Gaming is perhaps a closer world to VR, with some similar business models (in-app purchasing) to speak about, and a shared development language in Unity.
And unlike many of today's VC-backed apps or startups, Toca's apps tend to be paid downloads without subscription models or in-app purchases.
Google notes that only a third of users are paying for apps, while developers using freemium models and in-app ads have grown their revenue over 70percentt from 2013 to 2014.
These numbers point to growing opportunities for those companies that help app developers monetize their apps in other ways: not just through mobile advertising, but also through developing models for in-app purchases, subscriptions and other ways to get users to pay later for content.
I'm joining TechCrunch from paidContent, where I've been writing about a lot of different things, but mostly mobile, digital business models (advertising, in-app payments, everything in between), and online media in its many forms (including my new boss, AOL).
Currently the game's main business model is in-app purchases of things such as lures – a feature which allows players to attract Pokémon – but Hanke told FT, "there is a second component to our business model at Niantic, which is this concept of sponsored locations".
The consumer strategy centers on app store downloads and provider retail stores using a freemium model with in-app upselling for revenue, whereas the enterprise strategy will focus more on a traditional enterprise sales technique.
Other aspects of TradeHero's business model include in-app purchase options, to monetise engaged users — by offering them things like the ability to buy more virtual cash so they can increase their liquidity, or the ability to reset their portfolio entirely so they start again afresh.
ThriveTracker is currently pre-funding and is exploring three monetization options, including a freemium model with in-app purchases for advanced features (Cunanan suggests $1 per month would be the price point); a subscription-based dashboard for mental health practictioners; and a mental wellness software-as-a-service for health insurance providers.
Ultimately, Morone wants to offer a human-corporate business model through a built-in app for everyone.
