Meta looks to bring commerce to its Horizon Worlds platform: Creators can earn money from their metaverse products and experiences under a test program.
Once the domain of gamers and young social media users, AR and VR are entering the mainstream. This year, more than a quarter of the US population will use AR and nearly a fifth will use VR. As device-makers improve VR headsets and AR spreads to new use cases, the number of AR and VR users will continue to grow over the next four years, with AR outpacing VR.
Read the latest stories on NFTs from Insider Intelligence.
Podcasts have Spotify seeing dollar signs. The company’s US podcast ad revenues will hit $191.9 million in 2022 and cross the $400 billion mark in 2024, with growth well into the double-digit percentages. The format will also make up an increasing share of Spotify’s overall ad revenues: 16.7% of its $1.15 billion in US ad revenues this year, before growing to 19.4% in 2024.
“We only detain IT specialists”: As Russia’s tech workforce rapidly flees to other countries where their skills are also in demand, the Kremlin’s belligerent response will only intensify the retreat.
Restaurants are experimenting with robots, but customers aren’t enthused: Labor crunches and high costs are pushing fast-food chains like Chipotle and Panera Bread to adopt automation front and back of house.
Panera’s new AI uses sensors, algorithms, and analytics to ensure coffee is optimally brewed: Restaurants are leaning into AI and automation, but will long-term effects lead to reduced hospitality and fewer customers?
Online marketplaces compete to draw new merchants to their platforms: Amazon and Walmart offer incentives for new vendors as Etsy sellers go on strike.
Nubank lands $650M to double down in Mexico, Colombia: The Brazil-based neobank could use its home market products to deepen its presence in other LATAM countries.
As hybrid work gains traction, office furniture companies sense an opportunity: Startup Branch scored $10 million in funding to help furnish employees’ home and in-person offices.
Fifteen trademark applications filed last week suggest Mastercard is buying the NFT and metaverse hype.
Elon Musk has a new role—and it’s not what we thought it’d be: Rather than joining Twitter’s board, he’s opting to become the platform’s activist investor par excellence.
Inclusive marketing is becoming important to advertisers: Horizon Media and Nielsen partner to better facilitate media planning for Asian, Black, and Hispanic consumers.
Personalization pays off with customers: Companies like Netflix see it as a priority, as the platform launches Two Thumbs Up to improve recommendations.
TikTok’s hold on the social media industry is impossible to ignore: The video app and other visually oriented platforms thrive with key demographics.
The FDIC wants insured banks to report their crypto actions, while states look to exempt companies in the space from certain regulations.
Greenwood runs up against limits for its vision: The US neobank, which caters to Black and Latino Americans, found it necessary to work with “white-controlled banks” for a partnership and investments.
LendInvest gets to £2B ($2.75B) AUM: In the strong UK alt-lender market, it reported having crossed the platform assets under management (AUM) level just 30 months after hitting £1B ($1.38B).