Youcanevent

Market position

Positioned as an alternative to video conferencing tools such as Zoom for organizers who want measurable attendee engagement, and self-described as a leading online brand for creating in-real-life experiences and a Forbes-featured web virtual reality company. Its founder frames the company as serving both virtual and subsequent real-life execution of event designs, and the technology as hybrid and applicable across industries.

Emphasis on measurable attendee engagement compared with video conferencing tools, recreation of specific physical spaces rather than generic meeting rooms, avatar-based interaction with other attendees and exhibitors, browser-based WebVR access without a headset, and built-in streaming, ticketing and e-commerce integrations. The company also positions virtual design as a step that can be replicated in real life afterwards.

Technology

The platform mixes online video streaming, web-based virtual reality (WebVR), avatars with video-chat communication and engagement tools to recreate physical spaces such as venues, conference halls with exhibitor booths, concert spaces and retail stores. It requires no VR headset and runs on consumer devices, and integrates live streams, ticketing, social engagement and e-commerce within each environment. The company also promoted a hardware product, Youcansee headsets, on a pre-order waiting list.

Go-to-market

Direct, consultative sales through demo and quote requests on the company's site, supported by named brand references and case studies, industry press interviews, a podcast ("Purpose by Youcanevent"), philanthropic and community initiatives aimed at event professionals, and local sales and event managers in individual cities. Earlier growth came from incubators and accelerators (Entrepreneur Institute of Minho, Startup Lisboa), startup events in the US, and the Road2WebSummit competition.

Event organizers and corporate event marketers, conference exhibitors, artists and record labels, and retail stores. Named clients and partners include Microsoft, TEDx, NASA, United Airlines, Deutsche Bank, TomTom, Pipedrive, Segment and Udemy, plus earlier partnerships with Nespresso, TechMeetups, Heineken and eSolidar, and customer events run by All Things Meetings and Mocca.

Geography

Originating in Braga, Portugal, with an office in Lisbon and local representatives in New York and Barcelona, and a Sales & Event Manager for Portugal. By 2020 the company listed a San Francisco address at 906 Broadway St, San Francisco, CA 94133 and was described as based in San Francisco. A first Global Aid partnership was planned with the government of Panama.

History

Four university friends from the University of Minho, all previously involved in the Azeituna student musical association in Braga, Portugal, founded WIC (Will Interpersonal Corporation) in February 2015 as an online marketplace for event services. The first version of the platform went public in June 2015 after roughly four months of work, following incubation at the Entrepreneur Institute of Minho. The team then joined the Startup Lisboa incubator, shrinking to three founders. In November 2015, António Trincão and João Raminhos travelled to the United States to recruit American suppliers and expand into the North American market, making connections at LA Startup Week and other startup events in Las Vegas, San Jose, San Francisco and Silicon Valley, and opening a first international office in New York, where Jason Jones was hired as Sales & Event Manager. In January 2016 the third team member in Portugal left the project. The marketplace was replaced by a worldwide supplier directory with real-time client–supplier communication, and in August 2016 WIC was renamed Youcanevent after its "you can event" slogan gained traction with customers. Students from the University of Minho later joined the project, including Marco Costa, who became Sales & Event Manager for Portugal. The company applied to the Road2WebSummit competition and, at Web Summit in Lisbon, recruited Olis do Carlo, co-founder of the startup FestivAll, as Sales & Event Manager for Barcelona. After Web Summit the company shifted from acting as an intermediary to creating and providing event services, and planned a new marketplace-derived version for April 2017. By 2020 it was described as a San Francisco-based virtual reality company and event platform.

Risks & controversies

The company's website carries large volumes of unrelated third-party gambling and casino links interleaved with product copy, and site copyright notices and event references date to 2020, indicating the public web presence has not been maintained in line with the described product.