Led by Kry co-founder and ex-CTO Joachim Hedenius and ex-iZettle CPO Leo Nilsson, next-generation virtual spaces platform Scapin’ has raised $3.5 million in a pre-seed funding round. The startup lies at the intersection of social, gaming, and digital assets, and aims to put the meaning back into meeting.
In the summer of 2019, i.e. pre-pandemic, insurance company Cigna conducted a loneliness index survey and found that 79% of Gen Z and 71% of Millennials felt sometimes or always being lonely; a figure up 69% from just the year prior. Now add a global pandemic into the mix, and well, I’ll let you take it from there.
With time spent on digital devices at an all-time high, Hedenius and Nilsson founded Scapin’ in early 2021 with the goal of creating more meaningful online interactions. Their solution? Virtual spaces that draw heavily from the gaming industry, and provide individuals with avatar-based experiences where presence, expression, and interactivity enable new ways of connecting.
"Hundreds of millions of people are already hanging out in virtual worlds and eventually most of us will. I am so excited to contribute to this development with Scapin' and enable people to connect virtually and strengthen their social connections in a fun and meaningful way,” commented Joachim.
If the concept seems a bit far-fetched, consider where you’re reading these words, and just how much time you spend day-in, day-out engaged with a digital interface expressing a digital version of yourself. Yes, I'm looking at every social platform ever. Scapin’s vision is to up the ante by providing a virtual and spatial interface. How this is going to work while I’m walking down the street remains to be seen.
Scapin’s funding round was led by Creandum and saw participation from Heartcore Capital.
Creandum’s newest Partner Sabina Wizander comments, “We were not only convinced by the founders’ sheer creativity when it comes to the overarching concept but also by society’s need for this product: The integration of fundamental human relationships into the virtual world has never been dealt with properly before leaving many internet users feeling lonely. This is an early-stage, unique opportunity for redefining how we connect with each other online in the future.”
Photo: Leo Nilsson (left) & Joachim Hedenius (right) in a Scapin' space
Would you like to write the first comment?
Login to post comments