Introduction

Over the course of 2023, Colorintech ran the 100 Worlds programme, supporting over 100 diverse entrepreneurs in 100 days. Our “100 Days Challenge” saw Colorintech teaming up with Meta to deliver two programmes simultaneously - one to support diverse founders working with the Immersive technologies, and one to help those new to it to develop ideas for tech startups they could build.

In 2022 Colorintech embarked on a mission to work with Meta to drive diversity, equity and inclusion in the metaverse. Through this work, we helped several talented underrepresented founders progress with their Metaverse businesses and brought our community together to celebrate. With incredible success behind us, we came back bigger and better in 2023. 

Kicking off in 2023 at Meta, we set a high bar. Learn more about the kickoff event here.

Our XR Trade Mission to Singapore: Supporting Diverse Startup Founders

Singapore is one of the fastest growing tech hubs for innovative startups, and they have a particularly active Immersive technologies ecosystem. So to help UK businesses with diverse founders working in this space, we conducted an intense trade mission, bringing over 5 startups for an intense week of connections, events, and learning. 

This unique cultural exchange programme also had pitching opportunities and the chance to get in front of new clients and even government officials, which will be hyper-focused on showcasing British businesses. 

Supported with connections by UK government departments such as the Department of Business and Trade, and the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, and supported to run the programme by Meta, we had a rich schedule of networking, investors, talks, and attending global events with prominent companies. 

All our founders are working to build Immersive, XR tech and some including Web3 and AI elements too. 

Meet the founders:

All of these founders are incredible leaders, as well as being forward-thinking innovators in the XR space and really paving the way with new technologies and their connection to the ecosystem. 

Watch a recap of the week here.

Our Ideas Competition: Getting More Diverse Builders Into XR

People from underrepresented backgrounds were invited to submit their unique Metaverse world within 100 days, for the chance to be showcased to clients, investors, and government, and even take part in a cultural exchange!

We opened up submissions to the wider community of builders, entrepreneurs, techies, and explorers, to share with us their ideas for a metaverse solution. The top 100 ideas were supported with a 2-week online training experience to develop their idea into a viable product. Of those 100 people, the 12 best ideas received further support, including tech equipment, a cash prize to support their build, and coaching to further work on their idea and explore turning it into a business. 

We have since had 6 winners and 6 runners-up of this ideas competition be chosen and develop their ideas even further. Ranging from education, to food, and even exercise.

Meet the 6 winners:

  • Marika, founder of TEVR - "TEVR is a virtual reality software and collaboration tool designed to revolutionise the way we experience digital art, think of it like the eventbrite for VR art galleries."
  • Marzia, founder of Fluency - "Fluency is the mixed reality solution to make you become fluent in a language through immersive experience in a foreign country."
  • Aaron, founder of PhygiChainAI - “PhygiChainAI is a quantum-resistant industrial metaverse platform that merges the Internet of Things, blockchain and artificial intelligence together to responsibly build, optimize and sustain intelligent digital twins of real-world supply chain networks – at scale.”
  • Maxine, founder of RhymeCircle - “Rhyme Circle proposes an immersive, creative, virtual world where Augmented Reality and 360° experiences meet reading. Technology and creativity are used to bridge the gap, increase confidence and raise academic attainment, impacting on children's reading, phonic, and speaking and listening skills.”
  • Kirk and Karn, founders of BattleFit - “BattleFit is a game which operates as a fitness application. Obesity and weight gain is a growing issue with Generation Z and Millennials, this application is designed to encourage and incentivise these players to become more active in the living world in order to make full use of the game/programme and engage with its benefits.”
  • Nanri, founder of Science for All - "Science for All is an interactive platform that combines augmented and virtual reality. It aims to deliver gamified scientific education in a dynamic and immersive learning environment that goes beyond traditional classrooms."

You can read more about the full ideas, and also connect with all of our participants here.

What people said

"We’re excited that one of the world's most innovative companies Meta has again chosen to prioritise diversity and inclusion as one of the key pillars of its investment in the metaverse through this new programme," said Ashleigh Ainsley, co-founder of Colorintech. “We believe that the metaverse has the potential to bring people together and grow business opportunities in new and meaningful ways, and we are committed to helping more people build new platforms that are accessible and importantly, inclusive."

“The metaverse has enormous potential to transform how we work, learn, communicate, and experience the world around us. We want it to be for everyone. To make this a reality, it needs to be a collaborative approach. We are proud to support Colorintech and partnerships like this to ensure we're building the metaverse responsibly and inclusively from the start.” said Nick Clegg, President, Global Affairs at Meta.

“This has been a highly influential program to have been part of, it has taught me more about myself and connecting with other like-minded individuals who not only care about community, impact but also meeting kindred souls with an ambitious vision in XR has been like finding my tribe at last.” - Nina Salomons, co-founder of Anomie (programme participant). 

“Colorintech really showed up and showed out with this one. I feel privileged to have participated in this adventure as it really reinforced for me the power of ‘being in the room’. I’m excited by the possibilities… The contacts, knowledge and opportunities gained far exceeded my expectations. I’m especially grateful for the opportunity to get to know this amazing group of trailblazing founders; relationships from which I'm already yielding dividends professionally and personally.  ColourInTech, you guys are such assets to the Community you serve so well. Of course a huge thanks to Meta and DBT for putting us on. - Ando, co-founder of Happaning (programme participant). 

Conclusion and What’s Next

2023 has been an incredible year of impact, and also of learning, for Colorintech. Through this programme, we directly impacted over 100 individuals, with intense periods of learning, and intense periods of building. 

Our goals are to get more diverse individuals into tech entrepreneurship, and help those that are here to succeed. And with this programme, we did all that and more. By supporting the development of new talent, and facilitating new connections, Colorintech has proven that by overhauling the access to the startup ecosystem, we can make magic happen. 

But, the journey is far from over! As well as continuing to support these incredible founders, we’re also working on new things for 2024 to support the innovation ecosystem.

First, we're announcing a new programme with Meta, in 2024 we're focused on developing in AI! Click here to read more about our new programmes.

The best way to stay up to date with all of our new programs is to follow our entrepreneur newsletter, which is one place for all the opportunities you need to be hearing about, once a fortnight!

Watch one final recap video here.