Latest news with #MichaelGord
Associated Press
08-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Flashy Finance Acquires StoryFire, Launches Flashy Social to Power the Future of Social-Driven Financial Infrastructure
05/08/2025, San Francisco, CA // KISS PR Brand Story PressWire // Flashy Finance, the cultural finance platform building financial infrastructure for the next generation of internet-native communities, has acquired StoryFire, a pioneering social video and streaming platform with 2.5 million users. This acquisition marks the official launch of Flashy Social, Flashy's next major product vertical, combining video, content creation, community monetization, and blockchain-based financial tools in one unified platform. With the addition of StoryFire, Flashy Social will become a new social-financial ecosystem at the convergence of creator economy, gamified finance, and decentralized ownership. The platform will empower creators to publish, monetize, and grow their audiences through programmable XP, token incentives, and next-gen streaming mechanics — backed by Flashy's cultural financial layer. Key Highlights: Michael Gord, CEO of Flashy Finance, commented: 'With StoryFire joining the Flashy ecosystem, we're not just adding a platform — we're activating a new layer of the internet, where creators are rewarded for cultural value, not just clicks. Flashy Social will transform how people earn, engage, and evolve in the new digital economy.' Sam Hilder, CEO of StoryFire, commented: 'Joining forces with Flashy opens up an exciting new chapter for StoryFire. Our mission has always been to empower creators — now, with blockchain-native financial tools and cultural infrastructure, we're taking that mission to the next level. Flashy Social will give our community new ways to earn, connect, and lead in the ownership economy.' The acquisition follows a series of high-profile moves by Flashy Finance, including: Together, these moves solidify Flashy Finance's position as the cultural layer of blockchain-powered finance — a future where social, gaming, music, and community-driven experiences are all backed by programmable money. About Flashy Finance Flashy Finance is building the cultural finance layer of the internet — an entertainment-powered financial ecosystem driven by creators, communities, and viral engagement. Through products like and now Flashy Social, Flashy is turning content, community, and creativity into programmable economic infrastructure. About StoryFire StoryFire is a social storytelling, video, and streaming platform built to empower creators to publish long-form content and build engaged communities. With over 2.5 million users, StoryFire has become a home for independent creators and authentic expression. For media inquiries, contact: Robert Penington [email protected]
Associated Press
23-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Flashy Finance Acquires BeeMee.Buzz, Launches Flashy Buzz to Power Music-Driven Financial Infrastructure
04/22/2025, San Francisco, CA // KISS PR Brand Story PressWire // Flashy Finance, the financial protocol stack for the cultural economy, today announced the acquisition of BeeMee, a music-first social platform designed around karaoke, remix culture, and self-expression. The acquisition marks Flashy's strategic expansion into the sound layer of digital culture and the official launch of Flashy Buzz, a new division dedicated to music-powered financial infrastructure. This development follows Flashy's recent acquisition of viral gaming ecosystem Funny Till You Die, where the company now powers decentralized financial tools across games, memes, and social platforms. 'We're not building a bank,' said Michael Gord, CEO of Flashy Finance. 'We're building a modern PayPal—for a world powered by games, memes, music, and culture.' Founded to reimagine karaoke as a social and viral experience, BeeMee allows users to sing, remix, and share musical content across dynamic fan-driven distribution networks. With the integration of Flashy's financial tools, BeeMee users will soon have access to: By embedding financial primitives into the core of music participation, Flashy aims to convert cultural engagement into liquid value. Flashy Buzz is the newly launched music-forward division of Flashy Finance. The division will focus on building and scaling: Flashy Buzz will collaborate with artists, remix communities, music DAOs, karaoke studios, and rhythm-based gaming projects to redefine how music can be monetized in the digital age. Flashy Finance is advancing a clear thesis: Games, content, social media, memes, sports, and music are the new verticals of retail finance. By embedding programmable finance into culture, Flashy is constructing the infrastructure needed to turn participation into ownership. With BeeMee and Flashy Buzz, Flashy is expanding its reach across culture and creator economies—transforming the internet's feed into a decentralized financial layer. 