About us
Improbable CEO Herman Narula shares a strategic update on how we’re applying our expertise and experience in tech, infrastructure, content and simulation to make the open metaverse real.
Improbable milestones
We’ve been working hard since 2012 to pioneer new ways for businesses and individuals to connect, play, create and share value across interconnected virtual worlds. Here are the key milestones that brought us to where we are today.
Our milestones
Improbable’s foundation
Back in 2012, Improbable was born out of the visionary ideas of two Cambridge Computer Science students, Herman Narula and Rob Whitehead. Their dream was to create cutting-edge, diverse, and forward-thinking virtual worlds that would redefine the gaming experience. Soon after, Peter Lipka joined their ranks to manage a part of the business and handle operational aspects.
Securing investment
The journey continued in 2015 when Improbable secured a $20 million investment from notable backers like Andreessen Horowitz, alongside Horizons Ventures and Temasek. Two years later, in 2017, the company received $502 million funding led by SoftBank, with additional contributions from Horizons Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz.
Expanding horizons
Between 2018 and 2020, Improbable focused on expanding its expertise in game development through strategic acquisitions. Concurrently, they ventured into the realm of Defence, securing contracts to provide their synthetic environment platform to the British Army and UK Strategic Command.
Acceleration into the metaverse
Fast forward to 2021, Improbable achieved significant technological milestones. They showcased the power of their Morpheus technology through the live demonstration of ScavLab, an experimental game mode, engaging over 4,000 players in a shared game world. Later that year, a metaversal experience brought together 1,450 fans with K-pop star AleXa. The next generation technology was being rolled out throughout several use cases and formats.
Starting early in 2022, Improbable accelerated their efforts, divesting non-core activities to concentrate on their metaverse mission. The company is focusing on metaverse technology, metaverse development, and building ventures in the metaverse.
Venturing into new worlds
Having completed its transformation, Improbable is now focused on creating new ventures based upon its own backbone technology. Working with world renowned sports franchises (like MLB), web3 communities (such as Edison, Forgotten Runes and Yuga Labs) and the creator community (with ventures like Victory League), Improbable’s new operating model is lean and improves the company’s capabilities to deliver content at scale.
Improbable numbers
12y+
Virtual world building experience
30k+
People in a single game or virtual world
30+
Metaverse experiences run in 2023
Meet the team
Herman Narula
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Herman has dedicated the last decade to tackling intricate technical challenges and developing deeper insights into the profound effects that powerful virtual worlds and the metaverse will have on how we think, make decisions, and form society.
Peter Lipka
Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer
Peter has contributed to the design and architecture of the foundational technology principles that Improbable offers. He has also been instrumental in guiding our business transformation, allowing Improbable to accelerate into the metaverse while striving for operational excellence.
Rob Whitehead
Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer
Rob boasts nearly two decades of experience in the development of metaverse content and platforms. His journey began in his teenage years, selling virtual gadgets in Second Life, and he has since dedicated the last 12 years to working on large-scale multiplayer game technologies at Improbable. Currently, Rob plays a pivotal role in spearheading metaverse product and technology development.
Dan Odell
Chief Financial Officer
Dan is a seasoned Finance and Strategy executive with experience spanning technology, interactive media, games, and both Fortune 100 and startup environments. During his 15-year tenure at the Walt Disney Company, he held key finance and strategy roles, including CFO for Maker Studios and Disney Social and Mobile Games, where he oversaw successful ventures like "Club Penguin" and "Frozen Free Fall."
Mark Shepherd
Chief Legal 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. He also oversees Improbable's corporate infrastructure and is responsible for the security, IT and workplace functions
Marine Boulot
Chief Communications Officer
Marine brings two decades of experience to Improbable, with a background in reputation turnarounds, M&A, and IPO preparation for engineering and tech companies. Her current role centers on Improbable's advocacy for the metaverse, where she spearheads The Metaverse Society's thought leadership initiatives and drives brand building and digital marketing for our various ventures.
Who we work with
The Metaverse Society
In May 2023, Improbable and M² launched The Metaverse Society, a think tank dedicated to exploring the social and economic implications of the metaverse.
