PortAventura World and Vekoma Rides have announced a strategic alliance to launch WeRiseUp, a new independent studio specialising in mixed reality (MR) experiences.
Spun off from PortAventura’s digital innovation unit, Adventure Labs, the Barcelona-based company aims to provide immersive technology solutions for both the global attractions industry and the cultural heritage sector.
Strategic Business Lines
WeRiseUp enters the market with two primary commercial focuses designed to enhance guest engagement and generate new revenue streams:
- Theme Parks: The studio partners with global operators to revitalise existing attractions and extend their lifecycle by layering digital storytelling over physical infrastructure.
- Cultural Heritage: The company offers complementary MR experiences for museums, historic venues, and tourism operators to attract multi-generational audiences without substituting the physical location.
The product range includes short-format MR experiences and interactive family activities that utilise wearables, sensors, and advanced tracking devices.
Operational Foundation and Growth
The venture combines the operational expertise of PortAventura World, which has welcomed over 100 million visits in its history, with the engineering and manufacturing capabilities of Vekoma.
"Combining engineering excellence with the operational know-how built at PortAventura World gives WeRiseUp a unique starting point to scale globally," stated Andreu Tobella, CEO of WeRiseUp.
Tobella, who leads a management team comprised of professionals from the original Adventure Labs unit, noted that the spin-off provides the autonomy and focus required to lead the immersive entertainment sector.
Proven Technology
The technology underpinning WeRiseUp has already been validated at PortAventura Park. Since 2023, the resort has served as a testing ground for three pioneering MR experiences: Hysteria in Boothill, El Diablo Neo, and Expedición ULUM. These attractions have engaged over 150,000 visitors and maintained a high average guest rating of 8.1 out of 10.
PortAventura World will remain both a partner and a client of the new studio, continuing to use its facilities as a live environment for iterating future experiences.
Future Roadmap
The company’s immediate plans include the first international rollouts of its MR products and the integration of artificial intelligence to evolve its creative and development processes. As part of its scaling strategy, WeRiseUp has announced a recruitment plan to grow its headcount across engineering, storytelling, product development, and international operations.
For industry professionals, WeRiseUp represents a shift towards "active" entertainment, where cultural and physical spaces are "elevated into a new dimension to be experienced, not merely observed".
