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§ Private Profile · San Francisco, CA, USA
Mursion is a technology company.
Mursion provides an AI-powered upskilling platform that delivers immersive simulations for the development of essential workplace skills. The company’s core offering blends artificial intelligence with live human interaction to create realistic practice environments. This approach utilizes emotionally intelligent virtual avatars, enabling experiential learning for critical soft skills such as leadership, communication, and diversity and inclusion within various organizational contexts.
The company was founded in 2015 by Arjun Nagendran and Mark Atkinson. Their founding insight centered on the need for effective, scalable, and personalized training methods for professional development that go beyond traditional e-learning or classroom instruction. They recognized the potential of simulation technology to offer a safe space for professionals to practice and refine complex interpersonal skills.
Mursion serves organizations seeking to enhance their workforce capabilities, ranging across different industries. These clients leverage the platform to prepare their employees for future challenges and to foster a more skilled, adaptable workforce. The company envisions a future where professionals consistently develop essential human skills through accessible and impactful immersive learning experiences, ultimately driving organizational resilience and effectiveness.
Mursion has raised $28.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Mursion has raised $28.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Mursion has raised $28.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Mursion's investors include Susan Cates, New Markets Venture Partners, NextGen Venture Partners, University Ventures, Figure Eight Investments, NewSchools Venture Fund, Propel Capital, Schusterman Family Investments, Strada Education Network, Zoma Capital.
Mursion is a San Francisco-based technology company that develops AI-powered immersive virtual reality (VR) simulations for professional development, focusing on soft skills like leadership, customer service, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).[1][2][4] It serves corporations, healthcare providers, educational institutions, and over a third of Fortune 100 companies by offering tools such as Mursion Live (human-driven sessions), Mursion On-Demand (fully AI simulations), and personalized coaching programs that enable risk-free practice of real-world scenarios, driving measurable outcomes in employee engagement, retention, and performance.[3][4][5]
The platform blends multimodal AI with human insight—powered by motion capture animators and live interaction—to create lifelike avatars, grounded in behavioral science and psychology for lasting skill mastery.[2][3][4] Recognized as one of America's Fastest-Growing Companies by the Financial Times and Inc., Mursion addresses workforce upskilling needs amid rising demands for interpersonal skills in hybrid work environments.[2]
Mursion was founded in 2015 as a spinout from research at the University of Central Florida, where the core idea emerged: simulating high-stress workplace conversations in VR to build social effectiveness before real-life encounters.[3][6] Co-founder and CTO Arjun Nagendran, with expertise in VR and AI, led the development of a platform combining these technologies to recreate scenarios with AI-driven avatars powered by human reasoning, allowing professionals to practice handling unpredictable stress.[6]
Early traction came from delivering VR simulations to over 20,000 learners in a single organization within four months, proving scalability and ROI through metrics like customer satisfaction and reduced turnover.[6] Pivotal moments include a 2021 Forbes article spotlighting its "human-powered tech stack" and the acquisition of Valor Performance coaching platform, evolving Mursion into a full development ecosystem blending simulation with expert coaching.[3]
Mursion stands out in the training tech space through its hybrid model and science-backed design:
Mursion rides the wave of AI-driven workforce transformation, capitalizing on post-pandemic demands for remote/hybrid upskilling in human-centric skills amid talent shortages and DEI mandates.[1][2][4] Its timing aligns with multimodal AI advancements enabling lifelike simulations, while market forces like rising employee turnover (costing billions annually) and VR adoption in enterprise training favor scalable, risk-free practice over traditional methods.[3][5][6]
By influencing over a third of Fortune 100 firms, Mursion shapes the ecosystem toward "human-powered AI," bridging digital tools with behavioral change—pushing competitors to hybrid models and accelerating digital upskilling in sectors like corporate L&D and education.[3][4][7]
Mursion is poised to dominate immersive upskilling as AI evolves toward more empathetic, context-aware interactions, expanding its platform with deeper integrations like VR hardware partnerships and global localization.[3][5] Trends like agentic AI and metaverse workplaces will amplify demand for its hybrid simulations, potentially doubling enterprise adoption as firms prioritize soft skills ROI amid economic pressures.
Its influence may grow through acquisitions and ecosystem plays, solidifying San Francisco's edge in AI training tech—transforming how professionals master interpersonal edges in an automated world, much like its founding vision of safe inoculation against real-world stress.[6]
Mursion has raised $28.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $20.0M Series B in December 2020.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 1, 2020 | $20M Series B | Susan Cates | — | Announced |
| Mar 1, 2019 | $8M Series A | NEW Markets Venture Partners | NextGen Venture Partners, University Ventures, Figure Eight Investments, NewSchools Venture Fund, Propel Capital, Schusterman Family Investments, Strada Education Network, Zoma Capital | Announced |