The next iteration will look like an “Apple product,” the CEO says
It’s been a while More than 180 days since Worldcoin went public – and the futuristic-looking Orb device is getting an upgrade, Alex Blania, CEO and co-founder of Tools for Humanity, shared exclusively with TechCrunch.
“The new sphere is coming” and the “next iterations will look quite different,” Blania said during a glass-side chat at a StrictlyVC event on Wednesday. He noted that he joined the company about four years ago, and the original design of the Orb predated his career at the company.
The next Orb will be released in the first half of this year and will have alternate colors and “form factors,” in an effort to make it look “much friendlier,” Blania said. Overall, it will look ‘way [more] coordinated” and similar to “an Apple product,” he added.
Tools for Humanity is the company behind Worldcoin, the crypto project co-founded by Blania, Sam Altman and Max Novendstern. To date, it has raised around $250 million from investors such as a16z, Bain Capital Crypto and others.
The startup is known throughout the venture capital and crypto space for its eyebrow-raising Orb device, which scans people’s irises and then assigns them a “World ID” that allows users to access Worldcoin’s app and a digital passport. The verification process aims to prove people’s identity and prevent anyone from creating multiple accounts.
Blania joked that many people in the US are “obsessed” with the Orb’s design – and to be fair, it makes sense. His flagship device is a five-pound, ball-sized colored bowling device that looks like something out of a sci-fi movie. People either hate it or love it,” he added.
And while some may be skeptical about it, during the StrictlyVC event in downtown San Francisco, a “duo” of attendees had their irises scanned in exchange for a global ID, according to a Tools for Humanity employee manning a booth at the event. The official added that “field tests” have also been done on the new Orb.
Worldcoin’s Orb at the StrictlyVC event
During the beta testing period, the project focused on adoption in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Nairobi, Kenya; Lisbon, Portugal; and Bangalore, India. As a result, it faced some backlash from critics, who argued that it targeted developing economies. Separately, Worldcoin went on a small world tour last year, hitting major cities like Tokyo, Miami, New York and San Francisco in an effort to expand its presence.
Over the past seven days, more than 190,000 new accounts have been created and about 3.13 million people have joined Worldcoin in total, according to Website.
“The thesis is very simple. We’re racing towards billions of users as fast as we can,” Blania said.
