But for all the hype, and rise of tech companies delivering jaw-dropping immersive experiences from mindfulness to videogames and workplace training, the wider penetration has been relatively small.

That could be about to change with the rise of the metaverse – the label attached to fully digital worlds where people and businesses can interact rather than operating in isolation.

鈥�With the metaverse being built as we speak, it鈥檚 soon going to become more and more normal for us to shift parts of our lives into a fully digital world,鈥� Dr Alex Young, CEO and founder of Virti, tells 老九品茶Cloud.

Virti builds augmented and virtual reality simulations to help people train and learn more effectively. It applies sophisticated artificial intelligence models to analyse a learner鈥檚 performance and provide granular data on their skill development journey.听

鈥淥ur 鈥榁irtual Humans鈥� interact with learners just like 鈥榬eal鈥� humans would – whilst also gathering data and providing feedback to help improve the learner鈥檚 soft skills and communication,鈥� explains Dr Young, a former NHS surgeon.听

鈥�A middle manager could brush up on their communication skills with the help of an AI-powered avatar that can assess and track hundreds of performance metrics; or a sales team member could practice complex product demos in a zero-risk virtual space when using a VR headset.

鈥淐ompanies are operating in an increasingly competitive environment, with hybrid working becoming the norm and the war for talent intensifying. Employers need to seize impactful, digital and efficient strategies to onboard and train their teams.鈥�

With content hosted in the cloud, users can access Virti remotely via mobile, desktop or mixed reality headsets.听

Dr Young built two businesses prior to Virti – an events company then online firm specialising in exam preparation – while also practising full-time as a surgeon.

鈥�Whilst training and practising as a doctor, it struck me that there were very few opportunities for my fellow students and colleagues to access hands-on training for the development of key skills,鈥� he says.听

鈥淭his was detrimental to their learning, their confidence and to patient safety.

鈥�Insights from educational theory tell us that immersive and interactive learning methods are by far the most impactful. They have also been proven to be the fastest route to knowledge or skill acquisition.

鈥淭his explains why immersive training has been proven to be many times more impactful than other online or e-training programs. Learners are fully immersed in the content, so they build familiarity and confidence at an accelerated rate.鈥�

Universities and multinationals

After pursuing a masters degree in education, he set about building a tech platform to support scalable, immersive training for professionals.

Today, world-famous universities, multinational companies and healthcare organisations use the Virti platform to onboard and upskill their remote or hybrid teams.听

Over the past year, it has seen revenues grow by nearly 1,000% while its team has expanded to more than 50 people.

鈥�I taught myself to code aged 14: I used these skills to build my first business as a student, and I have continued to use them in every business venture since,鈥� says Dr Young.听

鈥淓very child should be encouraged to experiment with coding; as our world becomes increasingly digitised, the ability to code will soon become as important as the ability to read and write.鈥�

Games legend Sir Ian Livingstone to launch Hiro Metaverse SPAC

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Rebecca Gill, a learning disabilities nurse in Northampton, left her job in nursing to set up VR Therapies after becoming frustrated at the cuts to local services.

Inspired by the amazing advances in VR as a therapy tool, she wanted to make the technology available to those who would benefit the most – yet have the least chance to access it.

After securing financing and refitting the centre, it was due to open in 2020 – then COVID-19 hit.听

鈥淟ike many, we struggled for nearly two years, losing all income avenues. Bills and debts built up, with no way to generate finances,鈥� she wrote in an email to 老九品茶Cloud.

鈥淏anks refused loans and we were ineligible for government grants as we couldn’t demonstrate 鈥榩rofitability鈥� prior to the lockdown because we never even had a chance to open the doors.

鈥淲e are now facing bankruptcy and our last hope is a .鈥�

Rebecca Gill helping someone experience VR

The social enterprise, also based in Northampton, claims to be the first in the world to combine hydrotherapy with underwater VR – allowing everyone to experience swimming with dolphins. The centre was to be open to all but dedicated to children and people with disabilities.

