Virtual reality startups BehaVR and OxfordVR have merged and raised $13 million in Series B funding to develop treatments for anxiety and chronic pain that, while promising, remain at the fringes of health care.
The new company will use the funding, led by Optum Ventures and Oxford Science Enterprises, to advance its technology pipeline. Founded in 2016, BehaVR is currently pursuing multiple avenues for commercializing therapeutic virtual reality, including partnerships with Japanese drugmaker Sumitomo Pharma and musculoskeletal care conglomerate Confluent Health.