Karta, a London-based startup offering metaverse marketing services to brands and artists, has secured $1.1m (£852,000) in funding despite a drop in market interest in the technology considered by some to be the future of the internet.
Founded in 2021, Karta works with brands looking to market themselves in virtual spaces. The startup says it creates the strategy, selects the platform and sources developers to create assets for a metaverse marketing campaign.
The startup says it has previously worked with brands such as Unilever and Amazon Music to create advertising and marketing opportunities in metaverse projects. It works with virtual platforms including Roblox, Fortnite and Decentraland.
“We’re incredibly grateful for the backing and support received so far from some of the most well-respected figures in the industries we work with,” said Karta co-founder Erik Londré.
“They, like us, know the metaverse is the real deal and is delivering real word results that matter.”
Karta said it plans to use the capital injection to grow its team, develop its platform and for regional expansion.
Interest in the metaverse has fallen significantly since the peak last year, which was largely spurred by Facebook rebranding to Meta at the end of 2021 as part of a shift that puts virtual worlds at the heart of its strategy.
Despite this, there appears to be some remaining investor interest and the long-awaited launch of Apple’s mixed reality headset could revitalise interest in virtual and augmented reality. Karta’s seed round was led by GameTech Ventures.
“Erik, Tony and the team at Karta are building the very best brand experiences on leading gaming platforms with consistently exceptional results,” said Lachlan Gowrie-Smith, a partner at GameTech Ventures.
“By adopting a partnership mindset with a long-term view and a focus on rich experiences and fun for communities of fans, they are pioneering a new medium of deep engagement with consumers.”