Beat The Bomb, the world’s first immersive social video game company, announced it has raised $7M from New York-based Conversion Venture Capital (CVC2) and Paris-based Otium Capital, along with several angel investors. The Brooklyn-based company will use the funds this year to bring its top-rated entertainment concept to Atlanta, in partnership with Jamestown, and to Washington D.C., with Douglas Development Corp.
“Beat The Bomb is real-world immersive video gaming,” said CEO and Founder Alex Patterson. “Since 2017, we have used technology to build human connection via hi-tech game rooms, proprietary multiplayer games, and special effects. In 2022 we will begin our U.S. expansion, with a goal to bring Beat The Bomb to 50 cities globally in the next 5 years.”
Beat The Bomb Atlanta will open this Fall at 1483 Chattahoochee Avenue NW, in the up-and-coming Upper Westside of Atlanta. The property, owned by Jamestown, is known for its dynamic mixed-use properties, including nearby Westside Provisions District and Ponce City Market.
Described as “Mission Impossible meets Double Dare,” during a 1-hour Beat The Bomb experience, teams of 4-6 players undertake a series of 10-minute games deployed through the company’s patented room-based gaming system of touch screens, motion sensors, RFID readers, projection-walls, and laser maze hardware. In the final room, the players – wearing hazmat suits and helmets – must work together to disarm a Paint Bomb before their time runs out, or else #GetBlasted! Ninety percent of teams lose on their first try, but players can come back to try again or play different game sets (missions) with new endings like a Foam Bomb. Competitive players can opt to go head-to-head in Battle Mode and qualify for Pro League tournaments with cash prizes. Upon the launch of Atlanta, the company’s game system will be programmed to facilitate digital gameplay between locations.
As inspiration for Beat The Bomb, Patterson looked to game shows, escape rooms, arcade games, action movies, and more recently, esports. “Most video games isolate a person with their gaming device,” said Patterson, a graduate of Harvard College and UVA Law School and an early executive at Tough Mudder. “At Beat The Bomb, we set out to build an immersive real world video game platform and multiplayer games that would drive shared memories and stronger relationships among the players.” The company’s customers include corporate groups, family outings, school class trips, and friends celebrating occasions. After the experience, the Bomb Room becomes a photobooth, and players are sent photos and videos of their experience.
Beat The Bomb D.C. will also open this Winter in Washington D.C., at Hecht Warehouse/Ivy City in partnership with Douglas Development Corp. Working with renowned design-build firm ARCO/Murray, Beat The Bomb’s Atlanta and D.C. locations will feature glass-walled Bomb Rooms, a beer garden, and The Bomb Bar, a full service bar with signature cocktails and slushies, paired with a light food offering. The locations will also each have multiple Game Bays, which are 150-square-foot, 3-walled game areas with dedicated seating allowing players to choose from 20 hyper-social 2-5 minute games developed by Beat The Bomb’s in-house gaming studio.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the company also launched Beat The Bomb Virtual, a 45-minute experience where players log into Beat The Bomb’s website from anywhere in the world to play the company’s growing library of virtual multiplayer games. Designed for team building, the platform is perfect for firms with remote and hybrid work environments. Clients include Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Citi, NYU, Etsy, PwC, OpenDoor, and the United Nations.