IMVU

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IMVU
Company typeprivate
IndustrySocial network
Founded2004; 21 years ago (2004)
FounderWill Harvey, Eric Ries, Marcus Gosling, Matt Danzig
Headquarters
Redwood City, California
,
U.S.
Key people
Daren Tsui (CEO)[1]
Number of employees
200
Websiteimvu.com

IMVU (/ˈɪmvjuː/, stylized as imvu)[2] is an online virtual world and social networking site.[3][4]

History

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IMVU was founded in 2004[5] and was originally backed by venture investors Menlo Ventures, AllegisCyber Capital, Justin Greene, Bridgescale Partners, and Best Buy Capital.[6][7]

IMVU members use 3D avatars to meet new people, chat, create, and play games.[8][4] In 2014, IMVU had approximately six million active players,[7] and had the largest virtual goods catalog[9] of more than 6 million items as of 2011.[7] The business was previously located in Mountain View, California.[10]

The company name was neither an acronym nor an initialism. IMVU co-founder Eric Ries[11] described the accidental process by which the company acquired its meaningless name, and stated "It's not an acronym; it doesn't stand for anything", though he did note the name was originally used because the IM aspect invoked instant messaging, something the company wanted to be associated with.[12]

In March 2020, IMVU introduced Live Rooms, a feature enabling users to host live events such as fashion shows, lectures, talk shows, and virtual weddings, allowing audience interaction and tipping.[13]

In 2022, IMVU partnered with Spectrum Labs to use artificial intelligence that identifies and rewards healthy behavior in online interactions.[14]

Credits

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IMVU operates a virtual economy based on its proprietary digital currency known as credits, which users can purchase with real money or obtain through various in-platform activities. Credits are used to buy virtual goods such as clothing, furniture, and accessories created by other users for their 3D avatars.[15]

The platform also supports a creator-driven marketplace, where designers sell digital items and earn credits that can be converted to real-world value through IMVU’s reseller program.[3] In 2021, IMVU partnered with the digital finance platform Uphold to allow users to convert their in-platform currency, VCOIN, into real-world money.[16] VCOIN is a blockchain-based digital currency and the first of its kind to receive a no-action letter from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, providing it with regulatory clarity.[17]

References

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  1. ^ "The future world of "Ready Player One" has already begun - SFChronicle.com". www.sfchronicle.com. 30 March 2018.
  2. ^ IMVU Community (2012-09-21). "Inside IMVU". youtube.com. Time 0:39: YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2014-09-19. I think the thing I love the most about IMVU is…{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  3. ^ a b Phelps, Nicole (2021-05-11). "The Metaverse's First Runway Show Is Here—Watch Collina Strada, Bruce Glen, My Mum Made It, and Mowalola's IMVU Debut". Vogue. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
  4. ^ a b "Instant Messaging Goes Graphical". Wired. 2004-09-16. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
  5. ^ Liao, Rita (2021-01-25). "Virtual social network IMVU raises $35M from China's NetEase and others". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
  6. ^ "About: IMVU" Archived 2018-05-03 at the Wayback Machine, IMVU website
  7. ^ a b c "IMVU Information". Imvu.com. Archived from the original on 2014-10-23. Retrieved 2014-06-25.
  8. ^ "IMVU Games Taking Advantage of Strong Growth". Insidesocialgames.com. 2011-03-11. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
  9. ^ "IMVU Announces Growth, Promotion". Engage Digital. 2011-01-31. Archived from the original on 2011-04-08. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
  10. ^ "IMVU Inc - Company Profile and News". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
  11. ^ "Board of Directors - IMVU Information". Archived from the original on May 2, 2018.
  12. ^ "Inspiring women in Technology: Audrea Mills (Author of The Lean Startup)". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2014-06-25.
  13. ^ Takahashi, Dean (2020-03-04). "IMVU launches Live Rooms for hosting fashion shows, lectures, weddings and more". VentureBeat. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
  14. ^ Takahashi, Dean (2022-09-08). "Spectrum Labs teams with IMVU to use AI to identify healthy online behavior". GamesBeat. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
  15. ^ "IMVU's Virtual Cash Cow: Doubling Revenues, Focused On Gaming". TechCrunch. April 30, 2010. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
  16. ^ Harrison, Polly Jean (2021-02-20). "IMVU & Uphold Partnership Could Be a Game-Changer for Virtual World Currencies". The Fintech Times. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
  17. ^ "TIME100 Most Influential Companies 2022: Together Labs". Time. 2022-03-30. Archived from the original on 2025-04-19. Retrieved 2025-10-13.

Further reading

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See also

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Official website