Counting the dolphins! ? I think she found 7 to play with during our session with . Please help us continue bringing these experiences to the community – we desperately need help to survive. Donate @ for rewards or good ol’karma ??

鈥� VR Therapies (@vrtherapiesltd)

A range of other immersive and multisensory experiences allows children undergoing chemo to fly through space; racing around Silverstone in wheelchair-adapted driving seats; people with dementia to take a trip down memory lane; and those who are housebound to experience African safaris.

“Traditional therapies are really difficult to access, despite the benefits. With physio, there’s a very long waiting list, you’ve got to go private and it’s costly so most people can’t afford it,鈥� added Gill.听

鈥淏ut here we can combine physiotherapy with immersive experiences, allowing the community to take control of their health in a fun way.鈥�

Health benefits of experiences such as these include reducing chronic pain and alleviating anxiety. 鈥淧eople smile more, breathe easier and feel less pain,鈥� Gill, who was invited to speak at the United Nations last year, observes.听

“My background is learning disabilities,” she adds. “All of my work has been learning disabilities, brain injuries, autism and everything neurological. Everything is designed in mind for people with disabilities and of all ages and abilities but everyone is welcome. It’s for the community and I want everyone to come and have a go.”

With only two months remaining before they face bankruptcy and making all staff redundant, they are hoping the local community will help save them.听

, just launched, has already reached 拢1,500 but needs to reach 拢65k in the next 24 days. This would cover the salaries for three VR therapists, rent for the centre and provide specialist equipment for children with special needs.听

Donations made will be rewarded with chances to win a range of goodies, from VR headsets to vouchers on sessions at the centre. 鈥淎nd a healthy dose of good karma,鈥� Gill adds.

There are also sponsorship deals available for businesses and free advertisement via the enterprise鈥檚 鈥楬all of Fame鈥�.

鈥淲e will no longer be able to help people with VR therapy and very soon we’ll be forced to go bankrupt. We never had a chance to open the doors or even fill the pools,鈥� says Gill.听

You can donate to help save VR Therapies .

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The 12-month project, in partnership with the NHS and funded by Kidney Research UK foundation, is exploring the development of a novel VR kidney-dialysis training system that will enable patients, families and medical staff to experience and learn safely the process of dialysis.听

The proposed system will particularly support younger patients and their families intending to undertake home-based therapies.

The GCU team is developing a VR application that simulates a dialysis machine, its associated equipment and the complete process, in a virtual patient. This will allow families to undertake training at their own pace in their home, and experience what dialysis may entail. VR can provide feedback such as warning flashing lights, alarms or via vibration.

The application is intended to complement existing training, aiming to reduce the duration of inpatient education delivery and the frequency of outpatient educational visits. It can also simulate potential adverse scenarios to specifically prepare and train users for complications that may occur during the dialysis process, but may not be routinely encountered during real-life training.

/medtech-50/

Professor Vassilis Charissis, who is leading the project at GCU, said: “Dialysis is the process by which a patient is kept alive when their kidneys stop functioning. The duration of such therapy can be years for some patients as they wait for a suitable transplant.听

鈥淔or younger patients and their families, this is an extremely stressful time as they usually have very limited exposure to dialysis as a process, or to dialysis-experienced peers. This makes informed decision-making difficult and provokes anxieties in families about the choice of a dialysis method, and how they may cope with home-based therapies.

“For patients facing renal replacement, this system could provide a fully interactive and immersive manual, guiding them through their options for treatment, supporting informed consent, training them through the early stages of the procedure if they opt to receive treatment at home, as well as acting as a reminder during the process and when troubleshooting of dialysis equipment is required.”

The project will be developed and trialled in close collaboration with specialised NHS staff under the lead of Dr Ben Reynolds, Consultant Nephrologist, at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow.

