In 2021, three New Yorkers relocated to Dubai to build HyperSpace (
@hyper.space ), a company that would “inspire awe” with elaborate parks that bring the digital world to life, effectively transporting its visitors to a real-world metaverse. Four years later, co-founders Alexander Heller (
@alexanderheller , CEO), Rama Allen (
@ramanaut , Chief Creative Officer), and Desi Gonzalez (
@ninjamixtape , Chief Operating Officer) have launched three parks across the GCC, with their latest debuting at The Dubai Mall in February.
Through its parks, HyperSpace invites visitors to blend their digital existence with their physical ones on a journey through multiple “zones” that feature everything from live theatrical shows and Instagrammable content creator stages, to gamified features that allow its users to gain points and treasures as they navigate.
HyperSpace’s first park, AYA Universe (
@ayauniverse ), opened in Dubai’s Wafi City Mall in December 2022, and it features 12 fully immersive zones spread across 40,000 sq. ft. One year later, in December 2023, the trio launched the 100,000 sq. ft. House of Hype (
@househype ) at Riyadh Boulevard, which features 26 immersive zones. Their latest park, House of Hype Dubai, has brought them back to Dubai with the biggest park they’ve built to date, spread over 100,000 sq. ft. and featuring over 100 experiences that include 18 immersive worlds, 14 over-the-top retail experiences, six F&B outlets, 50 gaming experiences, and 55 content creator stages.
For his part, Allen says that the latest park “is the penultimate combination” of the HyperSpace founding team’s experiences, and it truly demonstrates what makes them unique. Heller agrees, adding that Dubai has been an ideal playground for his company. “It’s hard to appreciate how difficult it is to get product-market fit with an audience, and in Dubai, you almost take it for granted, because you have such an extraordinary audience, you have such a wallet-share going toward entertainment – more than any other city in the entire world,” Heller points out. “And this enthusiasm to consume futuristic entertainment really aligns with the identity of the city.”
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