Thought Leader Interview: Alan Smithson, Co-Founder MetaVRse

Tell us about your background and your rise to Co-Founder of MetaVRse

I started working in the technology industry as a DJ in 2010 when we launched the Emulator Touchscreen System for musicians. From there I was invited to perform at Eric Schmidt’s (Former Google CEO) Curiosity Camp where I tried VR for the first time and had an epiphany that this would be the future of human communication. I have since realized that the Metaverse is actually much much larger than I thought and it really will be the centre of communication, collaboration, commerce and culture as we move forward with Web3.

Since 2015, I have been working full time with Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality (XR) technologies building over 120 projects for the largest companies in the world.

In 2019, we merged with a technology company to introduce the MetaVRse Engine, a low-code 3D creation platform in the browser. Currently our technology is being used to power 3D training, marketing, eCommerce and education for companies like Samsung, Mastercard, Siemens, Pearson Education, JP Morgan, Hilti and many more.

Our website is MetaVRse.com where you can try live demos of our products.

What is the Metaverse?

The Metaverse is the future of the internet that you can go into (VR) or it can come out to you (AR). There are three exponential technologies that underpin the Metaverse;

XR x AI x Blockchain. XR (Extended Reality) = 3D, Avatars, Communication, VR/AR/MR, Volumetric Capture, Haptics, Scent, Spatial Audio, Game Engines.

AI (Artificial Intelligence) = Computer Vision, Natural Language Processing (NLP), Simultaneous Location And Mapping (SLAM), Automated Content Creation, Suggestion Algorithms.

Blockchain = Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT’s), Cryptocurrency (BTC, HBAR, ETH), Smart Contracts (ETH, HBAR, Distributed Autonomous Organizations (DAO’s), Digital Land, Decentralized Finance (DeFi).

The Metaverse will power our games, meetings, shopping, learning and so much more.

What does you company MetaVRse do?

Our mission at MetaVRse is ‘Metaverse Creation for Everyone’. We are pioneering the next phase of the internet. We have three divisions to our company;

MetaVRse Engine: Low-code 3D creation platform available to anyone on the web (MetaVRse.com/get-started)

MetaVRse Studio: World-class 3D design studio and consultants on the business applications in the Metaverse.

MetaVRse Mall: Persistent virtual world for people to gather, shop, experience and own their own land and avatars in the Metaverse (launching in 2022.)

What are the biggest trends that you can see right now in the digital world?

NFT’s, AI and XR are all witnessing an explosion of exponential growth and this will literally impact EVERY facet of human life. From Marketing and Sales to Training and Learning, the world will move from the 2D, centralized internet to a 3D, decentralized one where the opportunities of the Metaverse can be built and shared by anyone with a computer and internet access. The future belongs to ‘creators’.

The next trends will be simplification, standardization and automation of the creation process.

In addition, NFTs and blockchain will find more use cases that create real value thus making the whole thing a little less volatile.

VR/AR glasses will slowly become more prevalent over the next 5 years and seamlessly work their way into our everyday lives, but the mobile phone will remain the prominent way we connect until at least 2030.

Why is digital asset ownership so important?

In a world of rampant inequality and more people becoming digital natives from birth, the need to redistribute wealth and opportunities is paramount to creating a Metaverse for everyone. Digital asset ownership is one step in the right direction. This certainly comes with challenges which is why I wrote the ‘Metaverse Manifesto’ as a set of ethical guidelines for builders of this new world.

What in your opinion has spiked the growth of purchasing land in the Metaverse?

Mostly speculation has driven the spike in land sales in the Metaverse. Until we prove real value for attendees beyond the ‘this is cool’ phase, these will not be ultimately successful. We are working on a MetaVRse Mall where brands own land where they can make experiences for customers and the guests can own their avatars that will hold their NFTs, clothes, and invitations to exclusive events. People want to be part of something fun, exciting and useful so I see land sales growing dramatically in 2022 and beyond and we hope our mall will be a safe and secure place for brands and consumers to interact together.

We love that you love to give back and you have actually given 25% of your personal equity in MetaVRse to fund a new type of education system called Unlimited Awesome Academy, can you tell us more about that?

Unlimited Awesome Academy (UAA) will be a self-governed ‘Learn to Earn’ platform that is owned and governed by the students. Lessons will include; Gratitude, Positivity, Goal Setting, Financial Planning, Investing, Entrepreneurship, Futurism, Mentorship and so much more. MetaVRse will be the engine that provides a place for students to meet virtually. You can sign up to be the first to know more at: https://unlimitedawesome.com/

What are your goals for the next 3 years?


1. Make MetaVRse the defacto standard for 3D creation on the web

2. Create 10 new product categories for our brand partners

3. Launch UAA to 1M students

Where can readers find out more about yourself and MetaVRse?

MetaVRse.com

Brand Guide to the Metaverse:

XRCollaboration.com

XRWomen.com

XRForBusiness.io

XRForLearning.io

Editor-In-Chief of Bizpreneur Middle East