The next time you alight upon a podcast or app platform, be mindful of how long it takes for the subject of meditation to flash up.
The building awareness of mental fitness – magnified by the COVID pandemic – has led to a deluge of content. A typical video might offer guided meditation, set to calming music, and featuring a teacher in a pristine yoga studio or idyllic outdoors environment.
But in a house with three kids, two cats and a dog – not to mention my wife – how can I hope to find even 10 minutes of peace to practise in this way? It’s a safe bet that adherence among amateur practitioners is low.
Kim Little and Julian Murphy – a former Apple director who helped launch the iPhone and the App Store – founded Moments of Space to challenge the misconception that meditation requires long stretches of time, stillness, and silence with closed eyes.
“We aim to make meditation accessible anytime, anywhere using an eyes-open modality,” Little tells BusinessCloud. “Our ultimate goal is to unlock awakening on an unprecedented scale by co-creating the most advanced awakening technologies that the world has ever seen.
“By working together with our community, we can bring forth innovative meditation practices and cutting-edge technologies that will transform the lives of individuals around the world.”
Little, a techie who led development of a bespoke royalties management system for the global publishers of the Harry Potter book series, co-founded a tech startup specialising in semantic technology and artificial intelligence in 2010.
He is also a lifelong meditator and a practising Buddhist who found himself increasingly interested in the potential intersection between technology and spirituality. Identifying several shortcomings in existing meditation apps, he decided to develop an app that would integrate authentic Tibetan Buddhist teachings and practices.
Walking the dog
Described as a meditation app for the modern day, it allows users to spend more time reflecting, finding ‘moments of space’ wherever they are, whenever they can – even when on the daily commute or walking the dog.
“The motivation behind Moments of Space stems from a desire to unlock individual transformation and collective awakening through the power of meditation, technology, and community,” he says.
“Our growth plan is not solely business-focused. Our ultimate goal is to inspire more people to embrace a happier, healthier, and more conscious way of living, thus addressing many of today’s societal challenges.
“We believe that by fostering a community-driven approach, Moments of Space can become a catalyst for this transformative change.”
Blockchain
Little saw an opportunity to innovate in the space by introducing technologies such as AI for personalisation and blockchain for user co-ownership of the platform. Using Web3 technologies, he has proposed a model where users have shared ownership of the company and participate in its value creation.
Users will be able to earn Meditation Points through monthly challenges; Contribution Points, acquired by engaging in the upcoming forum and inviting new users to the platform; Creation Points, awarded to meditation teachers who create compelling content for users; and Altruism Points, earned through actions such as donations or subscribing to higher tiers to support the project or other users.
Moments of Space launched globally – with the exception of Russia and China – for Apple platforms in March, with an Android app to follow in the second half of 2023 or early in 2024. The startup already has 4,500 users and employs 12 staff.
“Over the next 12 months, our primary objective is to operationalise the community ownership structure, allowing users to earn and exercise their membership rights,” explains Little.
“On the product front, we’re keen on enhancing the AI components of our platform. This includes refining the system’s ability to recommend personalised content aligned with the user’s evolving state.”
Funding & goals
Funded to date by Little – to the sum of £2 million – the company aims to raise a seed round of up to £3m from venture capital investors, and between £50,000 and £1m from crowdfunding over the next 12-18 months.
“Our traction goal is to reach 100,000 paid users, but our ambitions extend far beyond that. Once we establish Moments of Space as a truly community-owned meditation platform, we aim to scale to millions of users, aspiring to exceed the reach of traditional, corporate-led meditation platforms like Headspace and Calm,” concludes Little.