I’m back from a dusty week and a half, feeling a bit like the event should be renamed “Building Man” from an extensive week of build that ran into even longer days during the event as we finished camp structures and layout.
The running joke is, “Everything is perfectly dialed in right around Sunday afternoon.” Of course, right before it is time to pack up and head home.
The magic of Burning Man is still ever present. I was able to swan dive into mind blowing experiences, inhale inspiration, and plunge right back in each day. Mesmerized by some of the best artists and performances I have ever laid eyes on. My favorite being Dream Rockwell’s Lucent Dossier ritualistic performance on Friday night at 11:11, fittingly named “The Human Initiation Project”.
A QUESTION I HAVE BEEN PONDERING
How can social VR be used to keep us connected while not disconnecting us from everything else?
Coming off of a 10 day Burning Man immersive, for my 3rd straight year, my decompression is focused around the challenge of connecting with all the amazing humans I meet on the playa back in the “default world”. Video calls, occasional small group meet ups, and coffee dates barely scratch the surface of all the deep connection I am filled up with every year in the desert.
Recent compelling examples of this concept include the widely popular DJ- Marshmello having more live streamers tuning into his concert on Fortnite than the entire audience of the past Super Bowl. It is no wonder why the conversation of social VR like Altspace has become more and more prominent.
The idea of always having intimate in-person meetings sounds romantic, but the reality is, we like the idea of working remotely, traveling throughout the year and having a wide range of friends, events, and networks much, much more.
My challenge to you is to dream of a way we can nurture the richness of digital connection without losing the depth through a VR screen.
TITLES WE HAVE OUR EYES ON
Seemingly on the leading edge of VR social experiences, Redpill just received 70 Million in funding to create the future of social interactions through digital music festivals.
I was first introduce to The Wave at Form music festival back in 2017, running around a VR dance floor with friends that were plugged in right next to me. We changed our avatars, listened to awesome music while watching crazy 360 visuals and exchanged emoji shaped drugs and alcohol to each other to produce a psychedelic visual effect that lasted for a few minutes.
It was novel and hilarious but their product timing felt too early. Moving into 2020 Redpill seems to be standing on the shoulders of giants, ready to make their own waves in the ever evolving social media playground.
Still on a VR storytelling kick, I discovered this experience and was moved by its creativity and ability to generate gratitude within seconds. Traveling through an actual voice journal of a middle aged man who starts to lose his sight, you experience what he describes as ‘extra sensory abilities; while learning to appreciate the gift of vision along the way.
UPCOMING EVENTS
September 10-11 | Less than a week away! We will be inside the VIP lounge showcasing the latest and greatest of VR wellness technology along with our friends at Upgrade Labs with the top bio-hacking tech. Mind and body upgrades all around!
September 25-25 | A few of our amazing team members are going for some research and development purposes. Please message swan@enterandromeda.com if you plan on attending.
November 1-3 | Seemingly just around the corner but with a lot of planning still ahead, information TBD.
THE LATEST WITH ANDROMEDA
My goal for this newsletter is to occasionally update the partners, colleagues, and advisors that we know well as a company. With this in mind, I wanted to give you a heads up on an insider opportunity with Andromeda.
We recently opened a few additional investment spots in our seed round. We have been very fortunate and selective with our current investors and plan to continue to vet for strategic investors that want to be involved with our growth, more details are below.
Investing in the company (Andromeda) through a Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE) Note “unlocks” the ability to invest in our titles (Audio Trip, SoundSelf) through a Royalty Purchase Agreement (RPA).
Amount: Minimum $10K
Investor Return: # Shares of Preferred Stock in Andromeda Entertainment issued at an 80% discount rate & $5M post money valuation cap.
Timeline: These shares get issued upon an Equity Financing event (Series A investment) estimated for Q3 2020.
Amount: $10K Increments (equal to SAFE investment)
Investor Return: Recoup Initial Investment + Royalties
Timeline (Example Audio Trip):
Andromeda has invested $487,000 in the game Audio Trip. We are expected to recoup that money in November & December from sales of the game on Steam and then will receive 30% of all gross revenue thereafter (royalties). When you invest $10K through the RPA, you become part of that $487,000 and you are on the same recoup and royalties schedule as we are, recoup in Nov/Dec and royalties thereafter.
SUMMARY- Minimum investment is $20K today. $10K in the SAFE and $10K in the RPA.
- Only 7 spots available (3 are already gone).
- Feel good knowing you invested in technology built for the health and wellness of future generations
- Recoup $10K in the RPA in Nov/Dec + monthly royalty checks for the next 5 years
- Receive discounted preferred stock when the SAFE note converts.
Please reach out to our finance guru John at John@enterandromeda.com for more details. He would love to answer any questions you may have and share with you how much he has learned about VR and the ways it is impacting the future of health, wellness, education, and entertainment.
THE LATEST WITH OUR TITLES
As an early investor and strategic partner with Android Jones and Vision Agency, Andromeda has felt deep alignment with Microdose VR since its inception.
Microdose VR combines art, music and dance into a real time virtual reality experience. Exploring the limitless possibilities of Virtual Reality, creating a real time multiplayer gameplay platform while simultaneously unleashing an artistic movement allowing for unique expression, competition and collaboration.
We have continued to showcase their work and move into a deeper relationship with them as they receive amazing feedback from their alpha launch and their 360 dome events around the world.
They have become the leaders of interactive technology in the festival community and at the amazing new 360 immersive venue Wisdome LA where we collaborated with Devolver and Vision Agency to throw an opening part for E3 earlier this summer (check out the video here).
One last thing– If you haven’t started following us on socials please do:
https://www.instagram.com/enterandromeda/
https://www.facebook.com/EnterAndromeda/
We will have much more to share in two weeks once we are fully back in the swing of things!
From Lyle and the magic makers of Andromeda,
Stay Blessed~
Lyle