IT-based information services company Hekto Innovation said on Sunday it signed a memorandum of understanding with phygital technology specialist Beagles to jointly pursue a fan participation platform business.

The companies aim to build a “fandom economy” ecosystem by combining Hekto Innovation’s platform operations capabilities and digital asset wallet infrastructure with Beagles’ physical goods and digital content. They said the plan is to draw fan participation and provide rewards for fan activity.

Hekto Innovation is stepping up use of its digital asset wallet infrastructure to upgrade Polyball into a platform linking sports fans and clubs. Going forward, Polyball users will store admission tickets in the form of NFTs in the wallet. They will also receive rewards through the wallet based on match result predictions, cheering, voting and events.

Beagles will support linking fan activity online and offline by combining physical goods with embedded NFC and RFID with digital content. Membership goods using NFC and RFID technology will allow entry to stadiums through dedicated gates and easier participation in events, offering both the enjoyment of owning goods and the fun of participation.

The companies plan to hold talks on upgrading Polyball and with operators of various sports. They also plan to introduce NFT technology to tickets for a range of sports events to eradicate ticket scalping and contribute to fostering a healthy sports viewing culture.

Lee Hyun-chul (이현철), chief executive of Hekto Innovation, said Polyball will lead efforts not only to offer the fun of predicting outcomes but also to serve as a communication channel linking sports fans and various clubs and help foster a healthy sports culture. He said the MOU with Beagles will seek synergy by linking with various physical goods and digital content.