Sometimes, a business idea comes from the most unexpected places. For Iurie Cojocari, a Microinvest client, it all started with an interest in virtual reality and the desire to bring something completely new and exciting to Chisinau. Today, Unreal VR offers a spacious VR gaming arena, original games, team-based adventures, and innovative entertainment experiences that continue to evolve alongside its visitors’ expectations.
Discover in this interview how Iurie launched his business without any previous experience in the industry, why his team decided to develop their own games, what lies ahead for Unreal VR, and how the partnership with Microinvest helps turn new ideas and ambitious projects into reality.
Iurie, how did the Unreal VR story begin, and what inspired you to develop a virtual reality business in Moldova?
It all happened quite unexpectedly. Back in 2018, I was scrolling through TikTok when I came across a video about virtual reality. I immediately thought it could be a great business opportunity, especially since there was practically nothing like it in Moldova at the time. At first, I imagined it would be much simpler: buying the equipment, setting it up, and welcoming clients. But the reality turned out to be very different. We had to order the equipment from the United States and then figure out almost everything from scratch. My friend and I spent countless nights trying to get everything working because neither of us had any experience in this field. That’s how the Unreal VR brand was born in 2019.
What does Unreal VR look like today? Tell us more about the experiences and entertainment options you offer your visitors.
Today, our gaming arena covers around 300 square meters and can accommodate teams of up to 16 players at a time. We have around 15 original games that we develop together with our partners. Our experiences include family-friendly games, activities for children, horror quests, team battles, Counter-Strike, driving simulators, and many other scenarios. We welcome all kinds of visitors, from young children to groups of adults. What I enjoy most is seeing entire families playing together, especially when parents start competing with their kids. Sometimes, the adults get even more excited than the children.
Do you develop your own games, or do you also use existing gaming solutions?
In the beginning, we purchased ready-made games on Steam, but over time, we realized we needed something of our own. We were also welcoming larger groups who wanted to play together, and by then, we had gained a good understanding of what our visitors really enjoyed. That’s how we started coming up with our own storylines, quests, and new gameplay mechanics. Later, we found partners specializing in VR game development. We share our ideas and practical experience, while they help turn them into fully developed games. Creating a single game can take up to a year, and we always test every game ourselves before introducing it to our guests.
Can you organize VR experiences outside your venue, for example, at corporate events or in outdoor spaces such as parks?
Off-site events have become particularly popular recently. In the past, the technology placed quite a few limitations on us. We needed an enclosed space, specific lighting conditions, a stable internet connection, and other technical requirements. Today, we’ve reached a point where we can organize VR experiences in almost any outdoor location. It’s a completely different kind of experience: players can see virtual characters, other participants, and elements of their real surroundings at the same time. The result is an exciting combination of the virtual and physical world.
What’s next for Unreal VR? What new ideas and projects are you planning to bring to life?
We definitely have plenty of plans. We’re already thinking about opening another location, even bigger than our current one. We’re also working on a completely new entertainment concept, although I’d rather keep the details a surprise for now. Our team is constantly exploring new ways to surprise people and offer them experiences they haven’t had before. We want to create something that makes visitors say, “I’ve never tried anything like this before!”.
Unreal VR has ambitious plans for the future. How important has your partnership with Microinvest been in developing your business?
I started working with Microinvest even before opening Unreal VR, so when the idea for this new project came along, I already knew where to turn for financing. We approached the team, explained what we wanted to create, and received support almost immediately. That matters a lot to me because, in business, I don’t like wasting time. That’s exactly how I would describe our partnership with Microinvest: simple, efficient, and built on trust.
We’ve been working together for more than 10 years now, and I hope we have many more successful projects ahead of us.
You entered a completely new industry and had to learn so much from scratch along the way. What has this experience taught you as an entrepreneur?
Probably the most important lesson is to never give up. When you’re starting something new, things often seem much easier from the outside than they actually are. Then come in the technical challenges, mistakes, and unexpected circumstances that are completely beyond your control. We’ve had plenty of those moments ourselves, and there was a lot we had to figure out along the way. But once you’ve set yourself a goal, you have to keep moving forward and finding solutions. With time comes experience. You begin to understand your clients better, and that understanding helps you make smarter decisions about what comes next.
*Microinvest offers business loans of up to 6,000,000 MDL without collateral, with a personalized approach and minimal documentation requirements. With over 23 years of experience, the company serves more than 52,500 active clients, including local entrepreneurs and individuals.
