【TIMELINE】2023/06#1
◉Financing in the Metaverse sector
- Guangzhou Tianhe District Officially Launches a Metaverse Joint Investment Fund with a Total Scale of Over 20 Billion Yuan
The Guangzhou Tianhe District Metaverse Innovation Ecology Conference was held at the Guangzhou (International) Science and Technology Achievements Transformation Tianhe Base. At the conference, the Tianhe District Metaverse Joint Investment Fund was officially launched with a total scale of over 20 billion yuan. The first batch of ten metaverse pilot parks in Tianhe District was officially licensed, releasing over 100,000 square meters of industrial space.
According to the Indian Financial Times, the "Indian version of TikTok" ShareChat has raised nearly $300 million in new financing from Google, media giant Times Group, and Singapore's Temasek Holdings, with a valuation close to $5 billion. The financing deal is expected to be officially announced next week, and ShareChat's parent company, Mohalla Tech, has not commented on the matter.
On May 27th, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg responded to a shareholder's question about return on investment at the annual meeting, stating that the Meta Metaverse project will cost a huge amount of money in the next 3-5 years.
- Blockchain startup Gaudiy completes approximately $19.22 million in Series B financing with participation from SBI and Bandai Namco.
- Meditation metaverse application Tripp raises $11.2 million in financing with participation from Qualcomm and others.
◉NFT & Blockchain
According to US trademark lawyer Josh Gerben, rapper Kanye West has recently filed 17 trademark applications related to his personal brand Yeezus, indicating his intention to launch a virtual amusement park, blockchain-based NFTs, online retail store services featuring digital art, toys, and more.
- English Premier League officially submits trademark applications for NFTs and digital assets
Mike Kennedy, a registered trademark agent at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), revealed in a tweet that the English Premier League has officially submitted two trademark applications to the USPTO, aiming to cover various digital asset categories, including NFTs, Crypto, and collectibles related to digital tokens, virtual clothing, footwear, sports equipment, and more.
Fashion brand GUCCI has recently launched a digital space called "Gucci Town" on the Roblox gaming platform, where users can enjoy exhibitions, shopping, games, and more.
Luxury brands such as Gucci, Balmain, and Balenciaga have ventured into the crypto space, and now Italian luxury fashion brand Prada is joining the trend. Prada will launch 100 Ethereum-based NFTs on June 2nd to coincide with the release of its latest Time capsule collection.
- Kunlun Wanwei stated that its metaverse business is mainly focused on overseas markets.
◉VR & XR
- Active financing in the hardware sector of the metaverse, global VR/AR companies have reached a financing amount of 8.2 billion yuan this year
The "Metaverse Industry Chain Ecological White Paper" recently released by the China Electronic Information Industry Development Research Institute shows that as of April 2022, there have been over 43 investment and financing events for global VR/AR companies this year, including 18 events with over 100 million yuan in investment and financing. The highest single financing amount reached 2.2 billion yuan, with a total financing amount of 8.2 billion yuan. IDC predicts that the global AR/VR total investment scale will increase to 74.73 billion USD by 2026, with a compound annual growth rate of 38.5% from 2022 to 2026.
- AR device company Magic Leap revealed that its latest AR device, Magic Leap 2, will use the 3D iToF depth sensor jointly developed by Infineon and pmd.
- The "reality OS" trademark has been registered, indicating that Apple's MR device may be launched soon.
- High-end XR headset manufacturer Varjo announced a collaboration with brain-computer interface company OpenBCI to integrate OpenBCI's brain-computer interface accessory, Galea, into Varjo's latest Aero VR headset, providing powerful tools for developers and researchers to understand and enhance human thinking.
◉Top
- French parliamentarian calls for recognition of the legal status of DAO and NFT
Pierre Person, a soon-to-be-retiring member of the French National Assembly, stated in a report that France should recognize the legal status of decentralized autonomous organizations (DAO) and NFTs within its legal system. He also criticized European crypto regulations, stating that they are largely defensive in nature.
The South Korean government has announced its intention to directly invest in metaverse projects. According to a statement by Lim Hyesook, the Minister of Science and ICT, the government will invest over 177 million USD to launch national industries and companies in this field. South Korea is reportedly one of the first countries to invest in this sector.
John Riccitiello, the CEO of Unity, a real-time 3D engine provider, predicts that the internet will become part of the metaverse in the coming years. He anticipates that most websites will become destinations in the virtual world, and this transformation will be completed by 2030.
- CryptoMonday: Revenue from crypto and NFTs expected to exceed 70 billion USD by 2025
According to the latest research report by CryptoMonday, the NFT market, and crypto platforms will attract more attention and generate more revenue compared to traditional securities trading platforms. It is projected that by 2025, revenue from crypto and NFTs will exceed 70 billion USD, with a compound annual growth rate of 21%.