Prospective

Underneath the hype, a synthesis of trends has been brewing that could create opportunities By Josh Liggett Principal, Investments Team, OurCrowd Even in late 2021, most people had no idea what the Metaverse was. Then Mark Zuckerberg announced Facebook’s rebrand to Meta and interest in the Metaverse exploded.  Goldman Sachs estimates the Metaverse to be an $8 trillion market opportunity. Microsoft acquired gaming studio Blizzard for $68 billion to provide the building blocks for its Metaverse play, while Apple CEO Tim Cook declared the Metaverse “very interesting” and told investors the company will “invest accordingly.” Meanwhile, NFTs of Bored Apes began selling for millions of dollars apiece.  While it is easy to dismiss the Metaverse as a fad, underneath the hype, and the absurdity, is a synthesis of trends that have been brewing for a long time and could provide a significant investment opportunity. Gaming and social media The core of the Metaverse is the blend of gaming and social media. Similar to “The Oasis” portrayed in Ready Player One, the Metaverse is an immersive online experience to buy...