PlayPass raises €1.9M funding: 5 things you need to know about Belgian smartband startup

PlayPass, a European startup providing smart wristband solutions to festival goers has raised a funding of €1.9 million from Newion and the existing angel investors. In addition to this, the startup also aims to raise another €10 million by early 2020. This funding will be used for its expansion into other markets and improve its sports event market presence, claims a report by our folks at Tijd.be.

With the recent funding, the Antwerp-based startup has raised a total of €7.9 million to date. Founded in 2012, PlayPass has worked with 150 festivals hosted in 20 countries spread across 5 continents having at least 25,000 to 80,000 visitors a day.

The startup has partnered with Belgian football clubs Anderlecht and KV Mechelen in order to provide solutions for fans to enter the stadium as well as pay for snacks and drinks. The company also plans to partner with more clubs, especially those from Spain, Germany and England.

After having detailed on the recent funding, we have come up with some points that you need to know about the Belgian startup. Do give it a read.

Provides RFID solutions

PlayPass focuses on technology and events. The startup provides RFID solutions to help their clients gain a valuable insight into the operational flow of the event. All the parties involved in the event from the promotional organization to the visitors and partners and sponsors can enjoy an enhanced and streamlined experience with their solutions.

Reveals a lot of consumer behaviour

PlayPass primarily focuses on festivals, trade shows, sporting events and concert halls. It provides the organizers with a lot of data on participant behaviour. It offers real-time reporting tracks and shows the number of visitors right from the moment the gates of the venue open. This way, clients can get to know the brands and activations that gain traction among the visitors and what they actually purchase.

Combines four services together

The startup combines four different services into a single modular platform. It offers a smart wristband with an RFID chip that combines services such as access control, accreditation management, cashless payments, and brand activation and social media. Depending on the services that the clients require, the most appropriate scanning technology will be deployed. PlayPass offers scanning solutions based on barcode, QR code, RFID and NFC scanning. It also offers eID scanning for staff and crew members.

Plans to expand to new markets

PlayPass is in plans to set up new offices in Singapore or Hong Kong in Asia, Spain, Germany or the UK in Europe and Chile in South America by the end of this year.

Promising Enterprise award

PlayPass from Antwerp won the ‘Award of the Flemish Government for the Promising Enterprise of the Year’ 2017. This way, it becomes one of the fast-growing companies that also motivates the other enterprises in the market encouraging them to take the same path.

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