KiyaAI & SC Ventures launch Akashaverse to offer inclusive digital experience
By Gloria Mathias
SC Ventures, Standard Chartered’s FinTech investment and ventures arm, in partnership with KiyaAI, a digital solutions provider, have launched Akashaverse, an entertainment, social, eCommerce and lifestyle hub that uses immersive technologies and artificial intelligence.
Akashaverse will explore immersive and interactive digital environments and intends to transform how people experience and engage with events, eCommerce and religious tourism. Powered by Bharatmeta, KiyaAI’s immersive experiences platform, Akashaverse wants to break down traditional barriers.
Traditional experiences often necessitate physical presence, which could be limited by geographical, financial, health or logistical constraints. Akashaverse plans to utilize virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to transcend these barriers and make experiences more accessible and inclusive. Akashaverse plans to offer users the ability to participate in virtual pilgrimages, visit virtual storefronts hosted by various brands for a reimagined eCommerce customer experience, and engage in bespoke events from anywhere in the world. Through its commercial ecosystem, Akashaverse intends to provide its corporate clients with real-time insights on product engagement from its customers and enable a new innovative distribution channel.
“Akashaverse intends to transform the way people connect and interact with spaces and services that were previously out of reach,” said Sanjeev Mehta, Founder and CEO of Akashaverse. “Our hub is being designed to enhance engagement and interactions and to enable users to immerse themselves in rich digital environments.”
Akashaverse will initially focus on India, leveraging advanced technologies such as 360-degree imagery, VR, AR and AI to create immersive experiences across three main segments:
Event Booking Platforms: Enhancing marketing and bookings for MCE through immersive previews of event spaces and facilities.
Virtual Pilgrimages: Offering immersive tours for devotees who face financial, health or logistical constraints.
Virtual Stores: Creating interactive shopping experiences that are integrated with Akashaverse’s event booking platform to offer users a unique opportunity to browse and purchase event-related merchandise, experiences and services. Akashaverse plans to support the burgeoning creator economy in India and enable users to offer services via its hub as well.
“KiyaAI’s immersive UI platform blends real and virtual worlds. It empowers businesses to adopt cutting-edge technology by enabling visualization, online transactions, and interaction with GenAI-driven virtual assistants,” said Rajesh Mirjankar, Co-founder, MD & CEO of KiyaAI. “By leveraging its capabilities to integrate with the India Stack, it ensures these solutions work seamlessly within India’s digital ecosystem. This collaboration with SC Ventures reflects our shared vision of leveraging cutting-edge technologies to empower communities and create impactful digital ecosystems.”
The hub is also expected to support virtual donations via a third-party regulated payment institution for pilgrimage sites and associated charitable organizations, fostering a bridge between
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