By streamlining such a system for the most vulnerable group of patients first, such as children, Professor Charissis says the researchers hope to expand the application for use to the whole population of renal patients.

The tool is able to provide subtitles in different languages and could also allow patients choosing between different dialysis methods to virtually experience all methods and make a more informed choice.

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Using immersive VR films and headsets, Antser is aiming to disrupt perpetrators’ behaviour and encourage survivors to remove themselves from abusive situations.

Antser has registered with Konfer 鈥� a digital match-making platform for collaboration 鈥� to team up with university academics who will help it evaluate and improve the VR tech.

Konfer, an online tool created by the National Centre for Universities and 老九品茶 (NCUB) in partnership with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), connects innovators with development partnership and funding opportunities, using its 鈥榮mart-matching鈥� technology.

Konfer analyses business activity, research projects and academic publications using advanced machine-learning technology, to intelligently broker connections and help drive collaborative innovation.

/crowdfund-begins-for-diabetes-devices-which-scan-human-eye/

Through Konfer, Antser has connected with a team of VR specialists from a leading UK university. The company is also using the platform to find research partnerships in Canada, Australia and Finland.听听

Serena Hadi, head of service at Antser, said: 鈥淲e鈥檙e firm believers in collaboration as a way to help us grow and develop as a business.听

鈥淲e believe our VR is a powerful tool and has produced impressive results in the pilots we鈥檝e run.

鈥淧rior to finding the Konfer platform, it had been time consuming and frustrating to find a way to connect with researchers.

鈥淧osting on the platform has enabled us to very quickly start productive conversations with several universities.

鈥淲e鈥檙e now working with some truly innovative academics and we鈥檙e really excited about the project.鈥�

Dr Joe Marshall, chief executive at NCUB, added: 鈥淩ight now there are businesses in the UK and across the world, like Antser, that are developing game-changing solutions.

鈥淭he work they鈥檙e doing in VR has the potential to change people鈥檚 lives for the better. It鈥檚 vital that these businesses get the help they need to bring their ideas to market at speed.

鈥淔acilitating collaboration is what NCUB is about, so it鈥檚 pleasing to see many businesses recognising the enormous talent pool available within the UK鈥檚 research community.鈥�

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Igloo Vision鈥檚 technology and software enables any digital content, including immersive virtual reality or 360掳 content, to be displayed in a shared space.听听

In the past, the firm has operated by renting and selling its dome-like immersive 鈥榠gloos鈥�. Going forward, the emphasis is on converting existing meeting rooms into immersive workspaces, enabling digital imagery, documents, video and animations to be displayed seamlessly across听all of听the walls.听

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, companies are looking for new collaboration spaces, which enable on-site teams to review data and documents from many different sources,听and also听to engage with colleagues based around the world.听听

In the past few months, Igloo鈥檚 immersive workspace technology has been installed by companies such as Nike, Deloitte, Microsoft, FedEx, Diageo, and more. It has also been installed in more than 40 universities around the world, often to help deliver virtual lectures to remotely located students.听听

The 拢2 million funding round was led by a debt investment from Frontier Development Capital (FDC). This follows around 拢1m of equity raised last year from Ingenious and others.听

Dennis Wright, CEO at Igloo Vision, said:听鈥淎s an ambitious technology company, we have carved out a strong reputation and have already partnered with many of the world鈥檚 biggest brands, with many more projects on the way.听听

鈥淚n the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more organisations are investigating our technology to find out how it can help them work faster, make better decisions, and bring together teams from around the world.听

鈥淭his new round of investment will enable us to continue rolling out our latest immersive meeting room product globally. We envision our immersive workspaces as the way for astute organisations to collaborate and our mission is to bring these spaces within the reach of any organisation, anywhere.鈥�听

Igloo is headquartered in Craven Arms, Shropshire. The company also has centres in Los Angeles, New York, Melbourne, Toronto and Rotterdam, with offices planned for Dubai and Houston.听

