About

Improbable is a venture builder and technology company creating ventures at the edge of what’s possible. For over a decade, we’ve combined deep technical expertise with bold ideas — building virtual worlds, metaverse platforms, and frontier ventures that redefine how people connect, play, and interact.

Building the Future of Digital Experiences

From our beginnings in Cambridge, Improbable has been driven by ambitious ideas — from pioneering large-scale multiplayer technology to creating platforms that connect people, communities, and economies in new ways. Over the past decade, we’ve evolved from a technology pioneer into a venture builder, applying our experience to create and scale companies at the forefront of AI, Web3, and the metaverse.

Through constant innovation, resilience, and reinvention, we’ve developed a distinctive foundation of technical depth, operational expertise, and venture-building capability. This enables us not only to imagine new possibilities, but to build, scale, and sustain them as successful ventures.

Today, we back and build the next generation of ventures — designed to transform industries, unlock new economies, and define the future of frontier technology.

13y

Tech venture building experience

17

Ventures including 7 exits

60+

Team members in our incubation studio

Our Milestones

Improbable was founded by Cambridge Computer Science students Herman Narula and Rob Whitehead to create cutting-edge, immersive virtual worlds. Peter Lipka soon joined to lead operational and business strategy. Early technology development culminated in 2015 when Improbable secured a $20 million investment from Andreessen Horowitz, alongside Horizons Ventures and Temasek.
Developed the technology and content powering large-scale virtual worlds across gaming, defence, and entertainment. In 2017, the company received $502 million funding led by SoftBank, with additional contributions from Horizons Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz. Improbable became recognised for breakthroughs in multiplayer networking and simulation, launching its Morpheus technology to deliver record-setting live experiences like ScavLab (4,000+ players) and metaverse events for K-pop artist AleXa (1,450 fans).
Transitioned to a venture-building model, focusing on frontier ventures in Web3, AI and the metaverse. This evolution began with spinning out specialised internal teams into independent companies, enabling them to grow with dedicated focus and external investment. Building on this experience, Improbable now incubates entirely new ventures from the ground up, combining capital, expertise, and hands-on venture-building support to scale ambitious projects.

Meet the Team

Herman Narula

Founder and visionary, Herman has dedicated the last decade to tackling technical challenges and exploring the profound effects that AI, web3 and the metaverse will have on how we think, make decisions, and broader society.
Peter Lipka

Chief Operating Officer, Peter designs operational strategy and architecture, guiding Improbable’s pivot from virtual worlds to venture building while ensuring operational excellence.
Rob Whitehead

Co-founder, Rob brings deep technical expertise in scalable simulations and virtual experiences, now driving innovation in new venture creation.
Mark Shepherd

Chief Legal & Operations Officer, Mark leads Improbable's legal team since 2017 and has nearly 20 years experience advising clients in the technology, digital entertainment and financial services sectors.