FARGO — Be More Colorful, a Fargo-based virtual reality studio that created its own matchmaking platform, has been chosen as the recipient of a
from the North Dakota Department of Commerce.
Be More Colorful received a $500,000 loan under the program. LIFT loans are provided by the state to help companies commercialize intellectual property.
The company’s virtual reality platform, CareerViewXR, allows students and job seekers to take virtual reality tours of various work environments. Matt Chaussee, co-founder and CEO of Be More Colorful, said the funds will go towards further developing CareerViewXR’s offerings. “With those dollars, we’re going to start investing in developing the platform itself and making it a very easy place to sort out careers,” he told the Forum.
Boosting CareerViewXR’s content library will be a “huge piece” of the puzzle for Be More Colorful, Chaussee added. Currently, the main focus of the company is to add more health and skilled trades matches. Advanced manufacturing, education and technology are also on Chaussee’s list, but health care and skilled trades represent the greatest need. They are also among the most in-demand careers for teachers, counselors and students, he noted.
With the funding secured, Chaussee said work has only just begun. The loan will allow Be More Colorful to grow, a task which otherwise would have been extremely difficult. “Trying to grow a business like this just on the basis of the revenue that comes in, it’s really hard to do,” he explained.
While CareerViewXR is being developed in North Dakota and will primarily feature state employers, Chaussee aspires to expand the platform nationwide. He has been in talks with educators and placement agencies to bring CareerViewXR to other states.
Still, the company’s roots in North Dakota won’t be forgotten anytime soon, and it’s always on the lookout for employers who would like to be featured. “The content we create will have the added benefit of boosting North Dakota businesses that are featured on the platform,” Chaussee said.
In 2020, the LIFT loan program provided over $14.57 million in loans. The loans are interest free for the first three years. Also
among LIFT funding recipients in March
was TheraTec, a medical software company that received a $1 million loan.
