Brud Founder and CEO Trevor McFedries launches Dapper Collectives to lead the way into the future of social media, powered by Flow
Vancouver, B.C. - October 4, 2021 -- Dapper Labs Inc., the company behind NBA Top Shot and the Flow blockchain, today announced its acquisition of Sequoia Capital-backed startup Brud. Led by founder and CEO Trevor McFedries and launched in 2016, Brud focuses on creating community-owned media and collectively-built worlds.
In a shared belief that the future of social media is decentralized, community-owned, and collectible, McFedries (Chief Executive Officer) alongside Kara Weber (Chief Operating Officer) Brud, Nicole de Ayora (Chief Product Officer) and and their team today join Dapper Labs to build on their success in the launch of Dapper Collectives. The newly-created unit will be dedicated to paving the way for the decentralization of social media and the democratization of online common-interest communities on Flow, to ensure creator communities capture value.
“Dapper Labs is on a mission to put a crypto wallet in every pocket and we’re focused on mainstream adoption. Mainstream audiences live on social and in online communities,” said Roham Gharegozlou, CEO, Dapper Labs. “Acquisitions are an important part of how we look at growing into new product areas and DAOs are the most interesting area after NFTs. We’ve been admiring Trevor’s work for many years, and it’s been clear to us that his team is the best in the business at bringing what’s possible to the mainstream.”
From the launch of both Lil Miquela, a virtual celebrity with nearly 10 million fans that uses social media in order to detail her life as a pop star, change-seeker, and model, to Friends with Benefits, one of the most successful social Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs), Brud and McFedries have an unmatched track record of building online communities. The team continues to reimagine how stories are told and who gets to tell them, challenging conventions and shifting media in a more consumer-friendly direction. Now as Dapper Collectives, the team will work with original IP as well as notable online platforms to introduce ways to transition their creators and users into owners with more ability to create, influence and share their stories with the world.
“We’ve been on a journey to create a completely new way of telling stories, together. Our mission is to change the world through community-owned storytelling. Joining Dapper Labs today allows us to accelerate and expand that mission on the fast-growing Flow blockchain, now home to even more of the world’s most compelling IP,” said McFedries. “With profound gratitude for our Board, amazing partners, best-in-class investors and longtime supporters, I can’t wait for the adventure ahead with the most amazing team in the world.”
Since its inception in Los Angeles 2017, Brud has raised funds from venture firms Sequoia Capital, Spark Capital and SV Angel amongst others.
About Dapper Labs
Dapper Labs, the company behind NBA Top Shot and the original developers behind the Flow blockchain, uses blockchain technology to bring NFTs and new forms of digital engagement to fans around the world. Since it was founded in 2018, Dapper Labs has given consumer enthusiasts a real stake in the game by bringing them closer to the brands they love, enabling engaged and exciting communities for them to contribute to, and powering new pathways for them to become creators themselves. Dapper Labs' current studio partners include the NBA, NBPA, WNBA, WNBPA, NFL, NFLPA, LaLiga, Warner Music Group, Ubisoft, Genies and UFC. Notable investors in Dapper Labs include Andreessen Horowitz, Coatue, Union Square Ventures, Venrock, Google Ventures (GV), Samsung, and the founders of Dreamworks, Reddit, Coinbase, Zynga, and AngelList, among others. For more about Dapper Labs’ products and mission, visit dapperlabs.com.
Brud Founder and CEO Trevor McFedries launches Dapper Collectives to lead the way into the future of social media, powered by Flow
Vancouver, B.C. - October 4, 2021 -- Dapper Labs Inc., the company behind NBA Top Shot and the Flow blockchain, today announced its acquisition of Sequoia Capital-backed startup Brud. Led by founder and CEO Trevor McFedries and launched in 2016, Brud focuses on creating community-owned media and collectively-built worlds.
In a shared belief that the future of social media is decentralized, community-owned, and collectible, McFedries (Chief Executive Officer) alongside Kara Weber (Chief Operating Officer) Brud, Nicole de Ayora (Chief Product Officer) and and their team today join Dapper Labs to build on their success in the launch of Dapper Collectives. The newly-created unit will be dedicated to paving the way for the decentralization of social media and the democratization of online common-interest communities on Flow, to ensure creator communities capture value.
“Dapper Labs is on a mission to put a crypto wallet in every pocket and we’re focused on mainstream adoption. Mainstream audiences live on social and in online communities,” said Roham Gharegozlou, CEO, Dapper Labs. “Acquisitions are an important part of how we look at growing into new product areas and DAOs are the most interesting area after NFTs. We’ve been admiring Trevor’s work for many years, and it’s been clear to us that his team is the best in the business at bringing what’s possible to the mainstream.”
From the launch of both Lil Miquela, a virtual celebrity with nearly 10 million fans that uses social media in order to detail her life as a pop star, change-seeker, and model, to Friends with Benefits, one of the most successful social Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs), Brud and McFedries have an unmatched track record of building online communities. The team continues to reimagine how stories are told and who gets to tell them, challenging conventions and shifting media in a more consumer-friendly direction. Now as Dapper Collectives, the team will work with original IP as well as notable online platforms to introduce ways to transition their creators and users into owners with more ability to create, influence and share their stories with the world.
“We’ve been on a journey to create a completely new way of telling stories, together. Our mission is to change the world through community-owned storytelling. Joining Dapper Labs today allows us to accelerate and expand that mission on the fast-growing Flow blockchain, now home to even more of the world’s most compelling IP,” said McFedries. “With profound gratitude for our Board, amazing partners, best-in-class investors and longtime supporters, I can’t wait for the adventure ahead with the most amazing team in the world.”
Since its inception in Los Angeles 2017, Brud has raised funds from venture firms Sequoia Capital, Spark Capital and SV Angel amongst others.
About Dapper Labs
Dapper Labs, the company behind NBA Top Shot and the original developers behind the Flow blockchain, uses blockchain technology to bring NFTs and new forms of digital engagement to fans around the world. Since it was founded in 2018, Dapper Labs has given consumer enthusiasts a real stake in the game by bringing them closer to the brands they love, enabling engaged and exciting communities for them to contribute to, and powering new pathways for them to become creators themselves. Dapper Labs' current studio partners include the NBA, NBPA, WNBA, WNBPA, NFL, NFLPA, LaLiga, Warner Music Group, Ubisoft, Genies and UFC. Notable investors in Dapper Labs include Andreessen Horowitz, Coatue, Union Square Ventures, Venrock, Google Ventures (GV), Samsung, and the founders of Dreamworks, Reddit, Coinbase, Zynga, and AngelList, among others. For more about Dapper Labs’ products and mission, visit dapperlabs.com.