Meta Invests an Additional $50 Million in Horizon Metaverse

This week, after reaching a significant milestone of spending $100 billion on XR technologies—including MR headsets and AR smart glasses—Meta unveiled a $50 million Creator Fund program aimed at attracting news services, brands, and developers to its Metaverse platform.

While $50 million may appear to be a small amount compared to their total investment, this continued financial commitment to the Horizon Metaverse platform could signal a resurgence in Meta’s vision for online interaction.

Currently, the Horizon Metaverse primarily targets consumers and gamers, especially after the closure of enterprise-focused solutions like Workrooms. Nevertheless, ongoing investments aimed at brand exploration within Horizon indicate that dedicated XR enthusiasts should take note of these developments.

Furthermore, Meta’s $50 million Creator Fund is focusing on smartphone-based content this year. The company emphasizes the need for cross-device interoperability across mobile hardware, which is a critical growth area for XR devices and services across the industry.

More on Meta’s New $50 Million Investment

The Creator Fund from Meta is designed to motivate emerging developers to create content for Horizon that appeals to a wider audience than the platform currently attracts.

As previously mentioned, a significant aspect of this initiative is to engage smartphone Horizon users, a strategic move intended to encourage entry into the Quest ecosystem after they experience a simplified version of the platform.

In an official statement, Meta expressed:

By investing in mobile content, we can reach numerous new individuals who do not yet own a Quest headset and help expand the market for everyone. Hence, as part of our $50 million Creator Fund for creators of mobile and MR worlds, we’re also initiating our first creator competition of the year centered on mobile.

Additionally, the Creator Fund is a chance for creators to “build your business” on the platform via the Meta Horizon Creator Program, which intends to provide resources for creators in the US, UK, and Canada.

Now, the revamped Meta Horizon Creator Program is extending its reach to various new regions, seemingly to connect with a broader array of developers globally.

The regional support of the Meta Horizon Creator Program now includes Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Taiwan.

Meta Connect is set for later this year, and following an internal push to be leaders in XR, this Creator Fund could unveil exciting opportunities for Metaverse news at the annual vendor event, which comes after a quiet period regarding the Metaverse from its most vocal supporter.

The Metaverse is Making a Comeback! – According to Meta

The announcement follows comments made by Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who stated, “This will also be a pivotal year for the metaverse,” after the significant $100 billion expenditure.

Zuckerberg clarified:

The user base for Quest and Horizon has been steadily increasing—this year, several long-term investments we’ve been working on will truly start to materialize, making the metaverse more visually stunning and inspiring. By the end of this year, we should have a clearer view of Horizon’s trajectory.

In conclusion, Zuckerberg articulated that Meta is intensifying its efforts to create “remarkable innovations that shape the future of human connection. I remain grateful to everyone accompanying us on this journey.”

Moreover, Meta’s CTO, Andrew Bosworth, informed staff that 2025 will be a crucial year, describing it as “the most critical year in my eight years at Reality Labs.”

Discussing the metaverse and Horizon Worlds, Boz indicated that the mobile app “must excel for our long-term ambitions to succeed.” He also commented, “If you don’t sense the weight of history upon you, then you’re not paying attention.”

Boz added:

This year will likely determine whether our entire initiative is remembered as the work of visionaries or as a significant misadventure—so far, we have not had a meaningful impact.

Reflecting on the billions invested in XR, Boz noted, “We are in an extraordinary era of technological achievement, and our investments have positioned us at the center of it. Most of us may never get an opportunity like this again.”