Latest news with #TIX
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
a16z Crypto Leads $7M Round in KYD Labs That Aims to Transform Ticketing Industry
Venture capital firm a16z Crypto has led a $7 million seed round for KYD Labs, a blockchain-based ticketing platform aimed at giving artists and venues control over ticket sales, fan data, and revenue. The investment comes as KYD looks to expand its presence in the live event space, already showing success at iconic venues like New York's Le Poisson Rouge (LPR), the firm said in a press release. Founded by Ahmed Nimale, a former product manager at Ticketmaster, and David Barrick, creator of the ad-tech platform Flipmass, KYD Labs is looking to address long-standing issues in ticketing: lost revenues by artists and venues. Typically, artists and venues lose out on revenue as secondary sales and ticket platforms control customer data. KYD aims to change that by offering venues direct access to fan insights and revenue streams. "We built KYD, which stands for 'Keep Your Distribution,' to make sure no artist or venue ever has to ask again for something that is rightfully theirs," said Nimale, who is a speaker at CoinDesk's Consensus 2025 in Toronto. KYD's platform, built on Solana, offers a streamlined ticket-buying experience. Fans can purchase tickets in under 30 seconds with just a phone number, bypassing crypto wallet complexities. Venues see increased engagement and revenue—LPR reported a 30% rise in ticket sales and millions in additional income since adopting KYD's system. "Since adopting KYD's tools, we've been able to double our return on investment and significantly improve overall efficiency," said Shannon Wiles, Marketing Director at LPR. The platform also plans to roll out two new protocol layers: the $KYD token to provide capital for venues and tours, and the $TIX reward token to incentivize fan loyalty, functioning similarly to airline miles. These features are designed to strengthen financial stability for artists and venues while fostering community engagement. KYD has processed $4 million in ticket sales and earned over $1 million in revenue within the past year. It plans to expand to more than 100 U.S. venues by 2026 and eventually aims to power live event commerce at major arenas worldwide. By leveraging blockchain for ticketing, KYD Labs is positioning itself as a modern alternative to traditional ticketing giants, promising greater autonomy for creators and a smoother experience for fans. Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk's full AI Policy. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Irish Examiner
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Who is Emmy, the Norwegian TikTok star representing Ireland at Eurovision?
Eurovision fans are counting down the hours before Norwegian singer Emmy will take to the stage to represent Ireland at the popular singing event in Basel, Switzerland. The 24-year-old will perform the song Laika Party at the second semi-final, which takes place tonight. Also performing in the second semi-final tonight will be Armenia, Australia, Austria, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, Georgia, Israel, Luxembourg, Malta and Serbia. Flying the flag for Ireland in Basel, Emmy was seen walking the turquoise carpet this week ahead of the singing competition. She was selected to represent Ireland after battling it out on the Late Late Eurosong Special back in February. Six contestants performed on the special Eurosong show to be crowned the winner and go on to represent Ireland at the international song contest. The panel on the night commended all of the songs and the performers who delivered them, but ultimately it was Emmy who was selected to represent the country with the song Laika Party after the national jury, international jury, and public votes were counted. Who is Emmy? Emmy Kristine Guttulsrud Kristiansen, AKA Emmy, is a 24-year-old singer and graphic designer from the village of Sande, south of the Norwegian capital of Oslo. She has been writing songs since she was seven, and her career kick-started in 2015 when she, at 15 years old, participated in Melodi Grand Prix Junior - one of the biggest music competitions in her country for children. Six years later, in 2021, she participated in Melodi Grand Prix, Norway's national selection of a song for the Eurovision Song Contest but she lost out to TIX in the final of the competition. She went on to post consistently on social media and has since become especially known for singing on TikTok, growing a profile with 1.2 million followers. She has now been given a second chance at Eurovision as Ireland's entry, teaming up with Irish songwriter Larissa Tormey, whom she met at a songwriting camp in Norway, to create Laika Party — a song based on a Soviet space dog. Laika was a stray dog from the streets of Moscow who was the first living creature launched into orbit in 1957. Sadly, she died from overheating hours into the flight. Where can I watch Ireland's performance in the semi-final? The second semi-final will take place tonight and will air RTÉ 2 and RTÉ player from 8pm. The grand final of the singing competition will take place on Saturday, May 17. How can I vote? Viewers can vote over the phone, by text or via the Eurovision app.
Irish Daily Mirror
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Everything you need to know about Ireland's Eurovision entry Emmy
Norwegian star Emmy Kristine Guttulsrud Kristiansen was attending a songwriting camp in her home country when she crossed paths with Irish songwriter Larissa Tormey, with the pair forming a powerful duo. Together along with the help of with Emmy's brother Erlend Guttulsrud Kristiansen,Truls Marius Aarra and Henrik Østlund, they crafted a true gem - Laika Party. The song was a hot favourite after she'd taken it to Ireland's Eurosong, featuring on The Late Late Show and becoming one of six acts next to songstress Samantha Mumba, all hoping to fly flame for Ireland. There was however one winner of the public vote, with Emmy winning over the public but Samantha still sailing through with the international vote. It was a close race, but in the end it was Emmy who proved triumphant, taking the ticket to Basel to represent her country, with the star stating the battle was her most memorable in her entire career to date. Despite Emmy's recent rise fame, there is more to the budding star than meets the eye. When it comes to the Eurovision realm Emmy really is no stranger, having participated in Melodi Grand Prix Junior, in 2015, which was formerly Norway's method of selecting its Eurovision artists. It wasn't until 2021 that Emmy would finally graduate from Melodi Grand Prix, Norway's national selection final after she stunned audiences with her Witch Woods performance, an R&B-pop twist on a fairytale villain. Sadly for the budding singer it wasn't meant to be and she missed out on the top spot to TIX and Fallen Angel. Despite losing out to TIX and Fallen Angel, little did she know that she would soon be enchanting Ireland. Despite not winning, Emmy didn't give up on her dreams of taking part in the competition and even made a few side steps in order to be on the main stage. In 2023, she took up a role as part of Norway's Jury for the Eurovision Song Contest and during her time at Melodi Grand Prix 2024, she was also involved in the songwriting for Woman Show by Mathilde SPZ, Chris Archer and Slam Dunk. Another notable contribution was her involvement in Citi Zēni's song Ramtai, which finished 3rd at Supernova 2025 the Latvian National Final for Eurovision. She has also build up quite the following on TikTok and now boasts over million followers on the popular platform where she live streams from the comfort of her own bedroom. When Emmy isn't busy writing and performing songs, she is an avid football fan, having once played when she was younger. She has also been a massive supporter of the upcoming UEFA Women's Euros set to take place in Switzerland in summer 2025, with fans wondering if she'd ever return to the pitch. One of Emmy's fondest Eurovision moments was watching Jedward's flamboyant Lipstick performance in 2011 and has since hailed them as her personal icons of the competition for their infectious energy and distinct hairstyles. She may be flying the flag for Ireland now, but it's clear that for her, Jedward's impact transcends national pride. If given the chance to dine with any three celebrities, she would choose John and Edward of Jedward for the first two spots, while the third invitation would go to Selena Gomez. You can listen to EMMY on Episode 3 of the Official Eurovision Song Contest Podcast. You can stream all 37 of the Basel 2025 songs on your preferred platform.
