Alloverse — VR and AR platform for creating collaborative workspaces
By: Anni Pyhäjoki
Tags: VR, Preseed, Funding, Startup, Icebreakervc

Alloverse’s founders Julie Despraz, Tobias Kask, Emma Koszinowski, Patrik Sjöberg & Nevyn Bengtsson.

We are excited to welcome Alloverse into the Icebreaker portfolio! Stockholm-based Alloverse is on a mission to build the future of collaborative VR.

The company’s story starts in December 2016 with Nevyn Bengtsson recognizing that one part of this new, highly potential VR technology was still missing. Riding a virtual roller coaster, fighting fictional creatures or exploring cities on the opposite side of the planet wouldn’t be a problem, but there was still no place to actually be productive in a VR environment. Two years forward in time, VR had taken big steps forward. It was now an actual possibility that VR-based solutions take place in our everyday work, changing the way people work disruptively. Ergo, in January 2020 Bengtsson teamed up with Julie Despraz, Tobias Kask, Patrik Sjöberg and Emma Koszinowski to create a software infrastructure for building productivity apps, taking on the problem he first faced in December 2016.

Today, all content on VR is created with gaming engines; there exists no leading toolset for building non-gaming content for VR. In addition to that VR content is in many cases proprietary, which makes access even more complicated. Moreover, as we move towards more automation and intelligent services to enable us to lead better lives and more efficient workdays, VR/AR will grow as well. It’s currently still impossible to run workshops, have conferences, or meetings in big groups as a remote-first company.

“Our aim is to democratize access to VR/AR technologies by building an open-source platform where 3D can eventually become the future of the internet. Besides the current world situation, technologies are better than ever for us to set up this ambitious, yet totally reachable solution. Especially so, since Icebreaker has joined us on this journey”.

Alloverse is creating a computing and development platform for VR applications aimed at non-gaming content, which is, as stated above, still a missing toolset for VR. But as the gaming industry has seen increased adoption of VR solutions, Alloverse’s solution could have the possibility to be the go-to platform for VR gaming as well.

Unlike the other social VR solutions, Alloverse provides a networked API, where apps can connect to virtual Places on the same terms as users. This unique, modular concept allows diverse applications to run side by side, connect with each other and be used collaboratively by multiple people at the same time. As a result, anyone can design their own classroom, simulator and/or workshop place.

With the investment from Icebreaker, Alloverse can focus on product development and aggregate sales and marketing activities towards SMBs. Additionally, the team is planting the seeds for the creation of a broad community of developers that share the vision of an open VR platform and genuine excitement to explore the possibilities of human-computer interaction for the next generation.

“W e are firm believers that AR and VR will grow in relevance outside of entertainment and that Alloverse will play a pivotal role in laying the foundation for this transition”, said Leo Giertz, General Partner at Icebreaker.vc.

Welcome to the Icebreaker family, team Alloverse!