INFINITE OBJECTS
Infinite Objects is a venture-backed startup I founded in 2018, building next-generation, radically simple display products for monetizing, collecting, and distributing video.
“Body Paint” by Exonemo. One of the inaugural Infinite Objects Art editions.
Founder and CEO (+CTO, CPO)
ROLE
Custom IPS TFT LCD Displays, Patented Sensor Actuated UX and Industrial Design, Blockchain, Shopify
TECH
Courtside Ventures, Betaworks, BDMI, Brooklyn Bridge Ventures, Serena Ventures, 35 Ventures, Dapper Labs, Windmere Club Capital, Fuel Capital, Advancit Capital, WOCstar, Weekend Fund, Shrug Cap, Erick Snowfro Calderon, ThankYouX, Adam Fields, GFR Fund, Scott Belsky and more.
INVESTORS
PRESS
Links
2018-2025
YEAR
In 2015 I was working at Planeta, a product development studio started by Nick and Kosta. One of our most exciting partners was GIPHY. Working as their de-facto R&D lab, we released VR, AR, web and mobile apps for consuming and creating moving images. We also prototyped a few novel concepts around camera and display technology. One of those experiments led to the concept of a display that can never be updated by the end user.
Immediately the potential as a consumer product for monetizing and distributing video - a new form of collectible for digital Art, Entertainment, and Personal Content - became obvious. In Feb 2018, encouraged by Alex (founder, GIPHY) and Nick, I started Infinite Objects with the vision of developing collectible display products that would change how video is sold, collected, and appreciated through design-forward physical forms. Over the following 7+ years we raised $11M in venture, generated over $14M gross revenue, and shipped hundreds of thousands of units across 90+ countries.
“Squish Screen” by Frank Guzzone
Infinite Objects officially launched with an event at the New Museum in October 2019, featuring the debut of 11 limited-edition Art video prints by artists curated by Rhizome, Daata, and Transfer Gallery. Art was the first vertical in our go-to-market strategy.
For Artists, Infinite Objects represents an opportunity to sell video artworks, and for collectors, a new way to own and live with video art. For most artists the idea of “selling a video piece” in 2018 was nearly unheard of. IO was not only a novel form factor, it also allowed for physical customization on the front and backside, with embedded certificates of authenticity featuring edition numbers, piece information, and even wet signatures. Indelible, physical provenance for digital artwork.
In February 2020, we launched our second go-to-market content type: user-generated content. A web app on our site allowed customers to upload a video and customize their own Infinite Objects Video Print. This offering represents a unique take on the standard “Digital Photo Frame” product that is widely commoditized on Amazon.
The day-0 vision was to make products that do not feel like tech gadgets. One of the foundational innovations of our product was a radically simple user experience: Infinite Objects do not require any setup, account creation, app installation, or WiFi configuration. Pick it up and your IO will magically turn on in your hands and begin looping (up to 24 hours) of video content permanently flashed on the device. No. Setup. Required.
In 2022 we patented the only consumer display product on the market that featured no buttons, switches, or interface. The secret is in a Hall effect sensor embedded in the back of the device and a magnet hidden in the packaging. When boxed, the device is off. Removing the display from it’s packaging instantly turns it on, and this UX became something customers would frequently post about on socials, creating an organic marketing flywheel.
WE REDEFINED the “DIGITAL PHOTO FRAME” experience.
The most powerful outcome from releasing the UGC product was the emotional value that it brought our customers. Hundreds of thousands of videos have been uploaded to our web app. Personal memories of entire wedding videos, a baby’s first steps, a graduation ceremony, pets, vacations, and so many TikTok video posts were permanently memorialized and for the first time physically gifted to friends and family. Just like a framed picture, but upgraded to living photos for today’s generation. Over and over we would see comparisons to Harry Potter in comments on socials - I love this, as it connotes magic; and that’s exactly what I want all of our products to bring to our customer’s lives.
Infinite Objects x NBA Top Shot promo.
Klay Thompson on how meaningful holding his comeback Moment is to him.
The third pillar of content verticals I defined for IO’s GTM was Sports and Entertainment. Sports memorabilia alone is a multi-billion dollar industry, and I personally have been a fan of the NBA for years. One of our first prototypes was a Steph Curry “moving player card”.
In 2021, we realized this vision through a collaboration with the NBA and Dapper Labs, the creators of NBA Top Shot. This represented a milestone in the NFT space as we we developed a web app requiring collectors to authenticate ownership of an NBA Top Shot NFT in order to be able to purchase a physical form of their digital asset. Each unit had a QR code linking to the NFT on-chain, and was authentically licensed with league logos.
We pioneered authenticated physical-digital NFT products.
Magic Johnson unboxes an Infinite Object of him dunking like only he does.
One strategy that proved powerful both in terms of revenue and growth was that of B2B and Partnerships. We worked with over 100 brands, events, and agencies to bring campaigns and branded content to life in an innovative form factor. Corporate gifting, VIP swag, and retail merchandising were opportunities for companies to look innovative while rewarding their audience with a new generation of collectible.
IO x CNN Vault: Obama’s 2008 election victory memorialized on-chain and IRL.
This also became a marketing hack: we were earning revenue while getting our product in the hands of many KOLs, influencers, and future customers who were gifted an IO at a VIP event, or exposed to our new product through an IO-driven campaign.
Kim Kardashian GIPHY Award Unboxing
We were lucky enough to work with many very high profile partners, and learned a ton through licensing and commercial creative IP collaborations in the process.
Just some of the brands and partners we’ve worked with over the years.
Finally, a word on growing, managing, supporting, and learning from: our team. As a first-time founder, I was acutely unaware what it meant to grow and manage a team of up to (at our largest) 35 full-time employees across 5 states and 3 continents. I had no idea how important having a dedicated HR lead was until I’d hired 20 people. I was equally new to the idea of letting people go, sometimes several in a day. The experience has been one of a lifetime for me, and I’m proud to know that’s the same for many who spent time working and growing at Infinite Objects. I can also say for certain that the incredible heights we reached as a company would absolutely never have been possible without the brilliant and thoughtful minds that contributed to the journey.
More thoughts and business learnings coming in future Medium posts, feel free to follow along. Thanks for reading.
Team Offsite 2022
Team Offsite 2021
Jorge, Oscar, Mia, Sembo
Astrid (my pup and official office greeter)
Team Dinner 2022
Times Square Pop Up
Team Offsite 2024 (Go Nets)
Team Offsite (outtake)
Office Holiday Gift Exchange 2023
Office Holiday Party
Times Square Pop-up
IO Remote Standup