BSV Blockchain startup incubator receives investment from Ayre Ventures

This article was originally published on CoinGeek on February 23, 2022.

Satoshi Block Dojo, the London-based technology startup incubator that assists entrepreneurs building businesses on the Bitcoin SV (BSV) blockchain, has secured significant investment funding from Ayre Ventures, the venture capital arm of Calvin Ayre’s Ayre Group.

Satoshi Block Dojo operates a 12-week in-house training program for BSV-focused startups that goes well beyond the standard ‘desk space and encouragement’ model. In addition to business mentorship, technical guidance and a host of support services, Satoshi Block Dojo connects its participating cohorts with potential corporate partners at an early stage to help shape the ideas being developed into truly viable products. Successful cohorts are eligible to receive an additional £140,000 in SEIS funding from Satoshi Block Dojo and its network of investors.

This hands-on approach is also reflected in the Dojo’s nationwide roadshow of 47 of the UK’s premier universities. The company will also launch its first Ideation Jam on March 23rd, in which six of the largest insurance companies will detail specific issues and inefficiencies that could be remedied through blockchain solutions. Twenty teams will compete to devise the best technical fixes, with the top three teams gaining automatic entry into the Dojo.

Satoshi Block Dojo was founded by individuals who together have multiple large business exits totaling over £90 million. As a result, the company has a database of over 3,500 angel investors, 250 family offices and early-stage VCs that will have access to the new Dojo Discover platform, which will launch at the end of Q1 2022. Through this platform, investors can search for Dojo startups by sector while startups can update investors on their progress through the 12-week program and beyond.

Dojo co-founder Craig Massey said:

“Having demonstrated our capacity to bring significant outside funding into the BSV ecosystem from a wide variety of sources, we are thrilled to add Ayre Ventures, the premier funder of BSV-based companies, to this group. Ayre Ventures’ involvement will provide confidence to other investors, including those totally outside the blockchain space, to make significant investments into the Dojo for their multiple startups.”

Dojo CIO James Marchant added:

“As more startups choose to use BSV both inside and outside the Dojo, there is significant growing interest and demand for investment opportunities into attractive business models that are utilising this scalable tech. Investor appetite currently outweighs early-stage BSV investment opportunities, an area in which Satoshi Block Dojo aims to have an impact.”

Ayre Ventures founder Calvin Ayre said he was delighted with the opportunity to support Satoshi Block Dojo.

“Satoshi Block Dojo has a vision that goes far beyond the ‘build it and they will come’ model. I am excited to see what solutions emerge from their current cohort of teams building on the BSV Enterprise Blockchain, the only blockchain that combines minuscule transaction fees with the capacity to scale to meet the future needs of companies large and small.”

The next Dojo program will get underway on April 30 and interested startups must submit their applications by March 31. The company plans to launch its first international Dojo later this year and add two new locations per year onwards. Entities that invest in new Dojo locations will also receive equity in each startup coming through that location. Investors interested in the deal flow coming out of the Dojo as well as getting early access to the Dojo Discover platform can sign up here.

About Satoshi Block Dojo

The mission of Satoshi Block Dojo is to nurture and support start-ups that will change the world. This means providing a pathway to educate, train and elevate start-up entrepreneurs to the highest standards by providing best-in-class mentors and teaching with the latest tech tools. The Block Dojo is the first start-up incubator focused exclusively on Bitcoin SV; it mentors and develops entrepreneurs and start-up businesses, as well as taking care of the administrative hassle of getting a great idea off the ground, so that founders can focus on bringing their tech solution to market.

About Ayre Ventures

Ayre Ventures, founded by celebrated entrepreneur and philanthropist Calvin Ayre, provides capital to scalable, high-growth businesses within the BSV blockchain ecosystem, the only infinitely scaling enterprise public blockchain. The Group targets investment in innovative ideas and ambitious projects that are ‘positively disruptive’, supporting their expansion with the Group’s extensive network and industry partners.

Ayre Ventures completes follow-on investment in Mijem Inc.

This article was originally published on CoinGeek on January 13, 2022.

