THE FOUNDER

Chamber is transforming passive video calls into vibrant, interactive experiences. Led by David Aubespin, serial entrepreneur and former VP of Product and Design at Hopin, the Chamber platform blends the simplicity and reach of browser-based tools with the energy and spontaneity of real-world gatherings. Drawing on his deep experience across tech, product, and live events, Aubespin is on a mission to make digital gatherings feel alive, social, and unforgettable.

From corporate events to creator-led fan communities, Chamber has already demonstrated its ability to scale engagement while keeping experiences personal. But Aubespin sees an even bigger opportunity.

"If gaming platforms can make people feel truly connected in a digital space, professional events should be able to do the same. That realisation was the spark for rethinking what virtual events could be."

In this interview, Aubespin dives into how Chamber uses 3D, AI, and social design to create real presence, why serendipity and agency are key to engagement, and how immersive events are reshaping the way communities connect online.

THE INTERVIEW

What first convinced you that virtual events could evolve beyond video calls into truly immersive, interactive spaces?

The real turning point came from comparing how gaming communities build digital worlds to how virtual events were being run in the enterprise space. In gaming, spaces feel alive. People move around, interact, and genuinely feel present with others. There’s a shared energy and spontaneity that make those experiences compelling.

When I was at Hopin, I saw how quickly engagement in virtual events plateaued. During COVID, people joined out of necessity, but traditional video formats were too static to sustain interest. They worked for communication, not for connection.

By contrast, gaming thrives on agency, movement, and participation. Environments evolve through interaction, creating a sense of co-creation and shared purpose. That dynamic keeps people coming back because they’re part of the experience rather than observers of it.

That’s when it clicked for me: if gaming platforms can make people feel truly connected in a digital space, professional events should be able to do the same. That realisation was the spark for rethinking what virtual events could be.

How did Chamber’s collaboration with Improbable come about, and how does MSquared’s infrastructure enable what you’re building today?

Improbable was a very natural partner for us. There are only a handful of companies in the world that have spent more than a decade solving the really hard infrastructure challenges behind large-scale virtual worlds, and Improbable is one of them.

The relationship is quite straightforward. MSquared provides the foundation that enables massive scalability for 3D environments directly in the browser. On top of that, Chamber builds the layer that makes it fast, intuitive, and purpose-built for events, creating experiences that feel rich and immersive, without the friction of downloads or heavy hardware requirements.

By using Unreal Engine (used to build Fortnite and other games), we can deliver gaming-grade technology to professional events, creating entirely browser-based experiences that are both special and scalable, and accessible at a price point mid-market companies and creators can actually afford.

Many virtual platforms still struggle to deliver meaningful engagement. What’s been key to making Chamber feel alive and connected for participants?

It comes down to three things. First is presence. Unlike a typical webinar, where ten people or ten thousand look the same on a screen, in Chamber you actually feel the space and the people in it, and that changes the experience entirely.

Second is discovery and serendipity. Traditional platforms are linear: you pre-register for sessions and follow a set path. In Chamber, you can wander, join conversations, and stumble into connections organically, recreating the “coffee break” moments that make physical events so valuable.

Finally, it’s about timing and expectation. The next generation of professionals has grown up in interactive digital worlds like Roblox and Minecraft. Video alone doesn’t engage them; they expect agency, exploration, and spatial interaction. Chamber gives participants control, letting them move, connect, and interact on their own terms.

Premium experiences are often priced out of reach. What specific design or technical choices allow Chamber to deliver high quality at a fraction of the cost?

Chamber delivers premium, immersive experiences at a fraction of the traditional cost by rethinking both infrastructure and design. By partnering with Improbable and MSquared, we build on infrastructure that’s already been proven to support large-scale 3D worlds, something that would take years and a large engineering team to recreate. 

On top of that, our approach to event design keeps quality high while costs stay low. Rather than building every venue from scratch like an agency, which can run into hundreds of thousands of dollars, Chamber provides fully configurable 3D spaces. Hosts can customise branding, lighting, and layouts to create unique experiences, all in the browser. This combination of scalable infrastructure and flexible design opens up immersive, interactive events to markets that previously had no access, from mid-market companies to creators looking to engage their communities in 3D for the first time.