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Immotion听Group, which operates high-end immersive experiences in entertainment centres,听said听that听following the relaxation of restrictions in听the majority of听its US and UK locations, it has continued to see revenues recover strongly.听

Having reported an almost two-fold increase in revenue at these locations in March 鈥� compared with February 鈥� April revenue in the partner business was 拢402,000,听up 35% on March and听a new monthly record.听

鈥淕rowth has continued in May, bolstered by the reopening of our UK sites on 17 May 2021, which have seen a very encouraging first two weeks of trading,鈥� a statement read.听

鈥淲e remain confident that, as long as there are no material reversals with regard to the pandemic, the group should be well set for a strong and profitable summer season in its key US and UK markets.鈥�听

From today, all COVID-related capacity restrictions have been lifted in Las Vegas, home to听its听largest location-based installation at Shark Reef Aquarium, part of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.听

“After an extremely tough period we are very pleased to report a strong recovery of revenues,鈥� said听CEO Martin Higginson.听听

鈥淎pril was a record month for our LBE business and May is looking even stronger.听 The continued lifting of restrictions, combined with what we believe will be a bumper听summer of staycations, bodes extremely well.”听

Immotion鈥檚听share price dropped dramatically when the full impact of COVID hit in March 2020. It remains below pre-pandemic听levels, but听has recovered most of that valuation.听听

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Cover Drive Cricket gives people the opportunity to compete in 10, 20 or 50 over matches in front of packed stadiums.听

Exeter resident Mark Phillips, who once played against England World Cup winning hero Ben Stokes in his home county of Cumbria, is behind the technology.听听

The 29-year-old – made redundant during the middle of 2020 – says cricketers can use his VR to recover from injuries such as a broken toe, allowing players to keep their batting form as they recover without risk of further injury.听听

He is also hoping professional and grassroots cricket clubs will benefit from the innovation.听听

鈥淚t was a pet project to start with,鈥� said Mark, a former cricketer with Northern League club Kendal.听听

鈥淎fter investigating the VR cricket听space听I found myself with a demo fully set up six months later. I love the sport of cricket and I suppose that combined with the programmer side of me has allowed Cover Drive Cricket to progress to where it has.鈥�听

With 1500 downloads and 75 sales of the full version just last month Cover Drive Cricket is available on both听SideQuest听and App Labs – marketplaces for those with virtual reality headsets.听听

The mission is now for Mark to spread the word so that cricketers everywhere can get more practice during the season.听

A Warwick University graduate who spent six years working for EdTech start-up听Sparx, Mark said: 鈥淭he standalone Oculus Quest headsets didn’t exist two to three years ago. They now have roughly 30% of the market so there is a huge opportunity which no one is tapping into.听

鈥淲hat I鈥檓 really proud of is creating something that I love while possibly being on the verge of putting cricket in far more people鈥檚 hands.鈥�听

Cover Drive Cricket can be used to not just practice batting, but to gauge match awareness, and assess risk when playing certain shots. Mark says it could also be used to practice umpiring or wicketkeeping, or for any number of situations that would otherwise require significant time, effort or people to do in real life.听

Mark, also a member of听SETSquared听Exeter which is part of the wider听SETSquared听network, a global No.1 老九品茶 Incubator since 2015, intends to introduce a basic level of coaching and analysis, with fitness benefits also being considered to enhance user experience in the future.听

He said: 鈥淭he coaching side of Cover Drive Cricket isn鈥檛 intended to compete with or replace coaches, but instead to help clubs cope with the demand of volunteer coaching time and help improve the quality of players everywhere.听

鈥淥ne of the most enjoyable parts of the process so far has been exploring new technologies with the vision of understanding how they could provide access to cricket to more people around the world.鈥�听

He added: 鈥淲hile I鈥檝e been fortunate to have played a lot of听cricket听when I was younger, since starting a career, I know that probably like many others, my opportunities to play cricket have decreased massively.听听