First Marketplace with ‘Get Bitcoin SV-Back’ Loyalty System – Users Benefit from New Crypto Wallet Functionality and BSV Loyalty Program

TORONTO, Canada – Mijem Inc., the Canada-based social marketplace and technology company, closed a follow-on investment in its RTO concurrent financing with noted technology entrepreneur Calvin Ayre, founder of venture capital firm Ayre Ventures. Mijem Inc., having recently amalgamated into Mijem Newcomm Tech Inc., is currently trading on the CSE under ticker MJEM.

Mijem Newcomm Tech Inc. is the developer of the popular Mijem social marketplace, an intuitive online platform and application ecosystem that connects students with their peers to efficiently buy, sell and trade goods and services. Mijem social marketplaces center around Gen Z communities, including post-secondary institutions, in the United States and Canada. To date, Mijem has established relationships with more than 70 university and college communities, including those at the University of Texas, the University of Toronto, the University of British Columbia, the University of Michigan and the University of Miami.

Commenting on the investment, Ayre Ventures founder Calvin Ayre, said, “Mijem’s integrated Bitcoin SV (BSV) loyalty system is a key development for its users because Bitcoin SV is an everyday digital currency with important advantages with regard to scalability, speed, eco-friendly footprint, and low costs. We see a great opportunity to continue working with their team to further develop the Mijem offering with Bitcoin SV and play a part in their ongoing success story.”

Mijem founder Phuong Dinh said, “Bitcoin SV is what the original Bitcoin white paper envisioned, namely, a fast, inexpensive, peer-to-peer electronic cash system – and all these characteristics are important for Mijem’s Gen Z target market. Mijem is connecting communities, building trust, and providing features like links to digital asset wallets and BSV rewards that Gen Z demands. On behalf of Mijem, I’d like to thank Ayre Ventures for their investment and continued support.”

About Bitcoin SV

The Bitcoin SV network is an enterprise-grade public blockchain that benefits from its ability to scale unbounded, offering greater data capacity and functionality, in addition to super low transaction fees (median transaction fees on the BSV network for payments have ranged from 1/25 to 1/100 of a U.S. cent), enabling it to serve as a powerful global data ledger for business, as well as a fast and efficient peer-to-peer electronic cash system.

About Mijem Inc.

Mijem is a Canadian-based social media and technology company that provides innovative solutions to create a vibrant social marketplace for Generation Z to connect and to efficiently buy, sell and trade goods and services. Mijem’s patent-pending flagship technology currently permits thousands of university and college students across the United States and Canada to both connect online and engage in consumer-to-consumer commerce.

About Ayre Ventures

Ayre Ventures, founded by celebrated entrepreneur and philanthropist Calvin Ayre, provides capital to scalable, high-growth businesses within the BSV blockchain ecosystem. Ayre Ventures targets investment in innovative ideas and ambitious projects that are ‘positively disruptive’, supporting their expansion with the Group’s extensive network and industry partners.

BuzzCast Secures $4.35M Seed Round to Integrate NFTs into Premium Virtual Events

This article was originally published on CoinGeek on October 7, 2021.

Round led by blockchain visionary Ayre Ventures with participation from TheSyndicate.com

Los Angeles, CA – October 7, 2021 – BuzzCast, the premium virtual events platform, today announced that it has closed a $4.35 million seed round that it will use to integrate NFTs into premium virtual events. The round was led by Ayre Ventures with participation from The Syndicate, a group of 9,000+ accredited investors led by Jason Calacanis.

BuzzCast recently emerged from stealth mode as an established player in the high-end of the virtual and hybrid event landscape. The platform is unique in that it delivers a broadcast-quality experience, can scale to support hundreds of thousands of attendees with zero down-time, and supports complex tracks and formats with advanced networking features. BuzzCast clients include global brands and organizations, including Anthem, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The World Trade and Tourism Council, Just for Laughs, and Uber.

“We are producing high-profile conferences and industry events where the interactions between attendees can change the world or move markets,” said Ryan Byrne, co-founder and CEO of BuzzCast. “Our vision is to make ticketing and transactions highly secure and non-fungible, so there is a clear record of all of the people who attended and the digital interactions that took place at a BuzzCast event. The BSV enterprise blockchain is known for its safety and security, low transaction costs and ability to scale, which make it a natural choice for what we want to build as the next generation of our platform.”

