Stacks Foundation Funds Niftmint's Blockchain Expansion with $50,000 non-dilutive grant

18 July 2022

Seattle, Washington - Niftmint announced the successful awarding of a $50,000 grant from the Stacks Foundation, the organization supporting development and integration of the Stacks Blockchain. With this grant, Niftmint will be able to bring the Niftmint infrastructure to the Stacks Blockchain, providing its NFT integrations on top of the Bitcoin Blockchain.

Stacks, the open-source platform to build smart contracts and decentralized blockchain applications, connects to the Bitcoin Blockchain, allowing for smart contracts and NFTs to be minted to the Bitcoin Blockchain.

“We’ve been bullish on both the Bitcoin Blockchain and the Stacks Platform since the beginning,” said Jonathan Blanco, CEO of Niftmint. “At Niftmint, not only do we want to expand Blockchain functionality for the Brands that use our integration, but so often as the stewards of these Brand’s first forays into Web3 technology, its important for us to have the partners ready to provide best-in-class onboarding and premier integrations. For us, bringing our solution to Stacks is a major step in the right direction.”

With this grant, Niftmint is now working on integrating its ‘Mint-Sell-Custody-Transfer’ process for NFTs to the Stacks Blockchain. At the completion of this integration, Brands will be able to sell Stacks Blockchain-based NFTs directly in their ecommerce channels via native integration, without imposing Web3 requirements on the Brands. Consumers will be able to buy, view, and use their NFTs on these Brands environments without having to have wallets, cryptocurrency, or any other Web3 instruments – all on top of the Stacks Blockchain.

In the project assessment and in awarding of the grant, the Stacks Foundation noted perfect scores for Project Clarity, Project Audience, New and Novel Technology, Project Impact, and Project Roadmap. To view the grant, visit https://grants.stacks.org/dashboard/grants/489

About Niftmint

Niftmint is an eCommerce integration allowing brands to mint, display, sell, and custody NFTs directly in their eCommerce platforms, without needing to send customers to 3rd party marketplaces or introduce crypto workflows. With Niftmint, Brands can treat NFTs as digital inventory, and do what they’ve always been good at – giving their customers what they want. To learn more, visit www.niftmint.com

About Stacks Foundation

The Stacks Foundation is building out the Stacks blockchain, the L1 proof-of-transfer Blockchain running parallel to Bitcoin, allowing for smart contract and NFT functionality on the Bitcoin Blockchain. The Stacks foundation is the home for governance of Stacks’ open-source technology, serving as neutral ground for various parties to come together and reach consensus on the path forward. They support independent researchers, contributors, and collaborators to help build a better user owned internet through research and development. To learn more, visit www.stacks.org

Google for Startups funds NFT Startup Niftmint via Latino Startup Fund

Seattle, WA: NFT and Web3 Commerce Infrastructure company, Niftmint, has been awarded one of the fifty grants by Google for Startups Latino Founder Fund.

The Niftmint team is incredibly honored to share that we have been selected as a recipient of a $100,000 non-dilutive grant from Google for Startups Latino Founder Fund.

Niftmint's Founder and CEO, Jonathan G. Blanco, is a first-generation American whose parents immigrated from Venezuela in the early 1980s. As the only person in his family born in the United States, Jonathan has used what he views as a blessing as his motivation to go after solving really big problems and achieving large outcomes in entrepreneurship, rather than work for a large company or have a 9-5 job.

Niftmint is an NFT Commerce Infrastructure company that provides APIs to Brands, Agencies, and Organizations so they can mint, sell, and custody NFTs directly on their eCommerce platform and CMS. Niftmint handles all the cryptocurrency and crypto wallets on behalf of Brands and their customers, treating NFTs simply as Digital Inventory.

During his conversation with Nikita Prasad from Google for Startups Jonathan says, "I never thought, and when I say never thought, it never occurred into my brain, that I would be able to be a technology founder." Jonathan believes it's important for there to be Latino representation if only for the sole reason that Latino youth can see themselves in those positions and opportunities. Through his journey, the good days and the bad days in entrepreneurship, Jonathan hopes he can be an example for young Latinos and Latinas who want to get involved with technology and start their own startup one day. Watch the video below of when Jonathan is first notified by Nikita Prasad that he and Niftmint had been accepted into the Latino Founder Fund.

"Latino-led businesses are the fastest-growing segment of U.S. small businesses, but as an aggregate they only receive 2% of total U.S. venture capital funding, despite comprising 20% of the U.S. population." As a result, Google committed $7 million last year to go towards Latino founders.

At Niftmint we are incredibly grateful to Google for Startups for their funding and their commitment to the Latino community as well as other underrepresented groups in the Startup ecosystem. Where many large organizations, companies, and institutions have been performative in their support of underserved founders, Google has shown up and put its money where it counts, for which we are forever thankful!

If you'd like to learn more about Niftmint, collaborate, or see how NFTs can be added to your business, please visit Niftmint.com and select Contact Us.

Meet the 50 Founders in the Latino Founder Fund and see why Google for Startups is focused on funding Latino Founders (read more)

FAQs (From Google for Startups)

Why is Google for Startups doing this?