鈥淚 created Cover Drive Cricket to help people still be able to play the sport they love.鈥�听

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It says听the听new chapter will听combine听the three pillars of skills, innovation and start up under one roof, with a focus on building a world-leading reputation in data science, AI, gaming and immersive technologies.听听

Based at the heart of MediaCityUK, which was recognised as one of the UK鈥檚 fastest growing tech hubs that will propel the region into recovery after the pandemic, HOST will serve as a driving force to the interconnected and collaborative Salford Innovation Triangle – alongside Salford Royal Foundation Trust, with its global-leading innovation factory; Salford University, the fastest-growing University in the North West; and MediaCityUK, the creative tech and digital hub with 8,000 employees and over 250 SMEs.听听

IN4.0 Group took over management of the hub on 1 October 2020 with plans to build on its great pedigree, and since then it has already made several high-profile appointments and collaborations.听听

HOST has already established significant partnerships with Amazon Web Services, Barclays Eagle Labs, Greater Manchester AI Foundry, AI Tech North and Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, mobilising the most diverse and innovative business community.听听

100 MediaTech Innovators

Simon Benson, co-inventor of PlayStation VR, was appointed听director of听immersive听technology in November 2020.听听

Dr Maria Stukoff, director of the University of Salford鈥檚 Maker Space and former BBC Academy and Sony PlayStation 鈥榠magineer,鈥� recently joined the hub to foster future talent and support the development of its eSports and XR immersive community. 听

Several more high-profile announcements are on the horizon for HOST that will further enhance its capability to help drive the region into post-pandemic job rich recovery.听听

A precursor to this is听FreelanceHER听100, a ground-breaking 12-week accelerator programme that is currently supporting and empowering over 109 women impacted by the pandemic, to kick-start their careers as freelancers.听听

The five floors of the building will also be refreshed to include a state-of-the-art Innovation Lab, which will house a 24/7 security and network operations centre, dedicated to supporting SMEs with secure and scalable digital adoption and nurturing new IP in cyber and AI technology.听听

Mo听Isap, CEO of IN4.0 Group, said: 鈥淲e are delighted to be working alongside Salford City Council as we enter this landmark moment from when The Landing was first established in 2013.听听

鈥淗OST, Salford鈥檚 Home of Skills & Technology, is not just a name-change, it is a representation of the hub鈥檚 mission to establish an ecosystem that supports skills, growth and innovation in the region.听听

鈥淒iversity, accessibility and inclusion are at the core of everything we do, and it is imperative we continue to build on these values as we enter this new chapter with HOST. We are an enabler, not just of productivity, but of prosperity for all 鈥� we may be about technology, but the benefits we bring are all about people.鈥澨�听

/plans-revealed-to-create-world-class-esports-cluster-in-london/

Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett said: 鈥淭he COVID-19 pandemic has pushed an extra emphasis on digital technology and skills more than ever before. Our aim in Salford is to be the UK鈥檚 leader in digital enterprise.听听

鈥淗OST scaling its ambition and driving this important work forward is another piece in the jigsaw to enable us to do that. It is fostering and nurturing talent which is creating growth, opportunities and jobs that local people can benefit from. It is a very exciting time for this city.鈥澨�听

Debbie Brown, Strategic Director of Service Reform at Salford City Council added: 鈥淭he digital sector is continuing to thrive in Salford. HOST will be the engine room to听open up听opportunities for residents and businesses in the city and beyond. I am delighted with the progress and look forward to working with the team on this next step of the journey.鈥澨�听

Stephen Wild, Managing Director of MediaCityUK: 鈥淢ediaCityUK is constantly evolving and HOST鈥檚 ambitions in data science, gaming and immersive technologies will accelerate our position as the home of globally recognised talent and innovation. Through HOST鈥檚 inclusive approach it will make opportunities accessible and help transform visions into a reality.鈥�听听听

