IMVU
 | |
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Social network |
| Founded | 2004 |
| Founder | Will Harvey, Eric Ries |
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
Key people | Daren Tsui (CEO)[1] |
| Website | www |
IMVU (/ˈɪmvjuː/, stylized as imvu)[2] is an online virtual world and social networking site.[3][4]
History
[edit]IMVU was founded in 2004[5] and was originally backed by venture investors Menlo Ventures, AllegisCyber Capital, Justin Greene, Bridgescale Partners, and Best Buy Capital.[6][7]
IMVU members use 3D avatars to meet new people, chat, create, and play games.[8][4] In 2014, IMVU had approximately six million active players,[7] and had the largest virtual goods catalog[9] of more than 6 million items as of 2011.[7] The business was previously located in Mountain View, California.[10]
In March 2020, IMVU introduced Live Rooms, a feature enabling users to host live events such as fashion shows, lectures, talk shows, and virtual weddings, allowing audience interaction and tipping.[11]
In 2022, IMVU partnered with Spectrum Labs to use artificial intelligence that identifies and rewards healthy behavior in online interactions.[12]
Name
[edit]The company name was neither an acronym nor an initialism. IMVU co-founder Eric Ries[13] described the accidental process by which the company acquired its meaningless name, and stated "It's not an acronym; it doesn't stand for anything".
IMVU's official account had used the backronym "Instant Messenger Virtual Universe" in some on-platform forum posts before 2009, but it has since been stated by the same account that this was intended to "never [be] an official thing", and the words were never used in any branding[14]. The full phrase was also never included in any trademarks, which only cover the letters "imvu".
Credits
[edit]IMVU operates a virtual economy based on its proprietary digital currency known as credits, which users can purchase with real money or obtain through various in-platform activities. Credits are used to buy virtual goods such as clothing, furniture, and accessories created by other users for their 3D avatars.[15]
The platform also supports a creator-driven marketplace, where designers sell digital items and earn credits that can be converted to real-world value through IMVU’s reseller program.[3] In 2021, IMVU partnered with the digital finance platform Uphold to allow users to convert their in-platform currency, VCOIN, into real-world money.[16] VCOIN is a blockchain-based digital currency and the first of its kind to receive a no-action letter from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, providing it with regulatory clarity.[17]
References
[edit]- ↑ "The future world of "Ready Player One" has already begun - SFChronicle.com". www.sfchronicle.com. 30 March 2018.
- ↑ IMVU Community (2012-09-21). "Inside IMVU". youtube.com. Time 0:39: YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2014-09-19.
I think the thing I love the most about IMVU is…
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link) - 1 2 Phelps, Nicole (2021-05-11). "The Metaverse's First Runway Show Is Here—Watch Collina Strada, Bruce Glen, My Mum Made It, and Mowalola's IMVU Debut". Vogue. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
- 1 2 "Instant Messaging Goes Graphical". Wired. 2004-09-16. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
- ↑ Liao, Rita (2021-01-25). "Virtual social network IMVU raises $35M from China's NetEase and others". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
- ↑ "About: IMVU" Archived 2018-05-03 at the Wayback Machine, IMVU website
- 1 2 3 "IMVU Information". Imvu.com. Archived from the original on 2014-10-23. Retrieved 2014-06-25.
- ↑ "IMVU Games Taking Advantage of Strong Growth". Insidesocialgames.com. 2011-03-11. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
- ↑ "IMVU Announces Growth, Promotion". Engage Digital. 2011-01-31. Archived from the original on 2011-04-08. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
- ↑ "IMVU Inc - Company Profile and News". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
- ↑ Takahashi, Dean (2020-03-04). "IMVU launches Live Rooms for hosting fashion shows, lectures, weddings and more". VentureBeat. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
- ↑ Takahashi, Dean (2022-09-08). "Spectrum Labs teams with IMVU to use AI to identify healthy online behavior". GamesBeat. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
- ↑ "Board of Directors - IMVU Information". Archived from the original on May 2, 2018.
- ↑ "Inspiring women in Technology: Audrea Mills (Author of The Lean Startup)". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2014-06-25.
- ↑ "IMVU's Virtual Cash Cow: Doubling Revenues, Focused On Gaming". TechCrunch. April 30, 2010. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
- ↑ Harrison, Polly Jean (2021-02-20). "IMVU & Uphold Partnership Could Be a Game-Changer for Virtual World Currencies". The Fintech Times. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
- ↑ "TIME100 Most Influential Companies 2022: Together Labs". Time. 2022-03-30. Archived from the original on 2025-04-19. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
Further reading
[edit]- Marie, Nakiya (September 16, 2004). "Instant Messaging Goes Graphical".