, sustained three months post-treatment.[5] Launched at Esade Business School, these milestones fueled rapid traction.[5]
Acute XR rides the convergence of VR/AR in healthtech and rising pediatric mental health needs, amplified by post-pandemic demand for accessible, stigma-free therapy.[2][5][6] Timing aligns with VR hardware maturation (e.g., affordable headsets) and biofeedback tech advances, enabling scalable digital therapeutics amid therapist shortages.[1][4] Market forces like gaming's $200B+ industry and mental health's $100B+ gap favor immersive solutions that normalize therapy as "play," influencing ecosystems by pioneering VR biofeedback standards and accelerating adoption in pediatric care.[3][5][6]
Acute XR is poised to expand with more biofeedback titles, leveraging clinical proof and accelerators for U.S. market penetration and further funding.[5] Trends like AI-enhanced VR personalization and global mental health crises will propel growth, potentially evolving them into a platform leader where video games become standard therapy.[5] Their influence could reshape pediatric care, making mental health as routine as physical checkups—turning "medicine into play" at scale, building on a foundation of innovation and validated impact.[2][5]
Acute XR has raised $30K across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $30K Seed in September 2024.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2024 | $30K Seed | Health Wildcatters |