Bandwagon has been selected to participate in the inaugural IBM Blockchain Accelerator program as one of 10 participating companies in the cohort.
Addressing a multi-billion dollar fraud and untracked reselling problem, Bandwagon leverages the power of blockchain technology (built on the Linux Foundation’s Hyperledger Fabric) to help event organizers and venues confirm the validity of their digital tickets while also helping them understand who owns them.
Originally operating in the college football space, Bandwagon has expanded to offer their products to other sports, venues, and festivals — most recently, the Africa Rising International Film Festival in Johannesburg last November.
In partnership with Columbia University in New York, the eight-week IBM Blockchain Accelerator program consists of networking, salon discussion, workshops and “Demo Day” all with the goal of accelerating the building and scaling of blockchain business networks. As part of the program, Bandwagon and the other participating startups will also have a team of interdisciplinary Columbia students to support them this semester.
“When we began using Hyperledger Fabric version 1.0 in 2017, we knew that we were getting in on the ground floor with a technology that would only get better and a company that saw the value in supporting enterprise Blockchain solutions.” Says CEO Harold Hughes.
“Today, our production chain is up and running and we’re looking forward to growing and learning with IBM and Columbia University through this incredible program. We’re in elite company and I believe that just goes to show what we’ve been able to accomplish as well as what you can expect from us in 2019.”
Bandwagon is a B2B analytics company that uses data and proprietary blockchain technology to help sports teams and event organizers eliminate ticket fraud while increasing fan engagement.