Matterport, Inc., the leading spatial data company driving the digital transformation of the built world, announced the Exploration to Equity program, a new corporate social impact initiative that supports nonprofit organizations to use the Matterport Digital Twin Platform to increase access for underrepresented groups. As part of the program, Matterport will donate its technology and services to select, qualifying organizations such as its first partner organization, Space Foundation Discovery Museum, allowing them to capture and provide people with access to their Matterport 3D spaces. The program will prioritize projects that support marginalized, disenfranchised, and vulnerable populations and focus on capturing historically and socially significant spaces.
“At Matterport, we are committed to reimagining ways to collaborate, explore, and share spaces,” said Qadira Harris, Senior Director of Global Responsibility at Matterport. “For organizations like nonprofits and schools, we recognize the power technology and data can have to tackle some of society's biggest challenges. By leveraging our people, products, and services, we aim to strengthen and empower communities to become stronger, unified, inclusive, and more resilient.”
Matterport’s mission is to make every building and space more valuable and accessible through the creation of digital twins, or replicas, of those spaces. Among the 4 billion spaces in the world, the Matterport Exploration to Equity program aims to capture some of these spaces for the greater good of society. The Matterport Exploration to Equity program supports creative and innovative organizations that demonstrate equitable solutions to building community resilience through access to spaces. As part of the program, Matterport will evaluate submissions from qualifying US-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations, K-12 public schools, and public universities to bring historically or socially significant spaces to life through the Matterport Digital Twin Platform, allowing anyone, anywhere to visit.
The first organization to benefit from the new program is the Space Foundation Discovery Museum, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. An interactive, education-focused destination, the Space Foundation Discovery Museum is Colorado’s first and only dedicated space, science, and technology museum. A popular field trip destination for school children, Matterport donated services to capture a digital twin of the museum to create a new immersive, virtual experience to help power remote learning opportunities for students beyond their immediate region.
"We are grateful for Matterport's support to help us virtually capture the Space Foundation Discovery Center and to be part of their Exploration to Equity program," said Rachel English, director of Discovery Center. "Creating a digital twin of the Discovery Center to enable virtual visits will open opportunities to many more students to discover space and explore our incredible programming from anywhere. Matterport's efforts to help increase community inclusion and provide equitable access to the Discovery Center is exciting, and Space Foundation is humbled to be the first organization to be included in their program."
