One Australian entrepreneur working overtime this Christmas is Simon Church, CEO of iHunt4, which has just been selected amongst the top 50 retail start-ups by the US National Retail Federation.

iHunt4, a metaverse start-up based on the time-honoured concept of a treasure hunt, offers players the opportunity to compete and win prizes from retail partners as well as earning crypto through their In Game Credit (IGC) coin, which is listed on several exchanges.

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Being selected in the top 50 start-ups means iHunt4 gets to display in an exclusive zone as one of the industry’s best retail technology start-ups at the NRF’s upcoming retail conference and expo in New York on 16-18 January 2022.

Church says the opportunity will give iHunt4 access to some of the most sought-after global venture capital and retail opportunities.

“Getting selected as one of the top start-ups to watch at retail’s largest event, is a huge step forward for iHunt4 and reaffirms all the work we’ve been doing up until this point,” said Mr Church.

“Cryptocurrency has been around for a while but it’s only really in the last twelve to eighteen months that we’ve seen more and more everyday people buying crypto for the first time, and likewise, we expect interest in the metaverse to grow exponentially.

“This represents a huge opportunity for retailers to get their brand in front of consumers in a fun and edgy way whilst also giving players the chance to earn cryptocurrency and own real estate.”

While many people wonder what the metaverse is all about, iHunt4 is now centre stage to connect augmented reality with the real retail world.

Having built connections in the US, the iHunt4 team are working side by side with major US cities and business commerce groups on large scale city rollouts on post covid business recovery planning.

“We’ll be meeting with multiple cities groups and business chambers as we take our roadshow across the states next year,” said Mr Church.

“The US represents a much larger market than here at home so we’re focusing on going big over there with a plan to scale up and take on global partnerships in Australia, Europe and Asia in coming years.”

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Government interest in the cryptocurrency and metaverse is growing and iHunt4 has caught the attention of New South Wales Treasurer and local member for Hornsby, where Mr Church is based.

“IGC is levelling up and taking Hornsby to the Big Apple. I want to congratulate Simon and his team for what they have achieved,” Mr Kean said.