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These companies鈥� technologies are allowing start-ups to create disruptive products and services for enhancing 鈥� and challenging 鈥� the traditional methods of everything from luxury fashion retail experiences to crime scene training.听

In 2020,听Augmentor听was delivered entirely online with workshops, mentoring and networking all done virtually.听听

The programme pivoted to focus on business resilience and exploring options beyond venture capital funding, in addition to bringing 24 partners, 41 mentors and 19 community partners onboard to help accelerate growth and investment in immersive technologies.听听

鈥淲e鈥檝e seen some amazing听start–ups听take part in听Augmentor听since the inception of the programme, and it was no different for this edition,鈥� said听Jessica Driscoll, head of immersive technology at advanced digital technology innovation centre Digital Catapult.听

鈥�The quality of the products and ideas was outstanding, and we鈥檙e thrilled to have played a role in helping to give these听start–ups a boost towards investment readiness.鈥澨�听

Transforming the criminal justice system听

Evidential, based in听Manchester,听has produced EVITA, a major incident VR training platform that equips police officers with essential soft and hard skills. Backed by 拢1.3 million Innovate UK funding, Evidential has also developed another product, Golden Hour,听which听uses AR to improve the preservation of crime scenes.听

Helping luxury retail during the pandemic听

Emperia, based in听London,听is creating virtual reality experiences that boost sales and customer engagement for businesses in art and luxury fashion. Improving the way that products can be seen online in 3D,听Emperia听is working with more than 25 clients, including Maddox Gallery and听Skarstedt, to bring the physical experience into the virtual world.听

Visualising data in new ways for remote teams to make better decisions听

Slanted Theory, based in听Sheffield,听has developed a cloud–based 3D data visualisation tool听鈥�Alaira鈥�听which听uses XR and immersive analytics to bring people together from around the world to analyse multiple data sets in real time at the same听time, and听drive a new generation of faster decision making within organisations. Slanted Theory has won multiple awards including Top Tech Awards North 2019 and was named as one of Creative England鈥檚 Top 50 companies to watch.听

Developing a tool for data intensive real-time remote collaboration听听

Fracture Reality,听based in听Hove,听provides mixed reality solutions for remote collaboration and is developing an online mixed reality platform called 鈥楯oin鈥� specifically for data-intensive users. The platform includes immersive 3D features like gestural sketching and avatars alongside traditional online meeting听controls, and is currently being used by more than 20 clients including听Audemars听Piguet and L鈥橭real.听

Disrupting traditional models with rich, high-quality VR training听

MOONHUB, based in听London,听is disrupting traditional training models through a high quality, immersive training product which uses virtual reality to convert e-learning solutions into interactive training scenarios to improve engagement in employee training. Winners of the East London Innovators award in 2020, MOONHUB counts brands including Just Eat among its users.听

Pioneering new kinds of shared audio experiences听

MagicBeans, based in听Wattlington, Oxfordshire,听has developed Roundhead, a platform for creating and delivering six degrees of freedom spatial audio experiences at scale, so users can create, share and listen to spatial audio across multiple devices. Named as one of Createch鈥檚听鈥�Ones to Watch鈥�听at听CogX听2020, Roundhead was winner of The Drum鈥檚 Sponsorship Activation/Event of the Year 2020 for its deployment at Three鈥檚 5G multi-sensory fashion show.听

Capturing fan experiences at live and virtual music events听

Overview Ark, based in听London,听has created a tool to build 1:1 replicas of a live show without the need of programming knowledge. Producers can easily drag and drop special effects and performance dynamics for experiences where fans can watch their听favorite听artists or discover new听ones, and听interact with one another in a hybrid live music role playing game. Overview Ark recently partnered with Dash Radio to bring interactive music experiences into the metaverse.听