We believe that funding Latino founders empowers entire communities. Access to capital, training, and support leads to greater economic opportunity and racial equity. Google is uniquely positioned to provide capital and support to help founders grow their businesses, and in turn, create space for founders to succeed and create greater impact for their community. The goal of this fund is to increase economic opportunity for promising Latino startup founders in the US. Capital is essential to run and grow a startup, and is disproportionately difficult to access for Latino founders. We hope this funding and support can catalyze the growth of Latino-led startups, foster innovative solutions to tough problems, and ultimately generate wealth for their communities.

What does a recipient from the Latino Founders Fund receive?

The Google for Startups Latino Founders Fund is a $5M fund that provides promising Latino-led startups non-equity cash awards to help fuel their businesses. Across the country, 50 founders will receive $100K in cash to help grow their business. They’ll also receive hands-on support from Google employees across the company, $100K in Google Cloud credits, and access to mental health therapists at no cost.

What can I call this award?

You can refer to this as funding, a cash award, cash, non-dilutive funding. This award consists of non-dilutive funding and hands-on support from Google for Startups.

Please do not call this award a "grant," a term that is mostly reserved for non-profits and carries some legal ramifications.

How did we determine eligibility for an award?

Recipients of the awards can be nominated by partners in the Google for Startups network or past recipients and/or have participated in programming from Google for Startups (e.g. Atlanta Founders Academy, Black Founders Exchange, Google Demo Day, Google for Startups Accelerator).

What was the selection criteria?

Selection was based on the strength of the founder’s application, startup size, readiness for funding, demonstrated traction, reach and impact, whether Google could uniquely support them aside from the capital, and the business must have raised less than $3M in funding in total. We also take into consideration demonstrated need for funding as some recipients may be put in more difficult fundraising positions than others because of the pandemic.

KISS Beauty Partners with Niftmint for First Beauty NFT

Introduction

In the ever-evolving beauty world, brands continually search for ways to engage their customers in innovative and meaningful ways. KISS Beauty, a globally renowned false hair and nail manufacturer, embraced the exciting world of Web3 with the help of Niftmint. Their journey into the world of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) marked a significant milestone in the beauty sector.

The Birth of an Idea

Back in February 2022, KISS Beauty recognized the potential of Web3 and sought the expertise of Niftmint to integrate a Web3 campaign into their forthcoming product releases. After intensive brainstorming sessions with KISS Marketing’s core team, Niftmint crafted the NFT Strategy Playbook for KISS, ensuring a seamless introduction of their Web3 initiative. The playbook encompassed:

• Preliminary program introductions

• User interface blueprints

• Technical prerequisites

• Extended launch strategies and performance metrics

• Marketing strategies tailored for both crypto enthusiasts and novices.

Armed with this strategic playbook, the teams dived into the planning and realization of KISS's debut NFT campaign.

Developing the Campaign

While formulating the campaign, Niftmint prioritized:

1. Safeguarding KISS's esteemed brand reputation.

2. Designing a campaign that appealed to all, irrespective of their crypto knowledge.

3. Ensuring that the campaign reflected KISS’s comfort level and vision about cryptocurrency.

For an impactful TikTok influencer marketing drive, KISS partnered with the pioneering creative marketing agency, Movers+Shakers.

Niftmint took command of several campaign components, such as:

• Designing accurate and appropriate public communication.

• Offering continuous consultation on crypto-related decisions.

• Creating the campaign website and managing NFT Smart Contracts.

• Organizing crypto-focused press releases and PR engagements.

The Launch and Its Impact

Come May 2022, the buzzworthy KISS NFT contest was unveiled, supported by dynamic marketing strategies across various social media platforms. Fans flocked to the dedicated NFT Giveaway website, www.KISSUSA.com/NFT, where they effortlessly participated without any crypto prerequisites.

The campaign’s success was evident:

• Over 2 million press release impressions.

• Thousands of active engagements across social media.

• An impressive 2,000+ contest entries.

This campaign bolstered KISS’s Masterpiece Collection, particularly the false eyelash segment. Out of the numerous participants, four lucky winners enjoyed an exclusive experience, including a comprehensive introduction to blockchain wallets, NFT transfers, and the perks that came with the NFTs, such as the enviable 'Glam' squad and the entire KISS Masterpiece Lash PR Collection.

A Revolutionary NFT Collection

KISS’s groundbreaking journey into the NFT realm included four unique NFTs, mirroring the styles from their latest Lash Coutre Masterpiece line. The four fortunate winners of the giveaway not only received an NFT each but were also treated to premium beauty experiences, including a glam squad session, exclusive masterclasses, and a gift set featuring the entire Lash Coutre Masterpiece collection.

Annette DeVita-Godstein, the senior vice president of global marketing at KISS, aptly summarized the campaign's innovative spirit, praising KISS’s commitment to staying ahead of the curve and valuing their tech-savvy customers.

Acknowledging the Partners

The NFT line’s success can be credited to several partners. Niftmint, an NFT commerce infrastructure firm, offered the required technology for the NFT launch, while Movers+Shakers expertly managed the campaign's digital marketing aspects.

In Conclusion

KISS Beauty’s successful foray into the Web3 space, with the unwavering support of Niftmint, has set a precedent for other brands to reimagine customer engagement. As the lines between technology and beauty blur, it's evident that the future of the beauty industry is not just about looking good but also about innovative, interactive experiences.