Immersive entertainment company Tyffon has successfully raised US$7.8m (€7m, £6.17m) in new funding to help it expand its Tyffonium free-roam virtual reality location-based experiences outside of Japan.

The new funding round brings the company's inward investment to more than US$12m (€10.78m, £9.49m) to date, with existing investors including Disney, Sega Sammy Holdings and Mizuho Capital. They will be joined in the new round of funding by Tokyo Broadcasting System.

A graduate of the Disney Accelerator initiative, Tyffon currently has two Tyffonium venues in the Tokyo area and is gearing up to open a third Japanese venue as well as its first in the US, with a new addition coming to Los Angeles later this year.

So far, the company has created three different immersive experiences, all of which combine VR technology and multi-sensory effects, in a physical environment that allows guests to roam freely and experience "hyper-real" immersive environments together socially.

First was Corridor, a mixed reality horror experience. Next came Fluctus, a mixed reality fantasy ride. Most recently Tarot VR: Voyage of Reverie was launched – 22 individual mixed reality experiences based on 22 tarot cards.

Further immersive content and character-driven experiences are being developed, with Tyffon saying its priority is to focus on the quality of its content and experiences. It also develops and distributes mobile immersive experiences that complement and integrate with Tyffonium in-venue experiences to maximise engagement.

It said the new funds will help to expand its global team and accelerate the expansion of its Tyffonium and related experiences in the US, Japan and other territories around the world. Tyffon plans to work closely with US media and entertainment companies to bring their content, characters, franchises and intellectual property to life.

Tyffon CEO Ken Fukazawa commented: "We are gratified at the tremendous pedigree of our investors, who have placed their faith and trust in us. They represent some of the leading media, entertainment and technology innovators and creative forces in the world. We at Tyffon are committed to honouring that creative legacy and creating and sharing the highest quality and most innovative immersive experiences in the world."