The next frontier in the explosive technology revolution underway to start this century is the development and deployment of “the Metaverse”, which initially will amount to the process of creating a decentralized virtual version of our current physical reality to allow commerce and socio-cultural activity to take place on rich experiential terms in an entirely digital domain.
The underpinnings of this process are already in place, with major players like Meta Platforms Inc. (Nasdaq:FB) and NVIDIA Corp. (Nasdaq:NVDA) leading the way. While many details are still under some form of negotiation, all that’s really left is to build it out and open it up to the world.
As a growth theme, Bloomberg recently calculated the Metaverse could be worth nearly $800 billion over coming years, making it one of the most important themes for investors to have on the radar this decade.
With that in mind, we take a look below at some of the most interesting stocks with tangible ties to the metaverse theme.
Roblox Corp. (NYSE:RBLX) engages in the provision of online gaming services. Its platform consists of the Roblox Client, the Roblox Studio, and the Roblox Cloud.
The Roblox Client is an application that allows users to explore 3D digital worlds. The Roblox Studio is the toolset that allows developers and creators to build, publish, and operate 3D experiences and other content accessed with the Roblox Client. The Roblox Cloud includes the services and infrastructure that power the human co-experience platforms.
Roblox Corp. (NYSE:RBLX) recently announced is kicking off the new year with the first DJ set performed by an avatar of international star David Guetta. Created in partnership with Roblox developer Wonder Works Studio and Warner Music Group (WMG), the DJ set will premiere this Friday, February 4 at 4:00pm PT and continue throughout the weekend in an interactive universe powered by the latest Roblox technology and visual enhancements.
“Working on this concert has allowed me to bring an amazing new creation to life with design and production to suit the virtual world,” commented Guetta. “We’ve built something that will play host to one of the most unique shows I’ve ever done, and I can’t wait for everyone to experience it with me.”
And the stock has been acting well over recent days, up something like 7% in that time.
Roblox Corp. (NYSE:RBLX) managed to rope in revenues totaling $509.3M in overall sales during the company’s most recently reported quarterly financial data — a figure that represents a rate of top line growth of 102.2%, as compared to year-ago data in comparable terms. In addition, the company has a strong balance sheet, with cash levels exceeding current liabilities ($1.9B against $1.9B).
Epazz, Inc. (OTC US:EPAZ) is a more speculative name on the Metaverse list, but it certainly fits the bill after its announcement yesterday morning.
For a little background, EPAZ is a diversified player with exposure to blockchain cryptocurrency mobile apps and cloud-based business software solutions. It has been seeing some recent big bids after announcing that its ZenaPay Blockchain Bitcoin wallet will include credit cards/debit cards to the user wallet. In a major upgrade to the platform, the company stated that the user will be able to store both fiat currency and cryptocurrency and the company says it is working towards gasless transactions and easy transfers to traditional bank accounts.
Epazz, Inc. (OTC US:EPAZ) is now expanding its decentralized market exposure with its announcement yesterday that its flagship software technology, DeskFlex Metaverse Virtual Office, is developing virtual clinics to take telemedicine to the next level. DeskFlex Metaverse Virtual Clinics will allow physicians to obtain real-time 3D images to conduct patient assessments and consultations, thus streamlining and upgrading telemedicine programs.
According to the company’s release, DeskFlex Metaverse Virtual Office will extend to the health care industry, including telemedicine applications, by providing virtual clinics. This technology will allow physicians to examine patients in 3D form, consult with them in real-time and discuss treatment courses. It is a 3D version of an online consultation where users can see, touch, hear and feel gestures and movements while communicating with physicians like they would in a face-to-face consultation.
Epazz also noted that it will release the DeskFlex Metaverse Virtual Clinics application following the launch of its Metaverse Virtual Office in Q2 2022. The stock saw a strong bid in reaction to the news on significant volume.
Epazz, Inc. (OTC US:EPAZ) founder, chairman and CEO, Dr. Shaun Passley, said, “Our goal is to extend our technology into different product lines to create many opportunities for additional revenue streams. We believe DeskFlex Metaverse Virtual Office and Epazz Slims can be used in many ways.”
Matterport Inc. (Nasdaq:MTTR) has ascended into the status of a central metaverse player with its claim as a leading technology provider in the digital transformation of the “built world”. The company offers a spatial data platform that turns buildings into data to make nearly every space more accessible. As we construct a virtual version of our real world, technology that allows us to transport physical structures into the digital universe will be critical, and MTTR has tech geared to lead that charge.
According to the company, “Millions of buildings in more than 194 countries have been transformed into immersive Matterport digital twins to improve every part of the building lifecycle from planning, construction, and operations to documentation, appraisal and marketing.”
Matterport Inc. (Nasdaq:MTTR) announced yesterday that Orangetheory, the fast-growing fitness franchise, will utilize Matterport Capture Services to scan and create digital twins of all its U.S. studios, ensuring design and layout are consistent with global brand guidelines. With more than 1,250 studios across the U.S., Orangetheory’s operational teams will gain significant cost and time savings by enabling highly efficient collaboration, analysis, and decision making using digital twins of its studios remotely.
“As we continue to grow the number of our studios across the U.S. and across the globe, it becomes increasingly difficult to access information about specific locations and make informed business decisions,” said Mike Mettler, Chief Development Officer of Orangetheory Fitness. “With Matterport digital twins, we become equipped with accurate, reliable data that allows us to improve our studios and better serve our members. Throughout the process, the efficiency and ease of Capture Services saves us thousands of dollars in travel and labor costs.”
The stock has suffered a bit of late, with shares of MTTR taking a hit in recent action, down about -7% over the past week.
Matterport Inc. (Nasdaq:MTTR) had no reported sales in its last quarterly financial data. In addition, the company has a strong balance sheet, with cash levels exceeding current liabilities ($661 against $0).
Other key names in the Metaverse space include Unity Software Inc. (NYSE:U), Meta Materials Inc. (Nasdaq:MMAT), and the Roundhill Ball Metaverse ETF (NYSEARCA:META).
