SINGAPORE, Nov. 29, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The beverage technology (BevTech) company Omniaz, in partnership with Wine Connection, will announce the launch of the DRNK mobile application (Drink, Rewards, Network, Knowledge), Asia's first 'Smart Bottle' experience for alcohol beverage consumers on 1 December 2018. Leveraging Blockchain technology and IoT, the application will be part of a decentralized end-to-end platform that the company is currently developing together with major tech industry leaders such as CymMetrik, NEM, NXP Semiconductors, ProximaX and Smartrac.
Through this app, users will be able to access detailed information of their purchase for all wine, beer, and spirits, which will be authenticated on the blockchain. By purchasing specially selected smart-tagged bottles (smart bottles), users will also enjoy targeted rewards and benefits such as coupons and credits, by simply tapping or scanning the tags via NFC or QR.
Omniaz will release its first wave of Smart Bottles (180,000 wine bottles) across Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea, in partnership with Wine Connection. Singapore is slated as the first stop of this pilot project with bottles to roll out on shelves across all 22 outlets. Through the unique identification of each smart bottle, customers will receive rewards through their engagement, by simply tapping or scanning the tags on their purchase. Smart bottles will be made available in retail stores and restaurants, with redemption of rewards applicable at all stores, both online and offline.
As part of the official campaign, the launch will be announced in conjunction with the 20th Anniversary of Wine Connection, who will be holding their inaugural Wine Fair on 1 & 2 December 2018. This exclusive 'wine-anza' event will also see 40 Wine Producers showcasing their wines at Wine Connection Bistro Capital Square. Invited guests will be able to get a firsthand taste of over 100 wines, attend a series of wine masterclasses and have their first "Smart Bottle Experience."
Lukasz Piotrowski, Founder of Omniaz explained at the launch, "This is just our pilot phase. Moving forward, Omniaz is planning to release over one million bottles across Asia, through other strategic partners, including craft beers and spirits between January and June 2019."
In its early stage, Omniaz will focus on the Asian consumer market, which has an estimated worth of US$518 billion. The market is also slated to grow at 6.4% yearly over the next five years -- double the projected global average.
DRNK is the first element of an integrated platform, that is designed to tackle several key challenges in the traditional alcoholic beverage industry. Among the challenges is counterfeit alcohol, which makes product authenticity and provenance often difficult. Counterfeit alcohol is estimated to make up to 30% of issues leading to financial and health consequences. Parallel markets and fraud are also often leading to brand damage. Aside from these challenges, companies often struggle with keeping their consumers engaged. DRNK offers companies an additional way to build a strong connection with consumers while delivering strategic consumer insights and other important information to the producer who in return can not only optimize its marketing but also business strategy.
Through technology, Omniaz intends to fill that gap with their platform and app, thus opening up possibilities within the consumer and B2B markets across the supply chain. While the terms Blockchain and IoT have been around for a while, real life applications within industries such as Food and Beverage remain rare. Omniaz leverages the power of Blockchain and IoT to solve industry challenges and create an integrated ecosystem tailored for both businesses and consumers. "Blockchain is the underlying technology we'll be using for product authenticity along the supply-chain and for consumers. Cash rewards through OMZ credits as incentivization and rewards for consumers in form of coupons, is one way we help connect them directly to businesses, and vice versa," said Lukasz Piotrowski.
To visit 20th Anniversary Tasting Fair, register at https://www.wineconnection.com.sg/news-events/wine-fair.html
About Omniaz -- www.omniaz.io
Located and incorporated in Singapore, Omniaz was founded in May 2018 by Lukasz Piotrowski and Marc Giovannini. Within 5 months the team has expanded to 20 employees from across the globe bringing together a vast set of technical and industry related expertise. Omniaz is developing the first end-to-end platform for the alcoholic beverage supply-chain, utilising the Internet of Things (IoT) and Blockchain technology.
The Omniaz platform is a detailed traceability platform enhanced with B2B marketplaces involving all industry players starting from consumers, and all the way to retailers, importers, producers, trade financiers and freight forwarders. With smart-tagged bottles powered by RFID and NFC, not only will it resolve industry challenges, but it will also build a connection with consumers through engagement and incentivization via the DRNK Mobile App. Omniaz intends to drive the traditional alcoholic beverage industry towards technology, to become the leading global BevTech company.
About DRNK -- www.letsdrnk.com
DRNK is the first mobile app in Asia that brings you direct access to a world of discovery of drinks. Be it beer, wine or spirits, DRNK doesn't discriminate because their users don't. From producers to retailers, restaurants and bars -- DRNK brings the entire supply network right to users' fingertips, giving them choice and control. Expand their knowledge in fun, engaging ways -- learn about similar bottles, food pairings, and even find the nearest retailers with the best price. How? By simply tapping or scanning a smart-tagged bottle (Smart Bottle). Learn about the brand that made it, where it came from, and when it was produced, and be rewarded.
About Wine Connection
Wine Connection has been developing expertise in importing exclusive wines from around the world for more than 20 years. We have a large selection of more than 500 labels of worldwide wines, premium spirits, imported beers as well as a full range of glassware and wine accessories. Based in Bangkok (Thailand), Wine Connection has become the leading wine retail chain in South East Asia, with 49 stores to date in Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, and counting. Wine Connection also supplies hotels and restaurants with a strong national distribution network.
