Seed Round led by Olive Tree Capital with Investment from Netflix Co-founder Marc Randolph, Apple Fellow Guy Kawasaki and More

Cheeze, Inc., a photography-focused NFT media and entertainment company operated by world-class entrepreneurs and entertainment veterans, announced that it had closed a seed round of funding, in advance of an upcoming Series A raise in Q1 2022.

The round was led by Olive Tree Capital with additional high-profile backers including; Netflix founder and first CEO Marc Randolph, marketing guru and FNDR CEO James Vincent, the Chairman of Dubai-based SRG Holding Mohamed Al Rafi, RAA Capital and Block 3 Ventures fund founded by Exto Partners and OG NFT Investor Matty Soudagar, Apple Fellow Guy Kawasaki, Bevy Co-Founder, and CEO Derek Andersen and Flow blockchain creators Dapper Labs.

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“Our mission to invest in entrepreneurs who share our passion, dedication and vision is why we are excited to lead this round of financing for Cheeze, Inc.,” said Nichola Eliovits, Managing Partner, Olive Tree Capital. “The NFT industry is still in its infancy and we believe know that Cheeze has potential to lead this emerging field with a unique content marketplace for photographers.”

Built on the Flow blockchain, and slated to launch later this year, Cheeze helps tell stories through powerful imagery and community engagement using NFT technology. The Cheeze Originals Studio produces, mints and publishes photographers’ works and the rare stories behind their lens as NFT collectibles. The powerful and easy-to-use turnkey Cheeze Marketplace App on iOS and Android is for everyone and transacts seamlessly in USD, multiple native currencies and cryptocurrencies.

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“The past 12 months have been so exciting for Cheeze and the NFT space as a whole,” said Simon Hudson, Founder and CEO of Cheeze. “Just as Web 2.0 and technologies like .jpg, .mp3, .mp4, along with smartphones and digital wallets have been game-changing, now Cheeze is participating in this exciting time of Web3, decentralization, blockchain and NFT technology. We are proudly bringing photography to the blockchain by telling the stories behind the lens. Attending the NFT.NYC conference last week showed that this space is booming with interest. The energy and enthusiasm from everyone who attended was really awesome to see. With the team we are building and partners we have secured, I am very confident that Cheeze will become the go-to marketplace for Photo NFTs. With this new funding from world-class backers, we have everything we need to own this space.”

“We’re excited for Cheeze to launch on Flow, bringing rich and colorful new experiences and communities to the Flow ecosystem,” said Mickey Maher, SVP of Partnerships at Dapper Labs. “Cheeze is transforming how consumers can collect and engage with powerful imagery through NFTs and we’re eager to see photography come to life on blockchain.”

“Simon has identified a huge market opportunity in bringing photography to the blockchain via storytelling,” said Netflix Co-founder Marc Randolph. “The team he is building with Cheeze is really impressive and I am excited to see the progress they make.”