The definition of metaverse has long been fiercely debated since it is officially brought to the public. For Zhang Lu founder and CEO of Soul App, the metaverse is intrinsically an open and inclusive platform for building social connections. With this belief, she is dedicated to establishing her Soul App as a social metaverse for the young. At present, Soul App is stirring a craze for metaverse among the young generation and is under the spotlight of investors as the dark horse in the social metaverse.
Soul App is the brainchild of Zhang Lu. Back in the year 2016, she noticed she couldn’t find a product that allowed modern people to freely express their ideas and evoke quality social connections. The idea of developing a social networking platform came to her mind. Her original inspiration was to build a platform where people could release themselves from the pressure of real life and immerse themselves in quality social relationships. On this platform, people could break from their ties to the real world and create a whole new persona for themselves as if they have entered a parallel world.
To achieve these goals, Zhang Lu and her team developed an AI algorithm that would recommend users to those who share the same interests, which is appreciated as interest-based social modes. Unlike previous social networking platforms, Soul App would require its users to create their own personalized virtual avatars, which constitute the basis for their new identity in Soul App. This novel mode of socializing soon seized the young generation once it is launched. This is the prototype stage of the social metaverse and the origin of the Soul Metaverse.
As Soul App also continues to grow, it is gradually taking the shape of a social metaverse and has incubated a number of novel social modes. For instance, features like 3D Cam and Virtual Parties are remarked as two major innovations. Soul Cam is developed for users to create 3D avatar masks that can vividly reproduce their facial expressions. During Virtual Parties, users engage in the same gamified settings at these events and appreciate the open conversation atmosphere. The two gamified features guarantee young people a space to communicate creatively with one another and expose their innermost identities.
Soul App is not always on smooth sailing because for the majority of the public, the term social metaverse may seem eccentric at first glance. Zhang Lu is confronted with worries and questions from the public when she first put forward the concept of Soul Metaverse. Nevertheless, she insisted that socializing is one indispensable part of the metaverse and is devoted to discovering the possibilities of social life. According to her, the genuine requirements of social life are the potential for being exposed to new worlds and the enjoyment of a sense of identity, belonging, and security that comes with social engagement. These underlying demands remain unchanged whether it is in real life or the virtual world.
As Soul App is probing into the social metaverse, a blueprint is gradually unfolded before our eyes. This social networking platform has now developed its metaverse ecology that combines avatars, social assets, immersion, economic system, and inclusiveness. Nowadays, Soul App has become a social networking platform where over 9.3 million individuals gather every day to find their moments in life and encounter friends with the same values. This app is also highly appreciated by experts as the forerunner of the social metaverse. Believe it or not, the rise of social networking platforms like Soul App is bringing the social metaverse into reality. It has the potential to become an inclusive virtual space where all participants are invited to take part.
Early in 1992, the concept of metaverse was raised and elucidated for the first time in the fiction Snow Crash. At that time, no one would foresee that the metaverse could be brought into reality in the near future. In 2018, the movie Ready Player One become the chance for many to first get in touch with the metaverse. When it comes to 2021, Roblox included metaverse in its prospectus and it is now a virtual platform that fostered the birth of innumerable mini-metaverses. Meanwhile, Soul App put on the slogan of creating a social metaverse for the young generation. Shortly after this, Facebook changed its name to Meta, rendering the metaverse a ubiquitous term.
The market size of the metaverse is expected to experience rapid growth in the subsequent decade and technology giants are increasing their investments in relevant industries. Soul App is ready to seize the chance. Whether it’s exploring the metaverse industry or capturing Gen Z users, Zhang Lu is confident that Soul App is always pioneering. As can be revealed by its mission, to build a social metaverse for the young, Soul App is full-loaded to lead the Gen to virtual social life in the new era.
