• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer

2

Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back

3

Current price of oil as of June 11, 2026

1

Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer

2

Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back

3

Current price of oil as of June 11, 2026
TechVirtual Reality

This company will let you look for a new home using virtual reality

By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 25, 2015, 9:01 AM ET
Matterport's 3D modeling technology lets people explore houses virtually.
Matterport's 3D modeling technology lets people explore houses virtually.Courtesy of Matterport

Home buying and vacation planning could be a lot different in the not-too-distant future thanks to virtual reality. And Qualcomm Ventures is betting that Matterport will lead the charge.

Matterport, a technology company that makes explorable 3D models of homes, offices, resorts, and other spaces, has secured $30 million in Series C funding, led by the investment arm of tech giant Qualcomm. Matterport plans to put that money toward expanding its service to the world of virtual reality—and expanding its 3D solutions business deeper into real estate and other fields.

“We’re making sure we have a platform where it’s easy to deliver VR experiences and also gives consumers the ability to create VR experiences themselves,” says Bill Brown, CEO of Matterport.

Let’s say you’re in the market for a new home—but before driving all over the place (and spending more time in the car than in houses) you first want to whittle down the listings provided by your realtor. Today, that generally means looking through a photo gallery—and maybe doing a Google Maps search to get an idea of the neighborhood.

Imagine, though, if you could strap on a VR headset and virtually walk through the houses on your list. Matterport’s existing technology lets you do this with a mouse and browser, but doing so via VR could make the experience even more interactive.

Thinking of a vacation? Grab your Oculus Rift and see if the resort is what you’re looking for.

The Mountain View, Calif.-based company offers three core technologies to customers—a 3D imaging camera, cloud storage of 3D models, and proprietary software which makes the models viewable without any necessary plug-in from the end user.

Matterport is hoping that the coming wave of virtual reality devices will revolutionize how people screen properties—and it already offers consumers the chance to explore select locations through the Samsung Gear VR headset.

Right now, there aren’t a lot of people who own a Gear VR, as Samsung has purposefully limited shipments for the first two iterations to a few thousand. But the third generation, which will ship later this year, will be a full-scale commercial release and actively marketed by Samsung, said John Carmack, Oculus VR’s CTO, in March.

Matterport plans to expand its VR offerings as that push begins—and will continue the expansion into next year, as the Oculus Rift (and other headsets) begins shipping.

“What Matterport does particularly well is we convey what it feels like to be in a space,” says Brown. “When you’re thinking about buying a home, the biggest tool people use now … is time. They drive all over the place , because that’s the only way to get a feeling of what it’s like to be in the space. What we do is try to give an immersive feeling to significantly reduce the amount of time they have to use to get a feel.”

Further down the line, the company hopes to let consumers create their own VR experiences—perhaps as early as the first quarter of 2016, depending on the technological advances of the next batch of smart phones. (A 3D sensor will be required—and users would then download an app.)

“Part of the company’s vision is allowing consumers to be VR content creators,” says Brown. “Eventually, you’re going to go on vacation and you’re going to be at a beautiful Buddhist temple and you’ll be able to take out your phone, wave it around the room and create VR content.”

The company’s Series B funding came just one year ago, when it raised $16 million in a round led by DCM Ventures. And while it’s too early to think about imminent exit strategies, Brown says going public isn’t out of the question at some point.

“Given the markets we’re going into, there can easily come a time when an IPO makes perfect sense,” says Brown.

About the Author
By Chris MorrisFormer Contributing Writer

Chris Morris is a former contributing writer at Fortune, covering everything from general business news to the video game and theme park industries.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

A person holds an iPhone as someone next to them points at the screen.
EconomyApple iPhone
You can blame America’s plummeting fertility rate on the iPhone, study finds: ‘People are all depressed and alone and doomscrolling’
By Sasha RogelbergJune 12, 2026
2 hours ago
SpaceX’s IPO could be largest in history. Here’s how it compares to previous record-holders
Startups & VentureSpaceX
SpaceX’s IPO could be largest in history. Here’s how it compares to previous record-holders
By Mia OsmonbekovJune 12, 2026
2 hours ago
Why is it so hard to get ROI from AI? Because building from first principles isn’t easy
NewslettersEye on AI
Why is it so hard to get ROI from AI? Because building from first principles isn’t easy
By Jeremy KahnJune 11, 2026
10 hours ago
SpaceX lowballed its bankers on fees. Goldman Sachs has another way to win big
Startups & VentureFinance
SpaceX lowballed its bankers on fees. Goldman Sachs has another way to win big
By Shawn TullyJune 11, 2026
11 hours ago
Three ways that Asia’s enterprises are adopting AI—and where they are falling behind
CommentaryOracle
Three ways that Asia’s enterprises are adopting AI—and where they are falling behind
By Garrett IlgJune 11, 2026
12 hours ago
Dr. Shiv Rao speaks
Startups & VentureHealth
Abridge wants to be the operating system for medicine—and NVIDIA and Eli Lilly are helping build it
By Lily Mae LazarusJune 11, 2026
15 hours ago

Most Popular

Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
Energy
Analysts expected oil to surge above $200 but China has quietly kept prices half of that—and can’t for much longer
By Sasha RogelbergJune 10, 2026
2 days ago
Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back
Environment
Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back
By Catherina GioinoJune 9, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 11, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 11, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 11, 2026
20 hours ago
Marc Lore’s robots make 500 burrito bowls an hour. A human can make 45
Innovation
Marc Lore’s robots make 500 burrito bowls an hour. A human can make 45
By Amanda GerutJune 9, 2026
2 days ago
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
Success
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
By Preston ForeJune 8, 2026
4 days ago
SpaceX's record IPO has Wall Street torn between a Musk 'holy grail' and a $135-per-share leap of faith
Startups & Venture
SpaceX's record IPO has Wall Street torn between a Musk 'holy grail' and a $135-per-share leap of faith
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 11, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.