IYK, an acronym for If You Know and a shorter model of IYKYK (If You Know You Know), has stated that it has secured $16.8 million in a seed spherical. The spherical was led by a16z, its alma mater. Funds raised from the seed spherical will now be invested to launch the IYK platform and onboard a bigger variety of creators and customers.

a16z has echoed the announcement by stating that they’re wanting ahead to serving to IYK scale its imaginative and prescient of bringing extra creators and types into the ecosystem. IYK is at the moment residence to 100 creators. It serves manufacturers like Adidas and Johnnie Walker.

Launched in 2021, IYK has come a good distance in providing companies pertaining to connecting bodily and digital worlds. Usually outlined as bodily, such a service helps manufacturers join with their followers higher and encourage greater group engagement.

Whereas the seed spherical was led by a16z, it additionally acquired participation from the likes of Collab Foreign money, 1kx, and Lattice Capital, amongst others. Curiously, IYK was beforehand a member of a16z Crypto Startup Faculty. That accelerator program lasts 12 weeks at a16z, the place early-stage startups are nurtured and guided for fulfillment. Tasks that clear the session efficiently are supplied an funding value $500,000 in alternate for 7% fairness.

Ryan Ouyang, the co-founder of IYK, was requested in regards to the construction of the capital and the valuation of the enterprise. They’ve, for now, declined to reply questions on valuation and capital construction. Ryan has additionally not make clear the timeline when requested when IYK truly started to boost capital.

IYK consists of creators who hail from completely different industries—music, manufacturers, and generic creators. It helps them construct a group on the grounds of a digi-physical expertise. Merchandise supplied by IYK embody NFC chips that allow manufacturers and creators to tokenize the bodily product. This consists of NFTs and is on high of providing developer APIs and modules.

Creators in IYK additionally hail from the music, trend, and artwork industries.

What makes IYK a singular member of the trade, per a press release by Ryan, is the power to decide on a ready-to-use expertise with none coding instrument. They might select to collaborate with a developer to remix or prolong the expertise. IYK is now working to rent its first enterprise growth govt, with plans to develop the engineering workforce.

Hiring a enterprise growth govt might take a while, however IYK intends to develop the engineering workforce on the earliest attainable time—that’s, within the brief time period.

As for the Crypto Startup Faculty by a16z, it particularly works with startups within the Web3 area. The in-person program consists of lectures and mentorship, whereby startup members get an opportunity to attach with the Web3 trade professional immediately.