Ideas
Explore the world's #1 largest database of ideas and innovations, with 462,792 inspiring examples.
Trend Reports
Discover why 1,243 brands rely on our AI-powered Trend Reports to get better, faster insights.
Newsletter
Join 320,975 subscribers who rely on our weekly newsletter to keep up with need-to-know trends and insights.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Consumer Insights
Uncover major shifts and emerging opportunities with our exclusive PRO research.
Trend Reports
Discover why 1,243 brands rely on our AI-powered Trend Reports to get better, faster insights.
Newsletter
Join 320,975 subscribers who rely on our weekly newsletter to keep up with need-to-know trends and insights.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Advisory & Services
Accelerate innovation and ignite disruptive thinking with our award-winning programs and research.
Trend Reports
Get fast, customized trend reports, presentations and deep dives 20x faster than traditional research.
Plans
Get started today with a free consultation, our self-serve tools, or a dedicated program.
Articles & Magazine
Get inspired with our 4,215 innovation strategy articles, keynote, videos and innovation tools.
Innovation Awards
Trend Hunter’s Innovation Strategy Awards recognize the best innovation tactics gathered from our interviews with some of the world's most notable business leaders, authors and change makers.
Advisory & Services
Accelerate innovation and ignite disruptive thinking with our award-winning programs and research.
Innovation Assessment
Enhance your innovation potential with a deeper understanding of your unique innovation archetype and how your organization benchmarks.
FuturistU
Prepare for the years ahead with 100+ lessons, tactics, tools and frameworks with our full learning database.
Innovation Books
Join 20,000,000 people getting better and faster with our New York Times Bestselling books and keynote videos.
Jeremy Gutsche
Ignite your event or virtual event with our CEO, a NY Times Bestselling Author and one of the top innovation keynote speakers.
Our Team of Speakers & Virtual Presenters
Inspire your group with our most popular speakers on innovation, trends, change and futurism.
Custom Training & Events
Bring the Future Festival experience directly to your team or co-hosted custom event.
Custom Masterclasses
Join the world's leading brands who leverage our custom programs to accelerate innovation.
FuturistU 5-Day Program
Become a Futurist with our immersive 5-Day program at Future Festival World Summit.
Online eLearning
Learn the fundamentals of futurism and trends with 100+ online courses about innovation.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Contact
Get in touch to learn more, ask a question or submit a tip.
About Us
Learn more about Trend Hunter and how we accelerate innovation.
Follow-Us
Join our 3,500,000 social media followers, on the cutting edge.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
FAQ
Get answers to common questions about Trend Hunter.
Community
Stay on the cutting-edge with the help of the Trend Hunter community.
Team
Meet the team trusted by hundreds of leading businesses worldwide.
Jobs
Find opportunities to accelerate your career with the #1 Trend Firm.
News
Catch up on noteworthy Trend Hunter news and media mentions.
Join
Build a portfolio and put your trend-spotting abilities to the test.
Advertising
Supercharge your marketing by partnering with Trend Hunter.
Portfolio
Visit your public portfolio and browse your past articles.
Add a Trend
Write up an article and showcase your trend-spotting skills.
My Trends
Edit your articles and see how they stack up on the leaderboards.
Settings
Edit your profile, connect your social media accounts, and more.
Add a trend, customize your dashboard, or track topics.
Future Festival
Innovation Events
Join the world's top innovators at our in person events.
Free Webinars
Learn to innovate through chaos, navigate the new normal and maintain work culture from home.
Custom Training & Events
Bring the Future Festival experience directly to your team or co-hosted custom event.
Search our database of 462,792 cutting edge ideas.

Commerce-Oriented Metaverses

HTC-Backed Highstreet Secures Funding For Retail-Focused Metaverse

— August 26, 2021 — Business
Highstreet is the first-ever commerce-focused metaverse platform to offer a crypto-based finance marketplace for exclusive retail products. The exciting startup has just secured $5 million in funding from venture capital firms, including Mechanism Capital, NGC Ventures, Palm Drive Capital, Cherubic Ventures, and Jump Trading.

According to the company, the funds will be used to expand Highstreet's engineering team to create a sustainable metaverse that will allow retail trading exclusively via blockchain. The Highstreet metaverse will include various environments for the user's to explore, including different islands that will house unique retail experiences. For example, users will be able to maneuver through the metaverse buying "phygital" products sold as NFTs.

"Highstreet is building the first metaverse that combines virtual reality and crypto, allowing brands to interact with users innovatively. We are excited to join this experiment with Highstreet," said the founder of Cherubic Ventures, Matt Cheng.

Image Credit: Highstreet
Trend Themes
1. Commerce-focused Metaverse Platform - The emergence of platforms that offer commerce-focused experiences in metaverse creates opportunities for retailers to expand their reach and interact with users innovatively.
2. Crypto-based Finance Marketplace - The integration of blockchain technology in finance marketplaces in the metaverse space unlocks opportunities for innovation in payment solutions and financial services.
3. Phygital Products Sold as Nfts - The creation of unique and rare digital products sold as NFTs in metaverses opens up opportunities for artist and brands to monetize their creations in new and exciting ways.
Industry Implications
1. Retail - The rise of commerce-focused metaverse platforms presents retailers with an opportunity to leverage virtual environments to reach new consumers, extend their real-world experiences into virtual world, and experiment with innovative payment solutions.
2. Blockchain and Cryptocurrency - Metaverse platforms that integrate blockchain technology for crypto-based finance and NFT marketplaces create opportunities for innovators to design secure payment systems, create new financial instruments, and monetize digital assets in new ways.
3. Virtual Reality - The development of metaverse platforms that offer immersive VR experiences for users to explore and interact with creates opportunities for brands and retail companies to create engaging experiences that go beyond the limitations of physical spaces.
6.2
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness