PlayPulse
The business, the turning points, and the decisions behind them.
Some sections are still being researched2 / 4
Sections to complete：02 · 05
01 / WHAT IT BUILT
What the company did
PlayPulse was a Norwegian connected-fitness startup, spun out of NTNU university research in 2016, that built the PlayPulse ONE: an exercise bike with a fully integrated gaming computer. The bike paired a 24-inch multitouch screen and dedicated graphics card with game controllers and heart-rate sensors built into the handlebars, translating pedaling into in-game movement across a library of in-house multiplayer titles. It could also stream Netflix and other services — pausing the video if the rider stopped pedaling. The bike sold for about $1,600 and won the 2021 Red Dot and 2022 iF design awards.
02 / FAILURE REASONS
Material for this section is being gathered and checked. It will appear here once ready.
03 / EVENT HISTORY
Events in the structured record
- Founded
PlayPulse is founded in Norway as a spinoff of NTNU exercise-gaming research by Kristoffer Hagen, Erling Magnus Solheim and colleagues.
- $2M funding round
PlayPulse raises $2 million from Courtside VC, Initial Capital and angels including Kahoot founders Jamie Brooker and Johan Brand, Peloton's Jasmine Maietta and Acorns' Walter Cruttenden.
- NetEase invests
NetEase Games invests an undisclosed sum in PlayPulse to help launch the PlayPulse ONE bike.
04 / CONTEMPORARY REBUILD ASSESSMENT
Difficulty of rebuilding this project today
Material for this section is being gathered and checked. It will appear here once ready.
Overall assessment: Not completed
05 / CAUSAL CHAIN / AFTERMATH
Material for this section is being gathered and checked. It will appear here once ready.