BuzzCast will also allow event hosts and sponsors to gamify the attendee experience in both virtual and hybrid events, enabling them to drive behavior, reward visitors with prizes and incentives, and extend their interaction with guests before, during and after the event, all built on BSV. The low transaction price and large block size will enable us to turn content, rewards and contact information into micro-NFTs that visitors can collect and trade at will.

Ayre Ventures founder Calvin Ayre said, “BuzzCast has uncovered an exciting market opportunity that has the potential to transform how virtual and hybrid events are produced, setting a new quality standard for sponsors and attendees. BuzzCast embodies the possibilities that BSV’s infinite scaling capacity offers to forward-looking enterprises.”

Said Jason Calacanis, of The Syndicate, “We’re excited with BuzzCast’s early progress and excited to see where this funding takes them.”

To learn more about BuzzCast, attend (in person or virtually) the CoinGeek New York conference, the year’s biggest BSV blockchain event (October 5-7, 2021), at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel. BuzzCast CEO Ryan Byrne will participate in the A Better Internet Experience using Blockchain panel on Thursday, October 7. 

About BuzzCast

BuzzCast is the premium virtual events platform, powering the world’s most buzzworthy events. Trusted by global brands including Anthem, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The World Trade and Tourism Council and Uber, BuzzCast delivers a broadcast-quality experience with zero downtime – 100% of the time. BuzzCast features advanced networking capabilities and supports complex ticketing access, tracks and formats, making it an ideal platform for global summits, investor conferences and high-profile industry events. 

BuzzCast recently won a Gold Stevie Award® for Start-up of the Year 2021 in the 18th Annual International Business Awards®. The award recognizes best-in-class virtual events that were held in 2020 when the event industry was forced to rapidly innovate in response to the global pandemic. For more information, visit BuzzCast.com or read BuzzCast’s five-star customer reviews on G2.

About BSV

The BSV network is an enterprise-grade public blockchain that benefits from its ability to scale unbounded, offering greater data capacity and functionality, in addition to super-low transaction fees (the median transaction fee on the BSV network in 2020 was less than 1/100 of a U.S. cent), enabling it to serve as a powerful global data ledger for business, as well as a fast and efficient peer-to-peer electronic cash system.

About Ayre Ventures

Ayre Ventures, founded by celebrated entrepreneur and philanthropist Calvin Ayre, provides capital to scalable, high-growth businesses within the BSV blockchain ecosystem, the only infinitely scaling enterprise public blockchain. The Group targets investment in innovative ideas and ambitious projects that are ‘positively disruptive’, supporting their expansion with the Group’s extensive network and industry partners.

FYX Gaming announces follow-on seed round financing

This article was originally published on CoinGeek on October 1, 2021.

FYX Gaming, the Raleigh-based esports infrastructure and technology provider behind the popular skill-based strategic fighting game CryptoFights, has announced follow-on seed round financing. FYX has attracted commitments from several prominent investors as part of the ongoing funding round, including Ventek Ventures and Ayre Ventures, with opportunities now available for new participants to join the round.

CryptoFights, which allows players to enter real-money tournaments using its native cash on the BSV blockchain, has already attracted over 100,000 registered users. These users are currently generating hundreds of thousands of transactions each day, a feat made possible by the BSV blockchain’s unbounded scaling capacity.

This latest funding round involves a mix of new and existing investors, with the former led by Los Angeles-based Ventek Ventures, an early stage cross-border venture capital fund focusing on the US, China, and Southeast Asia.

Ventek founding partner Tony Zhang said: “There’s a lot of hype surrounding the Metaverse and NFTs right now, but there are also a few innovative Play to Earn companies creating actual value for users. FYX is one of them. By combining best of class game play with a sophisticated virtual economy based on years of experience in gaming, FYX has figured out a way to make games both fun and lucrative. We are proud to partner with FYX as it continues to reward players by building a powerful, inclusive platform that players can leverage to generating more income.”

