5 NYC tech companies where the product is an experience

by Anthony Sodd
December 19, 2016

When you think of tech startups, chances are you think of the products they make. From mattresses to eyewear to connected jewelry, New York's tech companies pump out some incredibly innovative things. But, while these companies are busy producing physical objects, others are selling something intangible, yet possibly more precious — an unforgettable experience. 

 

Founder House runs a curated community of co-living spaces aimed at entrepreneurially-spirited people. If you're lucky enough to be selected, you can move into one of their communal homes with around 10 other lucky and driven souls. Everything in the house is communal, even the bunk beds. The idea is that by spending so much time with other driven, entrepreneurial people, you’ll build a meaningful network that will help you with your personal and professional growth. It’s kind of like a hippy commune, but instead of peace and love and LSD, it’s about pushing your career forward and achieving goals.

 

LiveLike is a virtual reality company bringing an on-the-field perspective of sporting events directly into your living room — and into your eyeballs. Their platform takes you from your couch and puts you into an immersive, VR world where you can be watching the game from anywhere in the stadium. If you consider that floor seats for a single Nets game run into the thousands, it’s an experience many of us won’t have any other way.

 

Who among us hasn’t dreamed of living a year abroad, exploring exotic locations in the sun? That’s exactly the experience that Roam is selling. With the service, you sign one lease and get access to any of Roam's co-living spaces around the world. The company is still young and opening new spaces all the time. Right now they’re in Miami, Madrid, Bali and London opens in a couple days, followed by Tokyo and San Francisco. Life for the jet-set has never been so easy.

 

On your next trip you can either eat at a tourist trap restaurant (you know, that overpriced place filled to the brim with the crowd from the tour group) or you can eat like a local. FoodieTrip hooks you up with a local foodie in your destination who will help you navigate the scene and find real food. Not only will you eat better, experience the city in a different way, but you’ll also get to meet someone from a different culture who shares your passion.

 

The news can be a scary place — just read some of the stories coming out of Syria these days. But as visceral as words, photos and even videos can be, Empathetic Media is taking things 20 steps further by creating virtual reality news content. Experiencing the news like it was happening right in front of you isn’t always going to be a pleasant experience, but that’s part of the idea. The company’s core mission is to foster empathy in their audience.

Know of a company that deserves coverage? Let us know or tweet us @builtinnewyork.

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