Beat The Bomb, an interactive experience with venues in New York, Atlanta and Washington, DC, has announced plans to expand across the US.
The Brooklyn-based company has raised $15 million in Series B funding from New York and Paris-based Otium Capital, and New York-based Conversion Venture Capital.
It will use the funds to open locations across the US, starting in Philadelphia in summer 2024. This will be followed by attractions in Charlotte, Denver, and Houston.
“Beat The Bomb is using real-world video games to reimagine the future of social entertainment,” said CEO and founder Alex Patterson. “Since 2017, we have turned hi-tech digital rooms, multiplayer games, and incredible special effects endings into one of the most memorable group activities in the world.
“This fundraising will allow us to expand to an additional seven cities by mid-2025, on our way to bringing Beat The Bomb to 100 cities and millions of people a year globally by 2030.”
During the Beat The Bomb experience, teams of players visit a series of video game-style rooms such as Hack Attack, Sequencer, Crypto Laser, Echo Chamber, and Cyberbot.
In the fifth and final room, teams must disarm The Bomb before their timer runs out. If they fail, they are blasted with paint or foam. Only 10 percent of teams win.
“Most video games isolate a person in front of a screen,” said Patterson. “Beat The Bomb is using video game technology to create social gaming experiences that bring people together, creating shared memories and building stronger relationships.”
Part video game, part escape room
Beat The Bomb’s 10,000-square-foot venues are built by ARCO/Murray, a leading design builder specialising in national rollouts across a wide spectrum of industries.
They include bars serving signature cocktails and colourful slushies, as well as nachos, pizzas, sliders and hot dogs.
“We are very much looking forward to the next development phase of Beat The Bomb and the opportunity to contribute to achieving Beat The Bomb’s ambitions – both in the US and internationally,” said Aurélie Pasquet Bessiere, partner at Otium Capital.
“We invest several tens of millions each year in retail, e-commerce, and omnichannel brands in the US and Europe.
“We look for the next generation of brands and experiences with ambitious long-term visions and we believe Beat The Bomb to be such a key player for the future.”