Among the existing investors raising their stake is Ayre Ventures, whose founder Calvin Ayre expressed delight in renewing his support for FYX. Ayre called CryptoFights’ daily transaction volume “emphatic proof of the possibilities that can only be achieved on the BSV Enterprise Blockchain. CryptoFights is an engaging product with unlimited growth potential thanks to BSV and the dedication of the FYX team.”

FYX CEO Adam Kling said he was pleased that his company had “joined the growing ranks of gaming companies, including Mythical Games and Sky Mavis, that are sparking investors’ interest.” Kling added that FYX was looking forward to closing its Series A funding next year.

Kling says FYX will use capital raised via the current funding round on new hires to grow its infrastructure and boost CryptoFights’ capacity to handle millions of users. The FYX platform recently expanded players’ funding options through the addition of Simplex, for fiat-to-BSV transactions, and will soon launch Fabriik’s Weave API, for crypto-to-BSV transactions. This will enable players to more easily fund their game play and to buy and sell non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on the FYX marketplace. Additional capabilities to allow users to create their own NFTs are in the works.

To learn more about FYX, attend (in person or virtually) the CoinGeek New York conference, the year’s biggest BSV blockchain event (October 5-7, 2021), at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel. FYX CEO Adam Kling will participate in the Licensing IP for NFTs: Graphic Novels, Comic Books & Brands panel on Wednesday, October 6.

About FYX

FYX Gaming is an esports infrastructure and technology provider, specializing in the development and implementation of blockchain technologies. The company offers a full suite of specialized esports products and services, with innovative solutions spanning game monetization, integrity, data and analytics. In 2020, FYX was admitted as a member of the esports Integrity Commission (ESIC).

About Ventek Ventures

Ventek Ventures is an early stage cross-border venture capital fund focusing on companies with the technology, team and timing to capture sustainable markets in the US, China, and Southeast Asia.

About Ayre Ventures

Ayre Ventures, founded by celebrated entrepreneur and philanthropist Calvin Ayre, provides capital to scalable, high-growth businesses within the BSV blockchain ecosystem, the only infinitely scaling enterprise public blockchain. The Group targets investment in innovative ideas and ambitious projects that are ‘positively disruptive’, supporting their expansion with the Group’s extensive network and industry partners.

Blarecast Systems announces seed round financing

This article was originally published on CoinGeek on September 30, 2022.

Blarecast Systems, the UK-based startup aiming to provide an elegant and equitable solution for the music industry with BSV blockchain technology, has closed a seed funding round led by Ayre Ventures, supported by a number of other high-net-worth investors.

Utilizing unique patent pending technology, Blarecast is an innovative music distribution platform built for artists by artists. A project that has been over two years in the making, Blarecast is now ready to harness the power of the BSV blockchain – including its efficient micropayments capabilities – to streamline a range of next-generation use cases.

Blockchain-based music distribution isn’t new, but previous projects were dogged by economic and technical problems due to incorrect methods of payments via inflationary and pre-mined tokens. Blarecast’s BSV-based platform allows artists to upload, publish, distribute and sell their exclusive digital content and physical merchandise to their fans at a price set by the content creators, who receive payments instantly (even in micropayments), not months (or even years) after the fact.

Commenting on the funding round, co-founder and CEO Shem Booth-Spain said, “the trust, support, and direction of these partnerships will offer the Blarecast platform access to further technologies & expertise for the benefit of artists worldwide.”

Co-founder and COO Luke Mayernik added that, “Blarecast allows all rights holders (artists, bands, and record labels) to harness the power of the BSV blockchain to monetize their content securely within a truly innovative, simple, yet elegant application.”

Ayre Ventures founder Calvin Ayre said Blarecast’s platform “is music to the ears of those who believe in the BSV enterprise blockchain’s ability to reshape industries through its infinite scaling capacity, unparalleled data storage and cost-effective micro-transactions. With BSV as its foundation, Blarecast is poised to transform the music business in a way that prioritizes creators over gatekeepers.”

