Hyperspace
2014 · CTO · shipped
A browser-based 3D environments platform — collaborative authoring, avatars, conferencing and gamification, running without downloads on desktop, mobile and headsets.
Technologies: JavaScript, TypeScript, Three.js, React, WebSockets, WebRTC, XMPP, Twilio, Vonage, Node.js, PHP, MySQL, Redis, HTML5, Docker, Kubernetes, AWS, Google Cloud, OpenAI, WebXR, 8th Wall, 3ds Max, MAXScript, GitHub Actions, Jenkins
Related expertise: Leading engineering, Real-time 3D on the web, Multi-user & real-time systems, VR, AR & spatial, AI and LLM, 3D Content Pipeline, Backend & infrastructure, Audio & speech
Overview
Hyperspace is a platform for building and running 3D experiences in the browser. No installs, no plugins — a URL opens a virtual world where users can engage with each other and the environment.
Video: Hyperspace platform overview
From single-user learning experiences, to group video conferences, to large-scale events with thousands of attendees, Hyperspace allows authors to select and personalise environments, define tasks and rewards, place interactive objects and characters, and script scenarios.
What it does
- Collaborative authoring. Several authors can edit the same 3D space at the same time and see each other's changes as they happen.
- Multi-user. Participants interact in real time inside the 3D environment. Our infrastructure supports up to 16,000 concurrent users in a single session, which took years of work to reach.
- Avatars. Customisable 3D avatars, used both for participants and as scripted characters inside a scenario.
- Video conferencing. Built in. Participants can share their video, audio and screens, hold group meetings and give presentations to live audiences.
- Gamification. Tasks, rewards and non-linear conversations can be authored and completely customised.
- Cross-platform. It runs on mobile, desktop and VR headsets.
- Its own engine. The platform is built on my own fork of Three.js, where I've added features and optimisations specific to real-time collaborative 3D environments.
Background
I joined in 2014, when my games company was acquired by Hyperspace (formerly LearnBrite). I was appointed CTO and led the technical strategy of the company for the next 12 years. More about my experience at Hyperspace in Becoming a CTO.
Hyperspace has pivoted slightly over time. It started as a serious-game authoring platform for education and training, and expanded into corporate training, collaborative workspaces and live events.
We have created experiences and hosted events for organisations like the UN, Accenture, Salesforce, IBM, Dell, Shell, Novartis, Volvo, Fujitsu, Santander and TEDx.
My involvement
I developed the core architecture of the platform, led the teams working on it and oversaw client projects — from the first Three.js prototype for Virtual Home Visit to an infrastructure handling 16,000 concurrent participants.
More on my work at Hyperspace, by area:
- Leading engineering
- Real-time 3D on the web
- Multi-user & real-time systems
- VR, AR & spatial
- AI and LLM
- 3D Content Pipeline
- Backend & infrastructure
- Audio & speech
Related projects:
- Virtual Home Visit — our first project on the platform.
- ChatMapper — the dialogue editor we acquired in 2015 and integrated into the platform.
- ResponsiveVoice — the text-to-speech library I created as an internal feature; it spun out as its own company in 2023.
- Speak It Yourself VR — spoken English training with 360° video, in 2019.
- Impartner — a 3D conference centre for its partner community, from 2020.
- Shell — virtual events and an internal metaverse, from 2022 to 2025.
- Cornerstone OnDemand — company events and an onboarding world, from 2023 to 2026.
- Glue — the Finnish VR collaboration platform we acquired in 2024.
- Somebody AI — the conversational avatar product we built in 2025.