Gather

Gather is a video chat platform that combines video-conferencing with a two-dimensional video game-like world, essentially taking virtual meetings into the Metaverse. It provides a virtual layer over the real world that allows people to interact, in some ways, as if they are in person. Users can make their own avatars, customize their spaces to suit their needs, and even visit virtual offices of other users. They can stop people they meet in the hallway for a quick chat or find someone for a quick conversation without scheduling a meeting. Gather can be used for remote work, virtual conferences, education, and virtual social events—such as virtual poker or trivia night.

2021 Gather Sizzle Reel

Gather was founded by Phillip Wang, Alex Chen, Kumail Jaffer, and Nate Fossin May 2020. In 2019, Wang, Jaffer, and Cyrus Tabrizi were accepted into the Y Combinator incubator, receiving $150,000. In May 2020, Wang and Jaffer wanted to move toward more monetizable gatherings, like academic conferences, which had shifted online due to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tabrizi disagreed with the change and he left the group. Wang and Jaffer then teamed up with MIT grads Alex Chen and Nate Foss, whom Wang had met during college internships.

Since launching in May 2020, Gather has raised $76 million. In June 2022, Gather laid off about one-third of its employees and refocused the company's business primarily on remote work, its highest traction use case, instead of other functionalities, such as hosting virtual events.