The Discord integration is a standout feature. How does embedding Chamber inside existing communities change the organiser playbook for growth and monetisation?

Most attendees for virtual events are already active on Discord, so embedding Chamber directly into those communities creates a flywheel that both de-risks the platform for organisers and accelerates growth. Users experience Chamber organically — hanging out, socialising, and exploring — before any formal event takes place. By the time organisers run a marquee event, tens of thousands of potential attendees are already familiar with the platform, reducing friction and boosting engagement.

This approach also opens up new opportunities for monetisation. We can advertise organisers’ events directly across the Discord servers where Chamber is embedded, targeting users who are already interacting in 3D. The result is a self-reinforcing cycle: audiences discover Chamber in their communities, organisers see a de-risked, engaged user base, and events gain visibility and participation in a way that wasn’t possible before. There’s nothing quite like it in the current virtual event landscape.

What’s been the biggest surprise in how organisers or audiences use Chamber in ways you didn’t anticipate?

The biggest surprise has been how Chamber’s pricing and accessibility have unlocked entirely new organisers we hadn’t anticipated, particularly creators. We initially focused on mid-market companies, but because the cost of running a 3D event scales efficiently, creators can now host small gatherings, fan experiences, and community meetups that were previously impossible. These smaller, more intimate events are becoming a real target market.

Similarly, we’re seeing Chamber evolve into “presence-as-a-product”. People are valuing being in the same space together, beyond structured events. We’re starting to see small, social lounges emerge, similar to Gather, where participants can explore, interact, and hang out organically. As remote work continues and communities become more physically disconnected, these spaces offer a new way to connect. While we’re not yet at the point where someone could recreate a highly personal environment for a tiny group, that’s only months away, hinting at a future where Chamber becomes a virtual living space, not just a platform for events.

Which innovations most excite you for the next generation of virtual experiences?

The innovations that excite me most for the next generation of virtual experiences are AI and 3D technology. With AI, the possibilities for personalisation and connection are enormous. Imagine Chamber suggesting who you should meet or which sessions to attend, acting as a third-party connector tailored to everyone’s interests. We can already do this at a basic level by, for example, highlighting shared passions between attendees or suggesting the first questions in a Q&A to break the ice. These subtle AI interventions make events feel more engaging and inclusive.

We’re also exploring Chamber as an AI playground. One early example is a virtual jukebox where participants can create music or audio and share it in the room, letting others walk up, listen, and see who contributed. It’s about giving people creative agency and amplifying shared experiences.

On the 3D side, WebGPU and browser-based rendering are transforming what’s possible. Within the next couple of years, the fidelity and responsiveness of in-browser 3D experiences will rival top-tier video games, making fully immersive events accessible without downloads or expensive hardware. 

What bigger trend do you see driving the move toward immersive, interactive meeting spaces, and how is Chamber positioning itself at the centre of that shift?

We’re at a turning point where static video calls no longer meet the needs of a global, digital-first workforce. The shift is being driven by a generation of professionals, particularly Gen Z, who expect agency, interactivity, and exploration in their digital experiences.

I believe the technology is finally catching up. Just a year or so ago, attempts to build immersive virtual spaces required heavy desktop apps, downloads, and powerful local machines, making adoption difficult. Today, browser-based 3D technology allows anyone to join Chamber instantly from Chrome, with the performance powered by cloud infrastructure. That combination of user expectation and technical accessibility positions Chamber at the centre of this move toward immersive, interactive meeting spaces.

Finally, what’s the strongest reason brands and organisers should invest in immersive, community-driven event spaces today?

Attention is one of the most valuable, and scarce, resources in virtual experiences today. Chamber focuses on connection: giving participants a real sense of presence and shared experience. When people feel truly connected, they engage, participate, and invest their attention. In an attention-driven economy, that engagement fuels sponsorship, monetisation, and long-term loyalty. Creating experiences that matter and foster genuine connection is what makes immersive, community-driven spaces indispensable for brands and organisers today.

Building something ambitious?

We work with founders solving complex problems in AI transformation, the metaverse and Web3 – the kind that don’t get built alone.

That’s a wrap for this month.

We’ll be back next month with more progress and another venture in the spotlight. P.S. Have feedback, suggestions or topics you'd like us to dive into? Contact us.