Unable to hold face-to-face meetings with potential investors, venture capitalists are seeking new ways to meet start-ups, including a service which arranges virtual meetings inside the video game, Fortnite.
Matchbox.vc matches technology investors with start-up executives through video game sessions in the hopes that companies will find their dream investment.
“Games are an incredible way for people in tech to connect,” said the site's co-founder, Alex Walsh. “It's a lot less stressful since both parties are doing something they enjoy, making it perfect for a first meeting. It's just like any other activity that's been tangential to business for years, like golf, getting coffee, or going for a walk.”
As of early 2020, Matchbox.vc had already been used by investors from prominent funds including Sequoia, Accel, Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund and Samsung’s venture capital wing. With more and more companies asking employees to work from home, services like Matchbox.vc are likely to become more popular.
Fortnite has also been used as a platform for concerts, most successfully by the rap artist Travis Scott in mid-2020.