To learn more about Blarecast, attend (in person or virtually) the CoinGeek New York conference, the year’s biggest BSV blockchain event (October 5-7, 2021), at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel. Blarecast’s Shem Booth-Spain and Luke Wenceslas Mayernik will give a presentation on their plans to Re-Invent the Music Industry with BSV Blockchain on Wednesday, October 6.

Transmira announces multi-million-dollar seed funding round

This article was originally published on CoinGeek on September 29, 2022.

Transmira, Inc., the Raleigh-based start-up pioneering Experiential Reality (XR) technology on the BSV blockchain, today announces it has opened a multi-million-dollar seed funding round. Transmira has attracted commitments from several prominent investors as part of the ongoing funding round, including Ventek Ventures, Ayre Ventures and other family offices, with opportunities now available for new participants to join the round.

Transmira is spearheading development of the Metaverse, in which the reality of the physical world meets the infinite space of digital gaming. Transmira’s Omniscape™ platform brings location to life, allowing businesses to engage with consumers by combining Augmented Reality (AR) with Virtual Reality (VR) in the exciting new XR environment.

Transmira CEO Robert Rice, who Advertising Age recognized as an Internet Gaming Pioneer, has described XR as branded AR combined with geolocation. Rice says XR helps businesses grow by putting content where their ideal customers are located. 

“Transmira’s groundbreaking patent on virtual goods and 3D non-fungible tokens (NFTs) linked to real-world assets will be fundamental in driving the new virtual economy and commerce in the metaverse. Transmira is beginning to roll out early features for Omniscape, starting with tokenized virtual real estate, a 3D NFT Marketplace, MetaPets™, and much more. Some of this will be on display at CES 2022 in Las Vegas in January.”

The funding round’s supporters include Los Angeles-based Ventek Ventures, an early stage cross-border venture capital fund focusing on the US, China, and Southeast Asia.

Founding partner Tony Zhang said that since Ventek was “the first investor in China’s social metaverse Soul (now majority owned by Tencent), we are very excited to work with Transmira and be part of the coming metaverse revolution. We have met multiple companies in this space, but we were by far most impressed by Robert and his team. Their unique understanding of XR and its applications, combined with years of experience in the industry, will allow them to aggregate brands and IPs to monetize metaverse technologies seamlessly.”

Ayre Ventures founder Calvin Ayre said he was “proud to support Transmira, an innovative start-up using the power and versatility of the BSV Enterprise Blockchain to explore exciting new ways for businesses to connect with consumers, particularly with younger demographics. Robert is a visionary with the drive to realize Omniscape’s fusion of the physical and the virtual worlds.”  

Rice said Transmira was “very excited to welcome a group of investors who bring global perspectives, experiences and deep networks of resources that we will be able to leverage as we begin releasing various elements of the Omniscape platform in Q4.”

Rice said the new capital will give Transmira “the ability to scale quickly as we prepare to disrupt the market and seize a leadership position as the first fully blended AR/VR metaverse platform that truly bridges the real and the virtual.”

To learn more about Transmira, attend (in person or virtually) the CoinGeek New York conference, the year’s biggest BSV blockchain event (October 5-7, 2021), at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel. Transmira CEO Robert Rice will detail his vision for blockchain-based AR, VR and the Metaverse on Tuesday, October 5. 

About Transmira

Transmira, Inc. are a Raleigh, North Carolina-based start-up monetizing Metaverse XR technologies. The company is the developer of Omniscape™, the first blockchain-based XR platform that blends augmented and virtual reality together with a focus on location, virtual goods, and commercial opportunities for brands, businesses, smart cities, and content-creators.

About Ventek Ventures

Ventek Ventures is an early stage cross-border venture capital fund focusing on companies with the technology, team and timing to capture sustainable markets in the US, China, and Southeast Asia.

About Ayre Ventures

Ayre Ventures, founded by celebrated entrepreneur and philanthropist Calvin Ayre, provides capital to scalable, high-growth businesses within the BSV blockchain ecosystem, the only infinitely scaling enterprise public blockchain. The Group targets investment in innovative ideas and ambitious projects that are ‘positively disruptive’, supporting their expansion with the Group’s extensive network and industry partners.