Emperia Founder and CEO Olga Dogadkina talks challenges and rewards as virtual stores firm turns five

Olga Dogadkina, Founder and CEO at Emperia, has taken to social media to discuss her company turning five years old.

Emperia has developed an immersive commerce platform at the intersection of Web2 and Web3, enabling brands and retailers to boost their online channels through virtual stores.

It was shortlisted at the 2023 RTIH Innovation Awards.

In a LinkedIn post, which included photos taken over the last few years, Dogadkina said: “I’m finding it hard to believe that Emperia is turning five today.”

“In these five years, we’ve seen (and contributed to) the world going from ‘VR is never going to work’, ‘what’s the point of 3D’, and ‘it’s going to take you 15 years to get anywhere with this idea’ to spatial computing, immersive commerce and 3D strategy being on the radar and planning of just about every corporate. And we’re just getting started.”

Being a founder is by far the most challenging and rewarding career journey, she noted.

It’s a a journey of ups and downs, of breaking down walls, putting out fires only to start new ones, and learning something new every single day.

Dogadkina concluded: “I am incredibly grateful to my team, driving the change together. Our investors and customers, who are sharing our vision. And most of all, thankful to Simonas Holcmann (Emperia Co-founder and CTO) for sharing this crazy ride with me.”

“P.S. as I’m sharing pics spanning over the last five years, I feel immensely happy VR devices have gone a long way from HTC Vive Focus (the first standalone headset released in 2018/2019), and that our tech doesn’t require a head mounted device.”

Hugo Boss

Emperia recently announced a new collaboration with Hugo Boss, the Boss House Bali virtual experience.

To promote the launch of its spring/summer 2024 collection, the company has opened the doors of the Boss House Bali to a select group of Hugo Boss Experience members, VIP customers, media, and key tastemakers from the Asia-Pacific region.

Taking over a villa on the island of Bali, built by architect Alexis Dornier, the physical activation is an immersive space that showcases the Boss lifestyle, from gourmet dining and cooking classes to wellness workshops and active adventures.

Coinciding with the opening, the brand is extending this to audiences worldwide, launching the virtual experience, developed by the Emperia platform, available globally on hugoboss.com.

The virtual world offers an opportunity to explore the Boss House Bali and shop for Boss products, namely items from the menswear, womenswear, and fragrance collections and additionally to book a physical stay at Boss House Bali.

There is also a gamification element, providing special discounts.