Metanaut
- Open roles
- 0
- Founded
- 2015
- Employees
- 1-10
- Offices
- 1
About Metanaut
Metanaut is an independent Canadian creative technology and spatial computing studio founded in 2015. Its work spans virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality, combining interactive entertainment with educational applications and custom immersive experiences. The studio brings industrial design, computer science and engineering experience to the design of interactions in virtual environments.
Games and spatial experiences
The studio's flagship title, Gadgeteer, is a physics-based puzzle and sandbox game built around constructing Rube Goldberg machines. Originally prototyped as Ruberg, it entered early access in 2019 and reached its full launch in August 2020. Releases span Meta Quest, PlayStation VR, SteamVR, Pico and Viveport. A mixed reality mode introduced in late 2024 extended the experience to Meta Quest 3 and 3S.
Metanaut also developed Lyra, a virtual reality music sequencer using hand tracking, and WONDER, a tranquil spatial computing anthology for Quest 3. These projects reflect its work with physics-based mechanics, controller-free interaction and three-dimensional user interfaces. Its commercial offering includes custom immersive experience development as well as independent game design, production and publishing.
Education and applied development
Beyond consumer games, Metanaut helps schools and post-secondary institutions adopt virtual reality in curriculum settings. Its educational and simulation portfolio includes Fossa Finder, an anatomy visualization application; Geography VR Field Trip, which uses photogrammetric environments for inspection and exploration; and Bear Spray Training, a safety simulation focused on reaction and muscle memory.
The studio also provides interaction and industrial design consulting for spatial hardware. Its work extends into AI-assisted software through Rising Theory, a SaaS application designed to examine verbatim disclosures and historical narrative changes in SEC corporate filings.
In September 2023, Metanaut moved its web presence from a VR-specific domain to its current Labs domain, reflecting a broader scope encompassing augmented reality, mixed reality and AI-driven initiatives. It continues to operate as an independent studio based in Vancouver, British Columbia.
More about Metanaut
Leadership and origins
- Founder and CEO Peter Kao previously worked on the Android operating system and taught VR/AR user experience design at Vancouver Film School.
- The company name combines “metaverse” and “astronaut.”
Operating model
- Metanaut describes its working model as permanently 100% remote across Canada.
Recognition and development
- In 2016, Metanaut won the global Leap Motion 3D Jam 2.0 competition for Lyra. The studio subsequently joined HTC's Vive X accelerator and received top honors in Vancouver's VanVR VR Experience Contest.
- Gadgeteer received iQiYi's Best Family Game Award in 2022.
Educational collaborations
- The report identifies educational clients and collaborators including the University of British Columbia's Emerging Media Lab, the Centre for Digital Media, Vancouver Film School and White Plains School District.
Notable credits
8 creditsOffices
Where Metanaut is based
- Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver office
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