Metaversed

Foreword

Like the authors of this book, we have been working in the space that is now called the metaverse long before that term was popularly used. The term was coined by Neal Stephenson back in the ’90s, but only entered the common lexicon recently as it was adopted in corporate circles (one large tech company in particular) to describe a vision for the future of computing and our relationship with technology.

We were both drawn into the space not long after Facebook acquired Oculus and early consumer headsets started to enter the market. After first putting on a headset, we saw the potential for this infinite, immersive digital landscape to transform everything we knew about user experience. The opportunity for technical innovation was obvious, and we also saw an opportunity to innovate on the foundational culture and norms of the industry itself, which is why we started the WXR Fund to invest in women-led companies in the space.

Within hours of announcing our plans for WXR in 2017, we had hundreds of people from all over the industry sign on to support the effort. Talented executives, engineers, creators, and founders raised their hands to be mentors. Several industry luminaries ultimately committed as investors. Soon thereafter, we launched an accelerator program, from which 26 women-led companies graduated in 2018–2019. In late 2019, we began investing in start-ups, many of which are now squarely positioned to take advantage of the tailwinds the metaverse craze has created. ...