Pokemon Go developer Niantic has planned to build a “real-world” metaverse with newly raised funding.
It has been reported that the company officially announced Monday the completion of a $300 million raise from the technology-focused investment manager Coatue, bringing the company’s valuation to $9 billion.
However, Coatue is known as a major investor in the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry, backing companies such as blockchain intelligence firm Chainalysis, cryptocurrency startup Fireblocks, blockchain security firm CertiK, and others. The firm has also recently participated in a $555 million funding round for cryptocurrency fintech startup MoonPay.
Matt Mazzeo, the General Partner of Coatue, said:
“Niantic is building a platform for AR based on a 3D map of the world that we believe will play a critical role in the next transition in computing. We are excited to partner with Niantic because we see this infrastructure supporting a metaverse for the real world and helping to power the next evolution of the internet.”
The report said that Niantic did not explicitly say that its metaverse would implement any aspects of blockchain technology, nonfungible tokens (NFT), or cryptocurrencies.
John Hanke, the founder and CEO of Niantic, said:
“We’re building a future where the real world is overlaid with digital creations, entertainment and information, making it more magical, fun and informative.”
Unlike Facebook, which rebranded to Meta in October to signal its commitment to virtual reality development, Niantic wants to develop technology that brings people closer to the outside world.
Hanke said:
“At Niantic, we believe humans are the happiest when their virtual world leads them to a physical one. Unlike a sci-fi metaverse, a real-world metaverse will use technology to improve our experience of the world as we’ve known it for thousands of years.”
Thus, Niantic’s Pokemon Go is one of the most successful mobile games of all time, reportedly crossing the $5 billion revenue mark earlier this year. Some players in the blockchain industry got inspired by Pokemon Go, with the firm IoTeX introducing its “Pebble Go” project, aiming to incorporate real-world data to NFTs using verifiable GPS information.
Source: Cointelegraph