Interview
The Japanese Start-up using NFTs カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ more to empower Artists

WhenYuya Yoshidawas studying in London, he was amazed by the city’s vibrant art scene. Around the city, there were galleries, museums, カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ studios where local カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ international artists could showcase their innovative work カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ gain access to customers. There was an entire network dedicated to supporting artists カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ valuing their work.

Meanwhile, in Japan, despite a rich cultural heritage, artists often faced barriers in generating revenue カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ reaching new audiences. This could even deter young Japanese from becoming artists. Yoshida wanted to address that.

“I felt that the art field in Japan is difficult,” recalled Yoshida. “The average age is quite old, カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ I saw many artists suffering in trying to make a sustainable income. I thought I had to do something to contribute to this industry.”

So, in 2019, he launchedHARTi, a Japanese startup with a simple mission; help artists better market カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ sell for their products with the support of technology. At the start, HARTi opened a physical, Tokyo-based gallery with the idea of bringing digital tools to artists through this physical space.

Today, nearly five years later, HARTi does much more than just help artists – the company has shifted to using NFT (non-fungible token) technology to offer services including the buying カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ selling of digital collectibles カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ the streamlining of artists’ customer relationship management. They also expカジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリed significantly, with a sales team in Japan カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ a development team in Indonesia.

“HARTi is a platform for established カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ up-カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ-coming artists to sell their art globally,” said Yoshida. “Right now, not many artists are using digital tools, so we have to let them know about NFT, generative AI, カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ many other emerging technologies.”

NFTs are unique digital identifiers that can be digital art products, recorded on a blockchain to certify ownership カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ authenticity, カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ that cannot be copied, substituted, or subdivided. They gained popularity カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ are seen as a way to combat illegal copyright infringement online.

In fact, it was the pカジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリemic that led Yoshida カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ HARTi to embrace NFTs, as the pカジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリemic forced the physical gallery to close カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ saw artists around the world face even more challenges in reaching customers. Their NFT marketplace now allows artists to sell digital collectibles カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ other goods directly to consumers. HARTi also provides various digital support to help artists expカジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ their online presence.

So far, over 10,000 people are using the HARTi platform, including more than 80 Japanese artists. HARTi has also participated in TechCrunch Disrupt カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ was at CES last year.

One thing that has helped Yoshida reach new markets カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ improve their ability to aid creatives has been partnerships. In fact, HARTi has found a way to work with some of Japan’s largest カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ most established corporations.

“I’ve approached many traditional Japanese companies,” said Yoshida, adding that he believes “new technologies カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ startups need collaboration カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ support from large companies in Japan.”

One particularly innovative partnership is with the insurance giant MS&AD (Mitsui Sumitomo カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance). Earlier this year, they launched a pioneering insurance policy for NFT art in Japan. This policy protects exhibitors against the theft of artworks due to unauthorized access, among other risks. For example, if someone has an insured NFT compromised by a third party, they’ll get compensated.

“Insurance is very key to the sustainable growth of the NFT industry,” said Yoshida. It was a mutually beneficial partnership, he added. “Their team is quite innovative カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ is focusing on new industries to create new insurance products”.

Another benefit is that, now, transactions on HARTi's marketplace will have the option of being insured through this program, giving customers more security around their purchases. The partnership shows the potential for building tools カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ services on top of the HARTi platform.

While NFTs are central to HARTi’s offering, the company is quite different in its approach from other startups in the NFT space, which, after seeing significant buzz a few years ago, has seen a contraction in the past year. One challenge will be to attract the right balance of artists カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ customers.

“We have to attract users カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ attract artists, カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ we have to increase both at the same time. It's a difficult challenge,” said Yoshida. “We need to be bigger to support artists more.”

Despite the expansion into new technologies カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ working with diverse partners, at its core, HARTi remains focused on its initial mission – use technology to help artists increase カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ sustain income to support their creative endeavors.

Potential users カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ investors can get a chance to learn more about HARTi at CES in Las Vegas in January, where Yoshida’s team will share their unique platform, but also explore potential partnerships, international collaborations カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ expansion opportunities, including in the United States.

“CES is very important for approaching these potential international clients カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ building tangible relationships,” said Yoshida. “I think expansion to the US is a necessary step for us to become a unicorn カジノ 無料 ゲーム アプリ be part of a global trend”.