Blending the online and real-world personalised shopping experience听

Percept Imagery,听based in听Brighton,听has developed a unique AR platform called听Sprie听that helps retailers to personalise online shopping experiences by allowing shoppers to try products in the real world before buying them. The solution easily integrates into ecommerce websites or social pages making AR more accessible and requiring no app download. 13 brands are using听Sprie听on over 300 products, registering more than 35k virtual 鈥渢ry-ons” per month.听

Empowering creatives to produce 3D animated content听

搁贰罢矛苍铆窜贰, based in听Belfast,听is developing an innovative, fast-turnaround animation software product that utilises immersive technologies. It specialises in the creation of cutting–edge immersive VR content as well as interactive and geolocative AR applications.听Retinize听has received seed funding from听TechStart听Venture鈥檚 capital fund.听

Promoting British Sign Language through extraordinary books听

VIKA Books, based in听Bristol,听is the first fine-art quality non-fiction publisher to use immersive technologies to enhance book design to inspire all families, deaf and hearing, to interact in sign language. It promotes British Sign Language (BSL) as a language for deaf and hearing children alike, and it鈥檚 first AR/XR book is a buggy-book and smartphone app. This startup has won multiple awards in the last year including UK Enterprise Awards 2020; Fine Art Publishers of the Year 2020; Bristol Prestige AR Product of the Year 2020; and Best 老九品茶 Awards 2020 for Best Innovation, Best New Product/Service, Outstanding Entrepreneur and Outstanding Female Entrepreneur.听

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A full programme of events听are听about to start but you鈥檝e arranged to meet a colleague from your US office in one of the breakout rooms.听

You spot her standing at the back of the room and she greets you warmly like a long-lost friend just before the panel discussion starts.听

But something feels different. Although the event is real, you鈥檙e not physically in the same room.听

You and your colleague are actually avatars connected from different countries by the power of VR headsets. 听

According to Andrew Hawken, founder and CEO of Mesmerise, this could be the face of business, conferences and boardroom meetings in a post-COVID world.听

Hawken is a veteran of the BBC, Sky and Microsoft and believes Mesmerise, headquartered in London with a development centre in Manchester, could change the world.听

Its technology creates tailored VR experiences for businesses, focusing on 鈥榞atherings鈥�.听

These gatherings could be a conference, a three-day event or just an hour-long company meeting in VR.听

Instead of sitting on a Zoom or Teams call attendees are provided with headsets so that they can embody avatars and interact with others.

Mesmerise was already attracting interest before COVID struck but the pandemic has accelerated the need for organisations to engage and connect with employees and stakeholders working from home in new ways.听

What makes the company unusual is its founder and CEO is as far removed as it鈥檚 possible to get from the stereotype of a brash 20-something tech start-up entrepreneur.听

Andrew Hawken is 58 with a mass of white hair. He started his career at the Reading Evening Post before joining the BBC as a trainee, where he worked on the Today programme.听

After 10 years he took a big risk and left to join Microsoft in 1996 at the age of 34.听

鈥淚 had this real sense that the internet was going to be something,鈥� he recalls to 老九品茶Cloud. 鈥淚 had no idea what, but I really wanted to be at the birth of something.听

鈥淚 did this extraordinary thing of leaving a really settled career at the BBC to join Microsoft and it was one hell of a culture shift. I really saw the consumer internet taking off.听

鈥淚 really had a passion for what new technology could do and the ability to transform every aspect of our lives. It became a real bug for me, especially the crossover between the technology and media.鈥�听

In 2002 he became the editor-in-chief of MSN.com, which was in the days before social media giants like Facebook and Twitter.听

鈥淢SN.com probably had one of the largest audiences on the planet,鈥� says Hawken. 鈥淲e had hundreds of millions of consumers and we would regularly have billions of page views a month.鈥�听

Based in the US in Seattle, he led a product development group and this fuelled his passion for tech even further.听

Are virtual events a long-term reality?

