Good morning Metaverse Business Brief readers. Delve into the biggest news from the immersive world in our weekly roundup.
Top Stories
Meta announced that Horizon Worlds is now available in France and Spain. This is in addition to the three markets where it was already available: the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. In a Facebook post, Mark Zuckerberg announced the launch with a controversially unappealing photo. He also noted that Meta plans to expand the platform to more countries.
Apple plans to ship approximately 1.5 million units of its upcoming AR/VR headset in 2023, according to reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The company’s first AR/VR headset is expected to cost upwards of $2,000, making it a niche product.
The Logitech G Chorus: A new audio accessory for the Quest 2 that improves audio in VR. It connects to the Quest 2’s strap mounting arms and is compatible with a range of non-standard straps. It has two custom-tuned open BMR drivers and volume control. It is USB Type-C and includes a USB Type-C passthrough.
Accenture and Changi Airport Group are expanding their collaboration to further transform operations and enhance the experience for travelers visiting Singapore Changi Airport. The expanded collaboration includes an establishment of a digital factory, known as DIVA, designed to enable CAG to develop, experiment and launch new digital products and services.
In Funding
The Walmart-owned Flipkart Venture funds announced that it will be investing in six startups as part of its Flipkart Leap Ahead accelerator programme. The startups include the metaverse platform Dopplr, deeptech startup Neuropixel.AI and more.
Shima Capital raised $200 million from investors to support blockchain projects. The company will invest between $500,000 and $2 million in projects that are focused on decentralized infrastructure and futuristic blockchain technology.
Apprentice.io received $100 million from investors, they’re a company that makes augmented reality technology that helps drugmakers make vaccines and other medicines.
Dimension X, Inc. announced the close of its pre-seed round of funding for $600,000. Startup Ignition Ventures (SIV), a pre-seed fund, filled the entire round.
Keep an eye on
Volta has rolled out a new version of Volta Create. Volta Create allows all artists to create world-class visuals to elevate their live performance
Emirates NBD has launched a Metaverse accelerator program to help people use and explore the virtual economy.
Selected EMT crews in a Japanese Fire Department will trial smart glasses, Vuzix M400, while rushing critically-ill patients to the hospital.
Ford has created a new AR headlight technology that projects images and information onto the road in front of the car.
Events to be at
- Aug 23-28 Cologne | Gamescom
- Aug 26-27 Shanghai | AWE Asia – Exclusive 20% off code
- Aug 31 – Sep 10 Venice | Venice Film Festival
- Sep 22-25 London | EGX London
- Sep 22 – 23 London | Zebu Live – Web3 & Crypto Conference
- Oct 3-4 San Fran | Metabeat
- Oct 20 – 21 Lisbon | AWE EU
- 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 your preference of popcorn (sweet or salty? or both?) to [email protected].
