Funding announcements and IPO completions: The Sandbox secures $20 million, Astroscale concludes Tokyo stock market listing, and five deals from China, among others detailed.

The Sandbox, a leading user-generated content metaverse platform, has announced that it has raised $20 million in a funding round with a $1 billion valuation cap. The funding round was led by BRV Capital Management, with participation from Capstone Partners, Industrial Bank of Korea, and Z Venture Capital.

The funds will be used to update The Sandbox's Game Maker and VoxEdit 3D editor tools, as well as to introduce new social interactions for avatars, expand gameplay with a new multiplayer rules system, and develop a mobile version of its decentralized metaverse. The expected launch date for the mobile version is 2025.

The offering values The Sandbox at JPY 98.7 billion (USD 6.2 billion), marking a significant milestone for the company. However, specific ownership details are not publicly disclosed, with the main shareholder typically being The Sandbox's parent company or its major investors.

Meanwhile, in a separate development, Wrtn Technologies, a South Korean artificial intelligence tech startup, has raised KRW 25 billion (USD 18.1 million) in a pre-Series B funding round. The funding round was jointly led by Kingsway Capital and Animoca Brands, with participation from LG Tech Ventures and True Global Ventures.

Astroscale, a Japan-headquartered space tech company, is also aiming to raise USD 153 million through its IPO on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's Growth Market. Pure Storage has also invested in Andrew Ng's LandingAI, although further details about the investment were not provided in the announcement.

These developments underscore the growing interest and investment in the technology and metaverse sectors, as companies continue to innovate and push the boundaries of what is possible. Stay tuned for more updates as these companies continue to shape the future of technology and entertainment.