After 10 years at听Microsoft听he was off again, this time to Sky as editorial director and digital director of Sky News.听

鈥淥ne of the big things I did there was work with all the big platforms,鈥� he explains. 鈥淭hat was when I believed I saw what was going to be the next revolution and it was around virtual reality and augmented reality.听

鈥淚t had the same feel for me as when I left the BBC for Microsoft. I wanted to be at the forefront of this. This time I wanted to do it on my own rather than in a big company.鈥�听

And听so听Mesmerise was born in 2016.听

鈥淚t became pretty clear to us early on that this was a long game,鈥� says Hawken. 鈥淭he consumer adoption was going to take a while but we could see the business adoption going a lot faster. The smart thing for us was to focus on business and come up with business solutions.鈥�听

The big thing holding VR ad AR back in 2016 was the price tag with the cost of a headset and the associated equipment being as high as 拢4,000.听

鈥淚n the course of that time we鈥檙e now looking at devices like Oculus Quest 2 with a price tag of 拢299,鈥� says Hawken. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a standalone wireless device and that鈥檚 changed a lot of what is possible.鈥�听

He said the combination of the three Ps – 鈥減rice, portability and power鈥� – has created a perfect storm for virtual reality tech and COVID-19 has accelerated the adoption.听

Mesmerise began working with financial data company Morningstar.听

鈥淚n 2020 we were building VR and AR experiences to be deployed at their global physical events around the world,鈥� he says.听

鈥淭hey created the first VR conference. This was our first foray into what has now become 鈥楪atherings鈥�. Gatherings allow you to attend large scale events with multiple speakers and panellists but also for boardroom meetings and internal meetings.鈥�听

Leslie Marshall, head of experiential marketing at Morningstar, takes up the story. 鈥淲e have hosted virtual reality experiences at our conferences for several years now and the onset of the pandemic presented an opportune time to take this one step further,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e worked with Mesmerise to deliver our flagship investment conference through VR and it was a milestone in innovation.听

鈥淧articipants were able to watch live talks, visit sponsor booths, and even tour Chicago, our traditional host city. We also created the 鈥楳orningstar Sustainable City鈥� VR game, where attendees could experience the impact of their own investment choices on the world around them based on ESG (environmental, social governance) factors.听

鈥淲e noticed attendees were significantly engaged and appreciated the added flexibility VR gave them when it came to choosing which talks and presentations to attend. What鈥檚 really exciting is how much more VR still has to offer.鈥�听

Hawken stresses that they鈥檝e not trying to compete with physical conferences, but enhance them.听

鈥淲e鈥檙e definitely in a world where there will be physical events and not everyone will want to travel or will be able to travel so they can attend digitally or attend in VR.听

鈥淭he power of VR is around two key things. Mesmerise is built around the idea of (capturing) the user鈥檚 complete attention and not multi-tasking. It鈥檚 like you鈥檙e making the decision to attend the event.听

鈥淭he second thing is 鈥榗o-presence鈥�. We鈥檙e working on the sense that you are in the presence of other people you know or want to know.鈥�听

Mobile mesh tech joins COVID fight after pandemic pivot

He says their technology was trying to achieve four things: explore; watch; connect; and celebrate.听

The company鈥檚 chairman and investor听is听serial entrepreneur听Daglar听脟izmeci听and his support has meant the company hasn鈥檛 had to take any external investment.听

鈥淔or us 2021 is about creating Gatherings as a really ground-breaking product,鈥� says Hawken. 鈥淲e鈥檙e also hiring in an aggressive way.鈥�听

The company is looking to recruit around 30 new staff and recently added two big names to its advisory board in former Microsoft Vice President Derrick Connell and Anna Rowley PhD, a renowned corporate therapist and business coach.听

Mesmerise鈥檚听advisory board is led by Sean West, a seasoned executive with extensive experience in building and growing start-ups, who joined the board in July 2019.听

Also听already on the board is Juan Pujadas, a retired Vice Chairman of PwC, member of the Board of Directors at Wells Fargo and Chairman Emeritus of the Association of Management Consulting Firms.听

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