Discover more from AIXR's Weekly Metaverse Business Brief
Improbable raises $100m, Pico overtaking Meta? & the NFT Blackhole
Top Stories
HTC teases a new ‘small’ VR Headset. With Meta Connect on the horizon, the company took to twitter to share an image of a pancake lens with hints that size will be the major selling point of the device.
Bugs and issues plague Horizon Worlds. Leaked Internal memo’s have suggested that the platform is suffering serious quality issues, with it even being said that the development team hasn’t been using it enough.
Sony expects greater popularity for PSVR 2. Sources claim Sony is scaling up production of the device to hit 2 million units by March 2023, a sign of ambition for launch after stagnant early sales numbers for the original Playstation VR.
Meta Quest 2 Usage falls sharply amidst growing Pico 4 interest. SteamVR figures highlight a sharp fall in Quest 2 usage, with the decision to increase the price of the device potentially to blame alongside growing interest in the soon to be released Pico 4.
In Funding
Google invests $12 million in Sidequest. The venture arm of Google (GV) has backed the Meta Quest VR alternative app store which has produced hits like Gym Class.
Improbable raises $100 million against a $3 billion valuation. The London based metaverse infrastructural startup looks to achieve profitability with this move.
METAV.RS raises €3M In Seed Funding. The French Web3 startup looks to enable brands to create and sell digital assets as they set their sights on becoming the 'shopify of the Metaverse'.
Golden closes $40 million funding round. The group continues to build its decentralised knowledge protocol while emphasising that the product won’t be a ‘Web3 Wikipedia’.
Keep an eye on
Asus launches its first NFT platform. The ‘Art Black Hole’ is the first activity from the company's Web3 wing which will coordinate its NFT and Metaverse strategy.
Meta unveils finalists of inaugural Future Africa grant. The company showcased the work of six XR creators based in Africa as part of an exclusive exhibition.
ARuVR granted patent in VR/AR training solutions. The patent is the culmination of three years research and development, creating a platform that enables real time multi employee interactive AR/VR training.
NBCUniversal steps into NFTs. The media giant has announced a collaboration with Ready Player Me that brings a host of classic movie monsters into the digital world in the form of NFTs.
Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy launches Metaverse training programme. The new academy intends to boost the Web3 and Metaverse knowledge and skills amongst digital startups in the region.
Events to be at
Oct 11 Online | Insights Live: Approaching the Metaverse from an Ethical Standpoint: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Oct 18-20 San Diego | Augmented Enterprise Summit
Oct 20 - 21 Lisbon | AWE EU
Nov 08 Online | Insights Live: Games Development and the Metaverse Boom
Nov 16 - 17 London | The Business Show
Nov 28 - Dec 02 Rotterdam | Immersive Tech Week
Dec 02 Rotterdam | The 6th International VR Awards
–
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, and a chocolate cake to team@aixr.org.
October 3 2022 Edition