Our weekly tech round-up from the world of ticketing and associated industries…
NFT ticketing
NFT (non-fungible tokens) platform Afterparty has recently closed a $4m (£3m/€3.2m) funding round to bring total capital raised to $7m. The platform is hoping to use the funding to launch an NFT ticketing platform for artists. Investors include celebrity hotel heiress Paris Hilton and over 25 entrepreneurs and creators.
David Fields, chief executive of Afterparty, said: “When we launched Afterparty, we knew we were creating a new model for NFTs based on lifetime ‘membership’ access and IRL experiences. What we didn’t know was just how much and how fast the idea of ‘Coachella meets Art Basel’ would resonate with our dynamic community of investors, artists, creators and fans. Now, we are using that valuable support to create something that gives back to the entire music ecosystem.”
Payment partners
Financial technology company Paytm has become the digital payments partner for the newly opened Prime Ministers’ Museum in New Delhi. The museum is a tribute to all the prime ministers of India since the country gained independence. Visitors will be able to purchase tickets using Paytm Electronic Data Capture (EDC) machines and QR code payments for fast and convenient transactions.
Entertainment ditches travel
Investment firm Northleaf Capital Partners has acquired a majority interest in Uber Boat by Thames Clippers from sport and live entertainment company, AEG. Uber Boat by Thames Clippers is integrated into the Transport for London (TfL) network with a shared ticketing system.
President and CEO of AEG Europe Alex Hill said: “AEG acquired a majority interest in Uber Boat by Thames Clippers in 2006 and has since supported the growth of the business, during which time the fleet has grown to over 20 vessels and added many new piers and routes. It has been an important part of the AEG family but when approached by Northleaf, we knew they would be the ideal partner for the next stage in Uber Boat by Thames Clippers’ growth strategy.”
Turning performances into collectibles
Entertainment technology startup Live Bash has completed a seed capital raise of $21m. Live Bash is based on three core components – physical stages for performers, software using blockchain technology and a middleware engine that supports non-traditional asset classes.
Content created on a Live Bash stage is subsequently showcased on the company’s software, with the live performances then seamlessly converted into digital collectibles and NFTs. Performers can then easily re-stream their show to their own channels.
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Background image: Ales Nesetril on Unsplash