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House of Blueberry has raised $6 million in seed funding for its digital fashion business in the metaverse and interactive entertainment.
Makers Fund led the round, with continued participation from Everblue Management. Blueberry House will use the money to expand its partnership with new games and online worlds to reach a wider audience.
Founded in 2012 by Misha McDuff, House of Blueberry has sold more than 20 million digital assets on platforms such as Roblox, The Sims and Second Life under its own brand. On a mission to unlock the next level of self-expression for gamers, creators and digital denizens, House of Blueberry said it has created a respected brand in an emerging space with enormous possibilities.
The company has paved its way in the world of digital fashion by partnering with brands such as Natori and Boy Meets Girl to present their first virtual collections; Jonathan Simkhai will launch the first Metaverse Fashion Week; and Broadway’s Dear Evan Hansen to create digital versions of the iconic blue polo shirt.
“Our ultimate vision is to become the largest digital fashion house in the world,” McDuff said in a statement. “While it’s still early days, we’re proud of the foundation we’ve already built and are thrilled to partner with the interactive entertainment experts at Makers Fund and have more firepower to continue building authentically for and with our community, to encourage creative, aesthetic and aspirational self-expression. on any digital platform where it matters.”
This latest round of funding will accelerate the growth of new communities by expanding from primary
feminine design aesthetics into masculine and androgynous design, as well as accessories, makeup and
environmental goods. House of Blueberry will also expand to new games and online platforms
user-generated content and self-expression are important.
“Over 62 million [items of] clothing and accessories are created by players only on Roblox in 2022,” Lia Zhang, an investor at Makers Fund, said in a statement. “The numbers are growing rapidly every year and we’re starting to see more games and platforms understand the importance of user-generated content.”
Zhang added: “We believe that as many of the top games and virtual worlds have become social networks, it is more important than ever to offer customization for our characters as they represent our digital identities. We share Blueberry’s vision that digital fashion and custom design are at the heart of online self-expression and are excited to support Mishi and her team as they explore new aesthetics and expand into additional platforms and communities.”
Part of the company’s approach is respecting the communities House of Blueberry enters with real-world brands.
“We are a fashion company in the metaverse. We’ve been dressing avatars for 10 years, and our founder started with Second Life,” said Katherine Manuel, COO, in a recent interview.
She added: “We believe that it’s the communities within games that really create what culture is and what fashion should be. And so one of the core principles for us at House of Blueberry is really to build a community that can help inform what people want to wear. How do they want to express themselves on these platforms within their communities in these games?”
Manuel will be speaking on a panel on brands and the metaverse at our upcoming GamesBeat Summit 2023 event in Santa Monica on May 22-23.
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