THELOGICALINDIAN - n-a
A blockchain activity has won the accomplished accolade at a world-leading technology conference. Nebula Genomics, a blockchain startup in the acreage of abiogenetic data, was awarded “Best in Show” at SXSW Pitch, as allotment of the anniversary South By Southwest festival.
Nebula was called from amid 50 startups, in fields alignment from Virtual Reality to Artificial intelligence. Each company pitched their articles to a alive admirers and a console of able board over the advance of the two-day event.
Nebula Genomics was one of eight companies aggressive in the blockchain category. Also in appearance was Bext360, which uses blockchain technology to “provide a traceable fingerprint for bolt from ambassador to consumer.”
Steamchain, an IIoT aggregation that integrates banking affairs to machinery, was additionally in the running, forth with and Knowbella Tech, a blockchain exchange that gives advisers admission to accurate accoutrement and services. Four added blockchain companies alternate as finalists or alternates.
Nebula Genomics uses the blockchain to affix users with researchers, while attention the users’ ascendancy over their abiogenetic data. “At Nebula, we accord you complete ascendancy of your data,” the aggregation explains on its website. “You can accept to accumulate it clandestine or you can get adored for deeply and anonymously administration with medical researchers.”
The aggregation currently offers affordable DNA sequencing kits, for $99. Users can additionally opt to allotment their abstracts with analysis institutions, which awning the amount of gene sequencing, as able-bodied as administration added analytics and insights based on their research.
Along with the added nine class winners, Nebula Genomics will accept a trophy, two tickets to abutting year’s SXSW, and a banknote award-winning of $4,000, according to SXSW Pitch. More importantly, organizers say, they will additionally accept a date in advanced of investors and adventure capitalists who are attractive for the latest chat in entrepreneurship.
“In its 11th year, our Pitch accident continues to advertise the best technology from about the world, proving our adherence to highlighting today’s best forward-thinking innovators,” said Chris Valentine, a ambassador for SXSW Pitch. “We’re captivated to action acceptance to anniversary of this year’s winners as they abide their adventure against evoking change aural our ever-evolving society.”
Yesterday we appear a abbreviate adviser to some of the most absorbing blockchain contest at SXSW this year – and our co-founder and Managing Editor, Jon Rice, will be in Austin this anniversary abstinent a altercation with Jeremy Millar, Chief of Staff at ConsensSys, and Tim Grant, CEO of DrumG, on the Future of Banking. If you’d like to affix while he’s there, amuse email editor @ cryptobriefing.com
The columnist is invested in agenda assets, but none mentioned in this article.
Travel is one of life’s abundant pleasures, but it’s hardly an affordable one. Bookings providers accomplish coffer from brash travelers, and award the appropriate amount can be a amount of luck rather than skill. Or, if you prefer AirBnB, you’ve got those hidden charwoman fees – the capital purpose of which seems to be to apple-pie your pockets.
Fortunately, one aggregation is alms a crypto band-aid to the traveler’s woes. Travala is a next-generation online biking bureau (NOTA) whose booking belvedere combines decentralized technologies and tokenized incentives.
Using blockchain technology, Travala offers the biking industry amount efficiencies, a defended acquittal platform, and an easy-to-implement adherence rewards program.
Travala (formerly accepted as Concierge) assured its antecedent bread alms in April of 2018, adopting about US $2.6 actor in funds. Since then, Travala has apparent affecting advance in its partnerships with auberge providers and aggregators. The belvedere currently offers admission to added than 565,000 backdrop beyond 210 countries.
According to CEO Matt Luczynski, Travala is “on boilerplate 15% cheaper than boilerplate competitors” like Expedia or Booking.com.
Travala offers casework agnate to those of accepted biking booking platforms. From user experience, it appears as if the aggregation is already carrying the functions outlined during the ICO.
User Experience
While this columnist hasn’t yet appointed any auberge offerings through the Travala, there are affluence of reviews from those who have.
One frequent traveler acclimated the Travala belvedere to book a break in a allowance that was “spacious by Hong Kong standards.” The columnist says, “Travala packaged aggregate up nicely, all-embracing amount and you could see absolutely what you were paying.”
The analysis additionally includes a amount allegory amid Travala and Booking.com, highlighting the accuracy on taxes and final costs.
Another user, by the handle Xen, anecdotal the step-by-step process of booking a break for two in Brisbane, Australia. According to Xen, “the amount was about 15% cheaper than Booking.com,” a aberration of about US $100.
Xen’s accessories authenticate the search, payment, and check-in process, as able-bodied as the action of sending AVA tokens from a Neon Wallet to pay for the trip.
Travala additionally offers a detailed outline of the alteration and acquittal process. In accession to NEO or AVA, travelers can accept from added than 40 cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Litecoin, BNB, Zcash, or alike Dogecoin.
Users additionally can pay via Pay Pal, which in about-face accepts Visa, Mastercard, and added acclaim cards.
The AVA Token Use Cases
The Travala belvedere offers AVA rewards to users who “who advice abound the belvedere through accurate reviews and added content.” This allurement aims to action a 18-carat analysis arrangement for barter as they shop.
Users accept admission to an added 10% in accumulation through a aggregate of the SMART abatement and adherence program. The affairs has tiered layers, with growing rewards according to the cardinal of AVA bill staked in the users’ wallet. Users can additionally collect rewards by referring new associates to the platform.
In addition, all refunds are accustomed in AVA tokens, behindhand of the aboriginal bill of payment. For rewards, Travala distributes its built-in badge (AVA) based on the barter amount of the badge on the day of the payment.
How does Travala compare?
Travala isn’t the alone blockchain startup attractive to bend the biking industry. Lock Trip is a auberge and vacation home rental platform, that is currently in beta version. The account aims to booty “0% commissions on bookings” and offers admission to added than 100,000 hotels.
Prices are listed in the built-in LOC token, and according to CEO Nikola Alexandrov, their prices are so competitive they “are not accustomed to affectation them publicly.”
Beyond a biking booking platform, Lock Trip additionally offers an open-source distributed database as a “turnkey band-aid for marketplaces to antecedent account easily.”
Similar projects accommodate Winding Tree, which offers the “open antecedent basement for biking account distribution.” Suppliers can administer their account anon to credibility of sale, and purchasers can admission account from a distinct belvedere with no fees.
Looking forward
In January of 2019, Luczynski appear an added fundraising round. Instead of a bread offering, the aggregation will authority a acceptable equity-based Series A round, in affiliation with crowdfunding. 95% of accessible disinterestedness would be allocated through Series A, with the actual 5% to be broadcast through the crowdfund.
The aloft basic will be acclimated for “accelerating advance exponentially to add added users and bookings to the platform.”
The Travala belvedere is currently an operational and alive artefact with a glassy user interface, seamless user experience, and the adeptness to pay with authorization or assorted cryptocurrencies.
The belvedere has developed rather bound in its aboriginal year of operation and seeks to abide that advance through a basic bang of funding.
The columnist invests in agenda assets, which includes NEO and Bitcoin mentioned in this article.
