【TIMELINE】2023/05#2
◉Financing in the Metaverse sector
According to three sources familiar with the matter, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is seeking nearly $100 million in funding for the Worldcoin cryptocurrency project. The project is currently in the advanced stages of negotiation and is preparing for launch in the coming weeks. It has been in the beta testing phase and is now preparing to launch its blockchain protocol and start recording transactions within the next six weeks. One of the sources revealed that the company's previous investors include Khosla Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz's cryptocurrency fund, as well as FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried and internet entrepreneur Reid Hoffman.
On May 15, visual DID infrastructure provider Lifeform announced the completion of a new financing round led by IDG Capital with a valuation of $3 billion. IDG Capital will deeply participate in building the digital citizen world and provide Lifeform with more ecological partnerships. So far, Lifeform has raised tens of millions of dollars in seed, Series A, and Series B financing. In March 2023, Lifeform surpassed Pancake in terms of registered users on the BNB Chain, becoming the largest tool for users on the BNB CHAIN. In the future, Lifeform will join hands with users to enter more blockchain games, conferences, and other ecological scenarios, co-creating a diverse universe.
On May 11, blockchain-based adult leisure and media platform TABOO completed a $10 million funding round with a valuation of $250 million. An unnamed private family office led the investment, and the new funds will be used for platform development, product improvement, enhanced security, marketing, and partial acquisitions. TABOO aims to expand adult leisure content creation, management, and distribution through the integration of blockchain technology and NFTs.
On May 11, Tabi (formerly Treasureland), an NFT trading platform based on the BNB Chain, announced the completion of a $10 million angel round of financing. Participating investors include venture capital firms Animoca Brands, Binance Labs, Draper Dragon, Hashkey Capital, Infinity Crypto Ventures, and Youbi Capital. Individual investors include Feng Bo from Dragonfly Capital, Riyad AD from Saudi Arabia, and Suji Yan from Mask Network. The funds will primarily be used to develop Tabi's gaming ecosystem and build its upcoming on-chain identity protocol. In addition to NFT trading and Launchpad functionality, Tabi will also convert users' on-chain activities into "experience points" that can be redeemed for future airdrop rewards and earnings. The protocol also includes a game platform that aggregates blockchain game transactions and entertainment.
The Game Company, a Web3 cloud gaming platform, announced that it has raised $5 million in seed funding with a valuation of $40 million. The details of the investors have not been disclosed. The transaction was reportedly completed in December of last year but was only recently publicly disclosed. The new funds will be used to accelerate the development of the company's gaming platform and utilize AI technology to create an interconnected multi-role ecosystem that allows users and digital gamers to profit from participating in the ecosystem.
On May 11, it was announced that Lavita AI, an AI+Web3 healthcare technology company, has completed a $5 million seed funding round. The funding was led by Camford Capital, with participation from a group of angel investors from the blockchain and artificial intelligence fields. Lavita AI is reportedly a decentralized health data peer-to-peer marketplace based on the Theta Network. Its goal is to empower patients to control their own health with the support of artificial intelligence, blockchain, and privacy protection technologies.
On May 14, GameFi blockchain gaming company Mhaya announced the completion of a $5 million Pre-A round of funding. The investment was led by Firestone Global, and the funds will be used to accelerate the development of Mhaya's ecosystem and support the Mhaya 2023 Grant Game Contest (GGC). Mhaya owns a Free-to-Play multichain game called Mhaya 2023, which draws inspiration from the classic game "Monopoly" and is driven by 13 key characters based on NFTs.
Web3 crowdfunding platform Artizen announced the completion of a $2.2 million funding round. Participating investors include ConsenSys Mesh, Animoca Brands, Protocol Lab, as well as Dan Hill from Blank Street Coffee, Matt Condon from PleasrDAO, and Juan Benet, the founder, and CEO of Protocol Labs. Artizen allows creators to sell "Artifacts" to fund their projects. "Artifacts" are unique art pieces on the Ethereum blockchain, and the projects that sell the most Artifacts will receive cash rewards.
◉NFT & Blockchain
On May 11, Twitter CEO Elon Musk tweeted an image of the Milady Maker NFT series with the caption "There is no meme, I love you." Data shows that at the time of writing, the floor price for the NFT series is 3.39 ETH with a 24-hour increase of 0.59%. The trading volume for the NFT series in the past 24 hours reached 1625 ETH, with most of the transactions occurring within 10 minutes, resulting in a 315% increase in trading volume.
Mattel, the maker of Barbie dolls, has teamed up with women-led Web3 brand Boss Beauties to launch the "Boss Beauties x Barbie" NFT series. The series features NFTs designed in Boss Beauties' signature style, paying tribute to Barbie's 250 professions. The first batch of products will include artists, astronauts, CEOs, doctors, veterinarians, pilots, and more.
Line Next is actively promoting Web3 games through its Game Dosi platform and has shared previews of the first five NFT-based games. Line Next is a US subsidiary focused on NFTs and is associated with the popular Asian social app Line. They have revealed plans to release the first five games on their Web3 gaming platform, Game Dosi, in the second half of 2023.
On May 15, gaming giant Ubisoft partnered with Integral Reality Labs to launch the "Assassin's Creed" NFT series called Assassin's Creed Smart Collectibles on the Polygon network. Minting of the NFTs will officially open on May 16. Each minted digital soul NFT can be used for customization and redemption of 3D-printed physical collectibles with NFC functionality. Each NFT has different rarity levels, and higher-level NFTs unlock more customization elements. Integral Reality Labs will also release 1500 Piece of Eden Passports, providing holders with airdrops of exclusive collectibles and priority access to 3D printing, among other benefits.
◉VR & AR
WayRay is a deep-tech company specializing in automotive holographic AR displays, and recently, the company introduced its technology to Tesla cars for the first time. The company announced that it has successfully integrated its deep reality display screen technology with the Tesla Model 3, allowing drivers and passengers to access various virtual content inside the vehicle, ranging from GPS navigation and object detection to real-time traffic conditions and passenger entertainment.
◉Top
PwC UK and Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook), a subsidiary of Facebook, jointly released a new study on May 9, 2023, indicating that the metaverse could contribute as much as 2.4% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the United States by 2035. The study predicts that by 2035, the metaverse will create a $1.5 trillion market and industry, including virtual tourism, education, entertainment, healthcare, and more. The metaverse is also expected to generate more job opportunities and societal benefits, such as reducing carbon emissions, improving quality of life, and enhancing social connections. However, the metaverse also faces challenges and risks such as technological barriers, privacy protection, cybersecurity, and legal regulation. Therefore, the research report suggests that realizing the potential and value of the metaverse requires collaboration and participation from various stakeholders, including governments, businesses, and the public. Only by establishing an open, inclusive, and sustainable metaverse ecosystem can more people benefit from this innovative technology.
Cathie Wood, the founder of ARK Investment Management, congratulated the graduating class of 2023 at the University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business, stating that disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence and blockchain are expected to have a greater impact on the world in the next 5-10 years than personal computers, phones, and the internet did over her 42-year investment career. Take bold steps and explore these technologies.