译文/Translated：
和NFLPA合作之后接踵而来的消息。Upland还启动了区块链互操作性NFT门户且出售了两百多万NFT
快速发展的区块链元宇宙公司Uplandme.Inc. (Upland) 今天宣布，其以3亿美元估值获得Animoca Brands领投的1.8千万美元A轮投资。之前的投资人、由C3 Management管理的FinLab EOS VC Fund也参与了本次融资。新参与的投资人还包括OneTeam Partners（最近促成了Upland和NFLPA的合作）Block.one, Alumni Ventures Blockchain Fund, Global Founders Capital, Com2uS, Crit Ventures, Korea Investment Partners, Michael Ronen （前软银管理合伙人）Mike Vorhaus (Vorhaus 顾问), Michael Terpin (Transform Group 创始人和CEO) 等。
Animoca Brands联合创始人和执行董事长萧逸说：“Upland团队目前的成就让我们印象深刻。Upland有很多创新的地方，包括其优先发展手机端的做法，让iOS和安卓用户能够获得游戏app。其 ‘NFT到法币’的做法让元宇宙居民能够把自己的数字资产卖给其他玩家获得美元。更重要的是，Upland的NFT门户让NFT在不同区块链移动，实现互操作性，而这是开放的元宇宙的支柱。”
“我们的平台发展迅速，我们有热情的社区和繁荣的经济，而这不过是开始而已。我们知道我们给活跃的NFT世界带来了独特的模式。Upland和其它公司的差异是我们的游戏把真实世界和沉浸式游戏机制联系起来，为NFT带来了几乎无尽的可靠用例，”Upland联合创始人Dirk Lueth说。“知道游戏和区块链领域的意见领袖Animoca Brands能领投，我们感到非常自豪。这将是一个强大的合作伙伴关系，也会帮我们开拓疆土、开启Upland历史上的新篇章。”
Animoca Brands(https://www.animocabrands.com/)通过区块链和NFT的使用，把数字资产权利带给线上用户，尤其是消费电子游戏玩家和元宇宙。这些技术让用户拥有虚拟资产和数据真实的数字所有权，也带来了多种边玩边赚的功能、资产互操作性、DeFi/GameFi机遇。
2020年初Upland启动测试版之后，它就不断发展。现在，它已经开放了13个美国城市，全球有超过十万虚拟地主畅游Upland元宇宙。玩家已经购买了2百万NFT，旧金山、曼哈顿这些城市的虚拟土地年初就售空了。每天，有超过6万的日活跃玩家购买、出售和交易虚拟产权、建房子、完成房产手机、参与寻宝和城市巡游。
“创新刻在我们的DNA中，”Upland联合创始人Idan Zuckerman说。“最近我们刚刚启动Upland Legits，这套新的NFT产品让品牌、个人和组织，如运动俱乐部、运动员、艺术家、娱乐品牌等，把现实中的影响带到Upland元宇宙中，并走得更远。我们的社区远远没有满足于此刻。”
NFL球员协会（NFLPA）是第一个利用Upland Legits的品牌，它把2000多个橄榄球运动员带到了元宇宙世界。NFLPA也通过OneTeam Partners成为Upland的间接股东。
Upland的口号是“重建世界”，它非常关注可持续发展：2021年6月，Upland抵消了EOS公链一整年的碳足迹，EOS公链就是Upland运行其NFT元宇宙的地方。
“我们在Upland的投资凸显了我们的价值观：我们要提供资源，让创造者能想出更多解决方案，推动区块链应用发展、在新的数字经济时代下，让生活充满可能，”EOSIO母公司Block.one的CEO Brendan Blumer说，“Dirk和整个Upland团队都重视游戏界最新发展，它们不断壮大、把这个行业推向更广阔的未来的同时，能够支持它们使用EOSIO，这让我们也感到自豪。我们从一开始就相信Upland的创意和团队，也通过我们合作的C3 Management GmbH进行过投资、并直接参与了本次投资，”Brendan Blumer说，“看到团队这么利用我们的技术，提供这样的用户友好、规模化、成本有效的体验，我们也感到惊喜。”
“我们对边玩边赚的区块链游戏模型感到兴奋。Upland给这个模型做了很好的诠释，它融合了现实生活的房地产、体育等，同时它也关注如何在手机上应用。Dirk一开始就展示了这样的远景，因此我们也很高兴能参与这次投资。”美国Com2uS的总裁Kyu Lee说。
这笔融资将用于在美国和欧洲发展该游戏，投资品牌合作者和吸引用户。
关于 UPLANDME, INC.
