IYK Enables Digi-physical Creation for Brands from adidas to Atlantic Records, with $16.8M fundraise led by a16z Crypto
The Current LandscapeIdentifying and rewarding fans is vital for a brand’s ability to build community and deliver ongoing value. Unfortunately, bridging the gap between digital and IRL (in real life) audiences is severely limited today. One of the earliest inspirations for IYK came after VÉRITÉ, an independent musician, told us that attendance data for her shows was held hostage by ticketing providers. Lack of access to consumer information is an issue that expands beyond the world of music a...
IYK Enables Digi-physical Creation for Brands from adidas to Atlantic Records, with $16.8M fundraise led by a16z Crypto
The Current LandscapeIdentifying and rewarding fans is vital for a brand’s ability to build community and deliver ongoing value. Unfortunately, bridging the gap between digital and IRL (in real life) audiences is severely limited today. One of the earliest inspirations for IYK came after VÉRITÉ, an independent musician, told us that attendance data for her shows was held hostage by ticketing providers. Lack of access to consumer information is an issue that expands beyond the world of music a...
FOUNDATIONS: Introducing Support for KONG
This is the third installment in FOUNDATIONS, a multi-part series exploring emerging principles in the digi-physical space. As discussed in our previous post on the Pull Model, we first linked ERC721s to physical items back in July 2021. Since then, we’ve seen many brands adopt the Pull Model, solidifying the belief that an item should remain linked to its digital counterpart in perpetuity. To date, the chips we’ve used rely on a symmetric key when generating a message for every tap. From the...
FOUNDATIONS: Introducing Support for KONG
This is the third installment in FOUNDATIONS, a multi-part series exploring emerging principles in the digi-physical space. As discussed in our previous post on the Pull Model, we first linked ERC721s to physical items back in July 2021. Since then, we’ve seen many brands adopt the Pull Model, solidifying the belief that an item should remain linked to its digital counterpart in perpetuity. To date, the chips we’ve used rely on a symmetric key when generating a message for every tap. From the...
FOUNDATIONS: 2-Tap Claim Flow
This is the second installment in FOUNDATIONS, a multi-part series exploring emerging principles in the digi-physical space. In our first installment of FOUNDATIONS, we introduced the Pull Model for modeling possession of an item. The Pull Model originated from our belief that having a digital proxy for possession is a powerful concept for brands. The ability to identify and engage with the holder of a specific physical item unlocks an unprecedented segmentation capability that will power nex...
FOUNDATIONS: 2-Tap Claim Flow
This is the second installment in FOUNDATIONS, a multi-part series exploring emerging principles in the digi-physical space. In our first installment of FOUNDATIONS, we introduced the Pull Model for modeling possession of an item. The Pull Model originated from our belief that having a digital proxy for possession is a powerful concept for brands. The ability to identify and engage with the holder of a specific physical item unlocks an unprecedented segmentation capability that will power nex...
FOUNDATIONS: Designing a Model for Possession
This is the first installment in FOUNDATIONS, a multi-part series exploring emerging principles in the digi-physical space. IYK was born from the desire to create a better method of linking NFTs to physical items. Back in June 2021 we were excited to see more traditional brands enter the NFT space, but we felt unsatisfied with the approaches taken. Broadly speaking, we saw two categories of approaches: the Sidecar Model and the Voucher Model.The Sidecar ModelThe Sidecar Model refers to an NFT...
FOUNDATIONS: Designing a Model for Possession
This is the first installment in FOUNDATIONS, a multi-part series exploring emerging principles in the digi-physical space. IYK was born from the desire to create a better method of linking NFTs to physical items. Back in June 2021 we were excited to see more traditional brands enter the NFT space, but we felt unsatisfied with the approaches taken. Broadly speaking, we saw two categories of approaches: the Sidecar Model and the Voucher Model.The Sidecar ModelThe Sidecar Model refers to an NFT...
Transforming Music Merch With Beams
Merch is a core element of the artist-fan relationship. And with the technology we’ve built, that connection now has the potential to be more dynamic and intimate, creating value for all parties. By bringing merch online, we’re able to transform a garment into a portal for immersive digital experiences. As a result, fans can teleport into carefully crafted worlds created by artists. At the same time, artists gain the ability to choreograph the fan experience. Checking into a show with officia...
Transforming Music Merch With Beams
Merch is a core element of the artist-fan relationship. And with the technology we’ve built, that connection now has the potential to be more dynamic and intimate, creating value for all parties. By bringing merch online, we’re able to transform a garment into a portal for immersive digital experiences. As a result, fans can teleport into carefully crafted worlds created by artists. At the same time, artists gain the ability to choreograph the fan experience. Checking into a show with officia...
