We are thrilled to announce that AIN has been selected to participate in the #Katapult25 accelerator program with Tickets on Telegram (ToT) project! This renowned three-month program supports startups by providing mentorship, education, financial assistance, and access to a network of investors. Being chosen for #Katapult25 is an incredible opportunity for us, and we are honored to be among 19 innovative startups working to drive progress across various industries.
For readers unfamiliar with us, we are a blockchain-focused software company based in Belgrade, Serbia. We actively contribute to the open-source community through hackathons, educational initiatives, and knowledge-sharing efforts. Our team serves as advisors and key partners of the TON Balkan Hub, creators and educators for TON Academy, and partners and judges for TON hackathons in the Balkans. Our partners include Chainlink, Chainsulting, Darkblock, and others.
About Katapult
Launched by the Innovation Fund of the Republic of Serbia, Katapult is an acceleration program that targets early-stage growth-oriented innovative companies and provides them with the support and funds needed to scale their businesses.
Katapult is part of the Serbia Accelerating Innovation and Growth Entrepreneurship Project, built on a decade of successful cooperation between the Government of Serbia, the European Union, and the World Bank. This initiative is dedicated to strengthening innovative entrepreneurship and scientific research. Financing for Katapult is provided by the Republic of Serbia (Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development) through a 7.7 million euro World Bank loan with implementation support, and the European Union, through a 10 million euro grant.
Katapult plays a vital role in strengthening Serbia’s startup ecosystem. With EUR 3 million in grants dedicated to advancing innovation, this initiative significantly boosts promising startups aiming for sustainable growth and global competitiveness.
Our Journey: NFT-TiX
Before launching our latest project, we developed NFT-TiX, a non-custodial NFT ticketing platform on Ethereum L1 that revolutionized the ticketing industry by addressing scalping and forgery issues. This platform enabled instant payouts for event organizers and established a secure secondary market for ticket sales.
With over 10,000 VIP tickets sold, NFT-TiX was audited and proven reliable, earning partnerships with festivals across Europe, the USA, and Asia. The project received the Innovation Award at the London Ticketing Business Forum 2022 and was acquired in 2023.
Our New Project: Tickets on Telegram (ToT)
Our latest innovation, Tickets on Telegram (ToT), is an NFT-based, Telegram-native Mini App built on Web3 technology. This project builds on our expertise in blockchain ticketing while integrating improved usability and scalability.
Key Features of ToT:
- A Web3-powered ticketing Mini App designed specifically for Telegram
- Secure and seamless transactions through TON Connect
- User-friendly experience with simplified ticket purchasing and ownership
- A built-in viral referral system that rewards users with free ticket redemptions
- Scalable architecture that outperforms traditional blockchain-based ticketing solutions
ToT has secured $20,000 in grants from the World Bank and the Serbian government through the #Katapult25 accelerator program, with an additional $280,000 in VC-matched funding already committed. The need for a reliable, secure, and efficient ticketing platform is more evident than ever, especially after our main competitor, ONton, experienced technical and security failures at Gateway 2024.
Being selected for the #Katapult25 accelerator program is a testament to our dedication to innovation and excellence. This opportunity allows us to develop ToT further, collaborate with industry leaders, and bring our vision to a broader audience.
Onward and Upward
We are excited to embark on this journey, learning and growing alongside fellow entrepreneurs and mentors. Follow us on LinkedIn and X to stay tuned as we share our milestones and progress in the coming months! A big thank you to the Katapult team for believing in us and selecting AIN for this year’s program!
