Metavrse names Julie Smithson to lead vision for 3D creation for the spatial web

Metavrse, a 3D creation platform for the spatial web, has named Julie Smithson as president and CEO.

The Toronto, Canada-based company started out as a kind of metaverse shopping mall, where people would shop virtually for digital or real-world things.

A husband-and-wife team, Alan and Julie Smithson, started working on the company in 2015 amid the virtual reality craze and incorporated the company in the spring of 2016. They assembled a team and built an engine to run the mall on the web in 2020 and kept working on it. Alan Smithson served as CEO and he announced TheMall in 2022 with the hope of filling 100 floors of virtual retailers.

Now the company describes itself as focused on 3D creation for the spatial web, with a focus on XR, 3D and the metaverse. And the Smithsons are changing roles.

“Our mission is to make the metaverse creation experience as intuitive as possible,” said Julie Smithson, CEO of Metavrse, in a statement. “We are thrilled to unveil the next chapter of Metavrse. By combining AI with spatial web technologies, we are creating a platform that empowers users — regardless of their technical skill level to build immersive virtual worlds and experiences effortlessly.”

Before now, Julie Smithson had served as COO and cofounder. Now the team has delivered more than 200 3D projects for companies such as Microsoft, T-Mobile, Samsung, Wipro, JP Morgan, Mars-
Wrigley, Mastercard and more. She was recently named “Top 100 Women of the Future, 2024.”

Julie Smithson said the mission is to make the metaverse creation experience as intuitive as
possible, inspiring innovation and creativity across sectors like education, training, marketing,
retail, and entertainment.

As part of this transformation, Metavrse will soon relaunch its flagship platform, making it easier than ever for creators to develop and deploy immersive content entirely within their browsers. This shift eliminates the need for specialized hardware or software, offering users from all backgrounds the opportunity to shape the future of the spatial internet.

“As we drive technological innovation, our core focus is to empower creators to build and deliver
transformative experiences that reshape entire processes and industries,” she said. “At Metavrse, we are excited to unveil new opportunities for creators, educators, and marketers to explore the limitless potential of 3D creation.”