SCMP - ByteDance has acquired Chinese VR start-up PoliQ, the latest move in the tech giant's foray into the metaverse as interest in the sector continues to grow. PoliQ, the operator of the once-popular virtual social platform Vyou that allowed users to create their avatars, was bought by ByteDance for "tens of millions of yuan." The start-up was absorbed into VR headset company Pico, which was acquired by ByteDance in August last year. PoliQ founder Ma Jiesi is now the head of the social center department at Pico, according to his CV on the Chinese social media platform Maimai.