2018年Dirk Lueth, Idan Zuckerman 和 Mani Honigstein成立Uplandme, Inc. (https://upland.me/)，公司位于加州山景城。公司运营Upland游戏，这是一个基于现实世界的元宇宙，它让玩家可以游戏、赚钱和联系彼此。它遵循开放市场经济原则、利用区块链技术保证数字资产（NFT）真正的所有权。现在用户可以在iOS, Android 和网页端下载该游戏。游戏在全世界都可以使用。关于本游戏以及其对可持续发展的关注，请访问https://www.upland.me/sustainability
来源 Upland
相关链接
原文/Original：
News Comes on Heels of Launching Integration with NFLPA. Upland Also Launched NFT Portal for Blockchain Interoperability and Surpasses 2 Million NFTs Sold
Uplandme.Inc. (Upland), one of the fastest-growing metaverses on blockchain that is mapped to the real world and one of the most sustainable NFT platforms, today announced a Series A funding round of $18 million at a $300 million valuation led by Animoca Brands. Previous investor FinLab EOS VC Fund managed by C3 Management contributed to the round. New investors include OneTeam Partners—who recently facilitated Upland’s deal with the NFLPA— Block.one, Alumni Ventures Blockchain Fund, Global Founders Capital, Com2uS, Crit Ventures, Korea Investment Partners, Michael Ronen (former Softbank Managing Partner), Mike Vorhaus (Vorhaus Advisors), Michael Terpin (Founder/CEO of Transform Group), and others.
Yat Siu, the co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands, said: “We are impressed with what the team has built so far. Upland has innovated in many ways, including its mobile-first approach offering users iOS and Android apps. Its ‘NFT to fiat’ offering allows metaverse citizens to sell their digital assets to other players for US dollars. Most importantly, Upland’s NFT Portal enables NFT portability from different blockchains, making possible the interoperability that is a crucial pillar of the open metaverse.”
“Our platform continues to see amazing growth, an enthusiastic community and a thriving economy, and this is just the beginning. We know that we bring a unique proposition to the dynamic field of NFTs. What sets us apart is Upland’s connection to the real world in combination with engaging game mechanics driving an almost endless number of compelling use cases for NFTs,” said Dirk Lueth, co-founder of Upland. “We are proud that Animoca Brands, a clear thought leader in gaming and blockchain, led this funding round. This will be a strong partnership that will help us to expand into new territories and start the next chapter in Upland’s history.”
Animoca Brands (https://www.animocabrands.com/) is bringing digital property rights to online users, primarily for consumer video game players and the metaverse, through the use of blockchain and NFTs; these technologies enable the true digital ownership of users’ virtual assets and data, and offer various play-to-earn capabilities, asset interoperability, and DeFi/GameFi opportunities.
After it launched in open beta in early 2020, Upland has gone from strength to strength. 13 US cities have already opened and over 100,000 virtual landowners from all around the world already enjoy Upland’s metaverse. Over 2 Million NFTs have been purchased by players, and places like San Francisco and Manhattan have been sold out of virtual land since the beginning of this year. Each day, more than 60,000 daily active users buy, sell and trade virtual properties, build houses, complete property collections, and participate in treasure hunts and city tours.
“Innovation is a core part of our DNA,” said Idan Zuckerman, co-founder of Upland. “Just recently we launched Upland Legits which is a new suite of NFT offerings designed to enable brands, personalities, and organizations, such as sports clubs, athletes, artists, entertainment brands, to extend their real-life presence into the Upland metaverse and beyond. Our community can’t get enough of it!”
The NFL Players Association (NFLPA) was the first brand to utilize Legits in Upland, bringing over 2,000 football players into the metaverse. The NFLPA also became an indirect shareholder in Upland via OneTeam Partners.
Upland’s motto is to “Rebuild the World” and it takes sustainability very seriously: in June 2021, Upland offset a whole year of the carbon footprint of the EOS Public Blockchain on which Upland operates its NFT metaverse.
“Our investment in Upland underscores our belief in providing resources that empower creators to build solutions that propel blockchain-based applications forward and bring to life what is possible in this new digital economy,” said Brendan Blumer, CEO of Block.one, the company behind the EOSIO software. “Dirk and the entire Upland team continue to champion state-of-art advancements in gaming and we’re proud to support their use of EOSIO as they grow their business and push the boundaries for this exciting industry. “We have believed in the Upland idea and team from day one and invested earlier via our partner C3 Management GmbH and now directly”, continued Brendan Blumer. “It is amazing to see how the team has implemented our technology and provides a high degree of user-friendliness, scalability, and cost effectiveness.”
“We are excited about blockchain gaming with the play-to-earn model. Upland brings a unique take on this model, tying in the real world with real-estate, sports and more, while remaining mobile conscious. Dirk has demonstrated the vision from the beginning and therefore we are excited to be a part of their latest round,” said Kyu Lee, President Com2uS, USA.
The new funding will be used to grow the teams in the US and Europe, and to invest in brand partnerships and user acquisition.
ABOUT UPLANDME, INC.
Uplandme, Inc. (https://upland.me/) was founded in 2018 by Dirk Lueth, Idan Zuckerman and Mani Honigstein and is based in Mountain View, CA. The company operates Upland, a metaverse that sits on top of the real world and allows users to play, earn and connect with others. It follows the principles of an open market economy, using blockchain technology to ensure true ownership of digital assets (NFTs). Upland is available on iOS, Android and the web. It can be played from anywhere in the world. Information about Upland and its commitment to sustainability can be found here: https://www.upland.me/sustainability.
SOURCE Upland
Related Links
原文链接/Original URL:
