ST. PAUL, MN (May 23, 2023) — Augeo, a global leader in loyalty and engagement technologies, announced today the formation of Kigo. Kigo combines Heaps, Augeo’s crypto loyalty subsidiary, and Thred, an innovative NFT engagement platform. The two ventures have collectively raised $16 million in funding, including $6.5 million in new commitments from Valor Siren Ventures and Augeo to accelerate the launch of Kigo.
As major brands seek to shape new experiences and embrace digital assets, Kigo trailblazes a new era of Open Loyalty™ defined by sharable experiences, ownable digital assets and cross-brand collaborations. Backed by Augeo’s decades of experience in loyalty serving hundreds of brands and millions of users, Kigo provides the platform and expertise to deliver Open Loyalty to the world.
“The tremendous promise of digital assets unlocks newly possible customer connections and community experiences,” said David Kristal, Founder and CEO of Augeo and Executive Chair of Kigo. “Kigo’s Open Loyalty platform delivers impactful and enduring moments for people to interact with the brands they love. This is significant for the future of loyalty engagement.”
Partnering with Kigo, organizations can create, distribute and manage blockchain-enabled customer, employee and membership experiences—from dynamic digital badges that amplify milestones to shareable rewards, personalized digital memberships and cross-brand collaborations at scale. Brands can also integrate an expansive digital rewards marketplace, where people can redeem loyalty rewards for hyper-relevant digital collectibles, commemoratives, access passes and more, in addition to leading cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum.
“The key to unlocking new value for people and brands lies in making experiences so intuitive that you don’t even realize you’re interacting with the blockchain. Kigo aims to bring the benefits of blockchain to people in the most meaningful and rewarding ways yet.”
Peter Schultze, CEO of Kigo and former Heaps lead
“Brands are increasingly asking about digital assets in response to growing demand from their customers, members and employees. Kigo will seamlessly unlock consumer loyalty and elevate engagement by harnessing the power of digital assets and blockchain technology.”
Ben Straley, President and Co-Founder of Kigo and former Thred CEO
“The combination of Heaps and Thred positions Kigo as the leader in digital asset loyalty. Kigo’s innovative solutions are unique in the space, and we are grateful to support the team while continuing our longstanding relationship with the Augeo team”
Jon Shulkin, Fund Manager at Valor Siren Ventures and Co-President at Valor Equity Partners
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About Kigo
Kigo, a subsidiary of Augeo, is a digital asset technology company pioneering a new era of Open Loyalty™. Built by a team of loyalty leaders and blockchain innovators, Kigo’s platform and industry-leading universal loyalty wallet technology enable companies to expand customer and employee engagement through new forms of digital rewards and shareable experiences powered by blockchain.
For more information, visit Kigo.io.
About Augeo
Augeo is a global leader in engagement platform technologies and data-driven experiences that foster people connections and cultivate brand advocates worldwide. Utilizing proven strategies and innovative technologies, we elevate engagement and strengthen relationships for our clients through flexible and scalable solutions in Engagement, Experiential, Social Activation, Loyalty and Digital Asset Experiences.
With more than 45 years of experience, Augeo serves hundreds of clients including over 70 Fortune 500 companies, representing millions of people across the globe through our engagement solutions. Our mission is inspiring people to achieve more—one interaction, transaction and experience at a time.
For more information, visit augeomarketing.com.
Media Contact:
Michael Walsh, APR, ABC, MBC
MichaelWalshCommunications.com
612.718.8952
About Valor Siren Ventures
The Valor Siren Ventures (VSV) mission is to be the leading innovation engine and investor in early-stage food, food technology, retail, retail technology and sustainability investing. Rooted in Valor’s history of food and retail technology, Valor believes there is an opportunity to develop a new model for venture investing with VSV. Our team aspires to create value by generating differentiated investment opportunities, applying our intellectual capital and accelerating the growth of portfolio companies through operations assistance in scaling.
For more information, visit valorep.com/valor-siren-ventures-vsv.
