The online metaverse and social networking site IMVU grew by 44% during the pandemic; it now attracts 7 million active users a month, most of them female or female-identifying and aged from 18 to 24.

Just three years ago, IMVU was burning cash at a rate of half a million per month and still not profitable. The 3D virtual world, where souped-up avatars run amok, was gaining users but not on a path ...