We’re Building the Lumos Metaverse to Elevate Builder Opportunities in Web3 🚀

We are excited to announce the launch of the Lumos Metaverse for builders to access the right opportunities and flourish in the Web3 space. To bring this to fruition, we successfully raised $1.1 million in seed capital. The seed round was led by Global Web3 venture fund -Delta Blockchain Fund, and funding from leading VCs- Superblock, Next Web Capital, Arcanum Capital, AG Build, Paradigm Shift Capital and multiple eminent angel investors from the Web3 ecosystem.

With a slew of investors consisting of both angel investors and VC firms funding this initiative, the Lumos Metaverse will serve as that proverbial “gateway to Web3”, for builders located both at home and abroad.

Why We’re Building a Metaverse

A metaverse is a concept where virtual reality is reimagined to create social connections. At Lumos Labs, we believe that a metaverse is the best-suited format that will bring shape and form to our vision. Let’s walk you through our thought process. To propel innovation in the Web3 space, we needed to make sure we’re helping builders (developers) connect with the right opportunities by bridging the proverbial gaps in the ecosystem. Here are those “gaps”:

Web3 Builders Are Scarce

According to a report from crypto VC firm Electric Capital, there are around 18,000 active builders in the Web3 ecosystem. However, 18,000 is pretty meager compared to the overall web developer market. To put that into perspective, Java — a popular programming language — has 9.6 million builders (SlashData). Given its recent growth trajectory, JavaScript is probably adding 18,000 new builders per week. Case-in-point: Web3 builders are scarce.

Opportunities in the Web3 Space Are Fragmented

To grow as a developer (or a builder) in the Web3 space, you need to be a self-starter, scouting for the right opportunities to learn, #BUIDL, and focus on building a professional profile. But, there are way too many forums that host opportunities that are not curated in a single reliable place. This includes aggregating opportunities from across several blockchain platform communities’ forums (ex: Polkadot, NEAR, Ethereum, etc.) that can help builders learn, contribute to networks, and grow.

Developer/Builder Identities Are Scattered Across the Internet

Virtual profiles are immensely popular among builders and serve the purpose of showcasing their skills and talent. However, there are several platforms that aim to provide builders with a space to showcase their profiles. This includes engagement, opportunity and utility platforms like Discord, GitCoin, DevFolio, HackerRank, GitHub, and more. Given how these platforms already have a reputation for showcasing developer profiles, builders lack a place to host a universal proof-of-skill.

Lumos Labs comes with formidable expertise in understanding developer needs in the Web3 space. Our journey has led us to conduct 15+ hackathons and 10+ accelerators alongside recruitment programs, providing over $3 million in grants to builders and startups. We are equipped with the knowledge, expertise and support to build this Metaverse.

“Metaverses are steadily coming into the mainstream now and we’re, effectively, stepping into a futuristic realm that we mostly saw in science fiction. The Lumos Metaverse will snugly fit into this niche by enhancing collaborative experiences to bring forth a vibrant community of developers entering this space.

By building a purpose-driven metaverse as opposed to a general-purpose metaverse, we believe that the Lumos Metaverse will encourage builders to arrive with pre-set goals that they can accomplish. We will host a seamless connect between Web3 platforms and individual builders.

Ultimately, we envision the Metaverse to service the Web3 community, bringing in inclusivity by prioritising talent, skill and delivery above all else.”

- Kaavya Prasad — Founder, Lumos Labs

Get to Know the Metaverse

So, What is this Lumos Metaverse, you ask?

Simply put, the Lumos Metaverse is a world built for developers, designed to open access to ecosystem opportunities and help them with their journey into Web3. Through this platform, we will guide interested Web3 builders to:

• Get ahead of the learning curve with workshops, meetups, mentor programs and more

• Showcase development skills at hackathons and bounties

• Directly connect with Web3 platforms for jobs, and connect with other builders for collaborations

• Provide startup support to (aspiring) founders with the right opportunities in the Web3 space to scale up.

  
  

The Metaverse is open to all builders: students, experienced developers, startup founders, etc., who have the inclination and aptitude to build a career in Web3 as a developer be it for any project enabled by blockchain technology.

Visualizing the Metaverse

The Metaverse will host a central hub for builders and ecosystem enablers (platforms, VCs, enterprises, communities, DAOs, etc.) to collaborate, showcasing a variety of opportunities to its users. The ecosystem enablers will access Web3 developer talent through the Lumos Metaverse by setting up virtual headquarters (HQ). By means of the HQ, platforms will host various forms of opportunities like developer grants, hackathons, bounties community engagement activities, hiring drives, etc.

Most importantly, the Lumos Metaverse will host a holistic platform for a shared community of Web3 builders to solve real-world problems and provide a one-stop-shop for Web3 platforms to seamlessly manage their builder relations.

Our Dynamic Initiative

With distributed ledger technology and Web3 development enjoying a sharp surge in interest from builders, there’s still a need to gather relevant opportunities, be it to learn Web3, connect with your “tribe”, or even get your first break as a developer.

Based on the insights gleaned from Lumos Labs’ Web3 programs, we aspire to cultivate, hone and market developer talent for the Web3 space. As an aggregator of community engagement, educational and job opportunities, Lumos Labs’ Metaverse envisions a thriving Web3 ecosystem. The Metaverse is designed to grow from strength to strength in the future as our clients gain exclusive access to “cream of the crop” development talent.

“If Lumos Labs has learned anything from the programmes held to support builders, it’s hard to achieve such a lofty goal with a fragmented approach that, while being decentralised in its own right, serves as a deterrent to passionate and skilled builders from making a mark in the Web3 space. After much deliberation, we strongly feel that Lumos Labs’s Metaverse will provide the much-needed structure, focus and direction that all Web3 builders are in dire need of.”

— Kaavya Prasad

Furthermore, she thinks that, with blockchain technology and Web3 development still relatively nascent, the Metaverse will not only serve as a springboard for both Indian and international builders to carve out their own niche in the Web3 space but also put India on the map as a major Web3 player. Yes, as a force to be reckoned with, in this fledgling industry that is currently experiencing rapid growth while still failing to meet the demand, in terms of Web3 development talent.

In engaging with and nurturing the right talent, the Metaverse can be viewed as a culmination of Lumos Labs’ efforts ever since its inception to make a difference to the blockchain ecosystem — if only by bringing in one Web3 developer at a time. We hope to do the same and so much more with the offerings that the Metaverse hopes to deliver.

Make sure you join us on this incredible journey!

Be a part of our community on Discord! 🚀

Also published here.