'This isn't just an acquisition,' Gord added. 'It's a declaration. The bank of the future will be built from the feed up.' About Flashy Finance Flashy Finance is a financial protocol stack designed for the cultural economy. Focused on creators, gamers, fans, and digital communities, Flashy transforms participation into equity through innovative tools that include programmable finance, memes, XP systems, and cultural rituals. About BeeMee BeeMee is a social music platform that reimagines karaoke as a viral, creator-first experience. Built for Gen Z self-expression, BeeMee combines native video tools, remixable audio tracks, and fan-driven distribution to turn every song into a social moment. By enabling participatory music experiences, BeeMee captures the vibe and voice of the next generation of digital creators. Media Contact Email: [email protected] Twitter: @flashyfinance
Associated Press
13-02-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
World's Largest Virtual AI Startup Competition Featuring $500K+ Prize Pool Kicks off March 3rd
02/13/2025, Toronto, Canada // KISS PR Brand Story PressWire // GDA Capital and Alpaca Network, in partnership with Founders Hub Network & Devolved AI, are proud to announce the inaugural Next Top AI Agent, the world's largest AI agent start-up competition bringing together over 4 million developers and tech leaders virtually to build and present their most impactful AI agents over the course of 1 month. This event features a prize pool exceeding $500,000 in grants and prizes and reaches a global audience of top innovators and enthusiasts. Virtual AI Startup Competition Next Top AI Agent competition will run March 3-31, 2025 The competition features a structured one-month incubation period, where participants will refine their startups with continuous guidance and incentives. Additionally, expert-led webinars throughout the competition will provide vital insights into succeeding in the AI and blockchain space. 'Our mission is to inspire and support the next wave of AI entrepreneurs,' said Joaquim Miro, Core Contributor at Alpaca Network. 'By offering funding, mentorship, and education, we are unlocking the untapped potential of global innovators.' The startup competition is also hosted in partnership with the Blockchain Education Network (BEN)—renowned for nurturing Web3 unicorns like Augur, Iota, and Optimism. Many universities, from both the student and faculty perspective, are getting involved in the competition to direct builders on campus. 'AI and blockchain technology are both disruptive technologies and through this competition, we aim to inspire the brightest minds globally to drive innovation and solve real-world challenges at the convergence of these two transformative technologies. In addition, we want to create the startup initiatives that we wish existed while we were in University for young entrepreneurs to access the capital and network to build companies faster,' said Michael Gord, Founder & CEO of GDA Capital. 'Next Top AI Agents is not just a competition; it's a platform to accelerate innovation and scale AI projects globally,' said Nathan Peterson, Founder & CEO of Devolved AI. Vaughn DiMarco, Core Contributor at Alpaca Network followed with 'We are empowering builders with the tools and resources to achieve market-ready solutions; we are excited to find the hidden gems and help them shine.' The Next Top Startup Competition series has previously garnered support from industry leaders including Mastercard, JP Morgan, Oracle, Robinhood, Super Shyft, Bullperks & TrustSwap. These partnerships ensure that participants have access to unparalleled mentorship and resources to launch real companies after the end of the competition. About GDA Capital GDA Capital is a global leader in digital asset investment and capital markets advisory, specializing in go to market and go public strategies, capital formation, and tokenomics. The firm is at the forefront of the blockchain and AI revolution, enabling disruptive blockchain projects to reach their full potential. About Devolved AI Devolved AI leverages decentralized tokenization to power AI development and adoption. The company's mission is to empower innovators to create and manage decentralized large language models. About Alpaca Network Alpaca Network is the home and onramp for AI Agents, by providing cutting-edge tools for AI model tokenization, bridging the gap between traditional finance and emerging AI technologies. PacaSearch is currently the largest AI Agent search engine in the world with over 18,000 AI Agents and AI applications. The tech lab is also about to release a 3 click tokenization platform for open source AI models in February, which will work 100% on BASE chain, allowing 1.3 million model developers to crowdfund more easily via Initial Model Offerings. Media Contact
