Canadian augmented reality (AR) firm Nextech AR Solutions Corp has rebranded as a Metaverse company, following Meta’s shock rebrand from Facebook, in a bid to greater reflect its ambitions, it announced on Tuesday.
The enterprise aims to rebrand its product lineup with its ARitize trademark and will roll out the changes progressively, reflecting a major shift from 2D to 3D AR and Metaverse products, it said.
The news comes amid a huge industry shift from Meta, formerly Facebook, who rebranded in late October at its Facebook Connect event. Additional firms competing in the Metaverse space include Microsoft’s Mesh for Teams solution, Epic Games, Unity Technologies, NVIDIA, and many others.
Nextech’s ARitize Metaverse Studio aims to unite its digital solutions into a central, web-based studio, where users can access a library of digital 3D assets, produce AR experiences, and publish all formats to the Metaverse, as well as access 3D/AR point cloud maps and content management tools in real-time.
According to Evan Gappelberg, Nextech AR’s Chief Executive, the firm had experienced a “very significant period of growth and transition,” leading to wide adoption in the 2D to 3D asset conversion market as well as “everything 3D”.
He continued, stating,
“[Nextech AR is] perfectly positioned to capitalize on the Metervese economy as one of the few end-to-end Metaverse solutions. ARitize Metaverse Studios is the one platform that allows our customers to not only create a mini-metaverse but also populate the Metaverse with product holograms and human holograms”
The news comes amid a massive wave of use cases and solutions from the Vancouver, Canada-based firm, namely after it developed a “mini-Metaverse” for the City of London in mid-October.
Nextech AR made headlines after it partnered with Culture Mile and Brookfield Properties to build the Harmony at London Wall Place, a major AR virtual experience featuring visuals and music from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama as well as London Symphony Orchestra.
The project incorporates technologies from British spatial computer mapping firm ARway, which uses artificial intelligence to build “hyper-accurate” 3D mapping tools for developing Metaverse use cases.
Additional solutions include Google Ads integration of global 3D/AR adverts with Facebook, Snap, and Instagram, and a further deal to produce content for department store chain Kohl’s, among others.
