Beyond the jumpscare: four startups reshaping horror entertainment
Horror gets a bad rep, with critics claiming that its violent and supernatural themes have a negative impact on viewers. Despite this, horror is one of the most successful genres across multiple markets.
Horror and suspense films generate around £87.3 million in the UK and Ireland, according to the FDA Yearbook 2025. Also, horror games contribute significant revenue to the gaming industry, with Capcom reporting that Resident Evil has sold 231 million copies worldwide across the franchise.
Theme parks notably have horror-themed attractions and scares, with Thorpe Park UK reporting that 46% of its annual profits come from October alone.
Horror entertainment can potentially be a great startup idea, with many founders developing new hardware or software to reshape how consumers absorb and immerse themselves in these chaotic and jumpscare-inducing landscapes.
So, in honour of spooky season, alongside your annual watch of The Conjuring, Friday the 13th, and The Black Phone (a personal favourite of mine), here are four startups that are hoping to reshape horror entertainment.
ScareScore
ScareScore is a horror-tech startup that measures how strongly people react to scary films and attractions using data from wearable devices.
Its software platform connects a smartphone to a wearable, and it turns physiological signals, such as heart rate, into scores that users can compare with friends, and entertainment companies can use to understand audiences’ reactions.
This technology means that filmmakers and attraction developers in the horror space do not have to rely on audience surveys to know how effective their product or movie was.
ScareScore was founded by Chris Anastas, a technologist, alongside JP Ouellette, a horror film producer.
Information regarding funding and investors has not been disclosed. The startup has had notable festival partnerships, as it was launched at the Screamfest festival.
ScareScore also introduced a proposed “Biometrically Decided Best Feature” award at Screamfest. The winning film was intended to be the one that generated the strongest measured audience response, rather than winning through conventional judging or audience voting.
Scentient
UK-based startup Scentient is developing scent-delivery hardware and software for virtual reality and immersive experiences.
The company has developed a wearable device, called Escents, that contains scent pods that release controlled bursts of fragrance, with the intensity adjusted to the user.
The over-the-neck scented wearable connects to immersive setups via Bluetooth. Its Unity API lets developers trigger particular smells when an event happens in an experience.
This wearable has the potential to reshape horror games and VR experiences by triggering smells when players enter disturbing environments such as hospitals, haunted houses, or other horror-related settings.
Scentient was founded by Anastasia Georgievskaya, its CEO and Scent Designer, and Ivan Novikov, its CTO. The UK company was incorporated in 2021.
Georgievskaya and Novikov reportedly won the Young Innovator Award in 2022 from Innovate UK for their development of Scentient.
In 2022, Scentient won a support package valued at £12,000, including meeting space and marketing mentoring.
FrightLink
FrightLink is a horror technology startup developing hardware and software designed specifically for haunted attractions and immersive scare experiences. Its platform includes wireless prop controls, projection mapping tools, and interactive character systems that allow attraction operators to create responsive, technology-driven scares.
The company’s technology enables physical props, surfaces, and characters to react to visitors in real time. Through connected sensors and triggers, operators can coordinate effects and automate scare sequences, helping to create more immersive horror experiences.
Alongside its control systems, FrightLink is developing AI-powered interactive characters and a dedicated AI platform called FrightBox X1, which is intended to generate dynamic dialogue and personality-driven interactions within attractions.
The company was created by the founder of FrightMaps and positions itself as a provider of technology for haunt creators and attraction operators. Information regarding funding and investors has not been disclosed publicly.
By combining hardware controls, projection technology and AI-powered characters, FrightLink aims to help transform traditional haunted attractions into interactive experiences that respond directly to guest behaviour.
Kyda
Kyda develops sensor-based technology for immersive entertainment venues, including horror attractions and interactive game rooms. Its systems combine motion tracking, LiDAR sensors, infrared cameras, microphones, and pressure-sensitive LED floors to monitor player behaviour and react in real time.
The technology is designed to create dynamic experiences that adapt to participants’ movements and actions rather than relying on pre-programmed effects. According to the company, its sensor network can track player movement and spatial positioning throughout an attraction, allowing environments to respond automatically.
This approach enables attraction operators to create more interactive horror experiences where lighting, projections, sounds, and gameplay elements can react instantly to visitors. The company’s technology has been developed for what it describes as “active game rooms”, which blend physical environments with digital technology.
Information regarding the company’s funding and investors was not identified in the available sources. However, Kyda positions itself as a provider of next-generation immersive entertainment hardware for location-based experiences.
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