Store Nº8, the incubation subsidiary of American retail group Walmart, is looking to experiment with virtual worlds as it partners with venture capital firm Outlier Ventures to launch a web3 accelerator scheme.
Called Store Nº8 Base Camp, the 12-week remote programme focuses on decentralised commerce, marketing, advertising, payment and metaverse startups.
Blockchain marketing company HypeLab and decentralised advertising group Reveel are part of the first cohort, as are web3 payment technology platforms Tide Protocol, Tokenguard and Unblock. The startups will have access to Walmart and Outlier Ventures’ networks, resources and industry know-how.
“At Walmart, we see the growth and expansion of increasingly immersive virtual worlds as not only a chance to develop new ways to meet and engage with our customers but also an opportunity to experiment with a new type of commerce,” Thomas Kang, vice president and general manager at Walmart who oversees metaverse commerce at Store Nº8, said.
“Over the next year, you’ll see us test a variety of experiences in virtual worlds that connect to commerce at stores and vice versa.”
