Soundpays Inc

Soundpays Inc. provides a fan engagement solution utilizing patented Sound Cue Technology. This system enables real-time audience interaction with live events or digital content, facilitating secure transactions and personalized experiences via inaudible sound waves, delivering dynamic connections and actionable insights for partners.

Founded by Peter Misek, the company originated from an insight to use sound for secure mobile transactions and audience interaction. His vision centered on transforming ambient sound into a data-rich medium for consumer engagement, initiating Soundpays' development of its patented technology and real-time engagement platform.

Soundpays serves organizations seeking to deepen fan loyalty and generate revenue, particularly within sports and entertainment. The platform connects audiences directly to live action, helping partners gather valuable data and enhance the fan experience. Its vision is to establish a ubiquitous standard for real-time, sound-powered engagement.

High-Level Overview

Soundpays Inc. is a Toronto-based technology company founded in 2015 that develops a patented near-ultrasonic sound cue platform for real-time mobile engagement.[1][2][3][4] The product enables seamless connections between audiences and content via existing sound systems in stadiums, arenas, events, TV, and radio, allowing fans to interact instantly through team apps for actions like ticket purchases, merchandise buys, contests, polls, and sponsor activations without needing new hardware.[1][2][4] It serves sports teams, event organizers, media owners, and advertisers by solving the problem of frictionless second-screen engagement, driving revenue from mobile transactions, enhancing fan experiences, boosting sponsorships, and providing data analytics.[2][4][6]

The company has raised approximately $4.85 million from investors including Mistral Venture Partners, employs around 10 people, and reports revenue estimates between under $5 million and $16 million.[3][2][5] Its growth focuses on sports tech, fan engagement SDKs, and expansions like TV/radio broadcasting starting in 2026.[1][4]

Origin Story

Soundpays Inc. was founded in 2015 in Toronto, Canada, by CEO Steve Doswell, an experienced co-founder and C-level tech executive, and Operations lead Usman Basharat, who brings 10 years of management experience from startups and corporates.[1] Other key early team members include developer Mark Madsen, who has built mobile apps and APIs since before the iPhone era.[1] The idea emerged from leveraging patented near-ultrasonic sound technology to bridge conventional media (TV, radio, out-of-home displays) and mobile devices, enabling real-time, actionable responses like shoppable content and fan interactions.[1][3]

Early traction built on its core innovation: using inaudible sound cues broadcast over existing audio systems for secure, hardware-free engagement, initially targeting advertising, entertainment, retail, and live events.[1][2] This evolved into a sports-focused platform, with pivotal moments including funding rounds totaling $4.85 million and deployments for fan experiences like real-time cheers, 50/50 draws, and merchandise discounts.[3][4]

Core Differentiators

Soundpays stands out in the fan engagement space through these key strengths:

• Patented Ultrasonic Sound Technology: Broadcasts inaudible cues via any existing speaker system—no hardware upgrades, apps, or QR codes needed—for instant, secure mobile triggers.[1][2][4]
• Real-Time, Frictionless Interactions: Enables in-the-moment actions like ticket sales, merch purchases, polls, contests, and sponsor add-ons directly in fans' team apps.[4]
• Revenue and Data Focus: Drives mobile monetization, sponsorship uplift, and actionable analytics on audience behavior without disrupting events.[2][4][6]
• Versatile Applications: Works across stadiums, live events, TV, radio (from 2026), and media, with SDKs for sports tech integration and B2B scalability.[1][4]
• Proven Leadership: Backed by tech veterans and advisors, with a lean team delivering high-impact solutions for enhanced fan loyalty.[1][6]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Soundpays rides the wave of immersive sports tech and fan engagement trends, where AR, AI personalization, and real-time interactivity are transforming passive viewing into participatory experiences amid rising digital ticketing and metaverse-like stadium tech.[2][4][6] Timing is ideal as sports leagues seek post-pandemic revenue diversification—sponsorships grew 10-15% annually—while mobile app usage in venues surges, making hardware-free solutions like Soundpays' a market fit over clunky alternatives like NFC or beacons.[1][2]

Market forces favoring it include exploding live event attendance, data privacy regulations pushing audio-based (non-visual) tracking, and broadcaster shifts to interactive TV/radio.[3][4] Soundpays influences the ecosystem by empowering teams with SDKs for custom activations, setting a standard for ultrasonic audio in sports tech, and enabling smaller venues to compete with giants through affordable engagement tools.[1][4]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Soundpays is poised for acceleration with its 2026 TV/radio rollout, potentially multiplying addressable markets from arenas to mass media broadcasts and unlocking global sports leagues.[4] Trends like AI-driven personalization and Web3 fan tokens will amplify its data-rich platform, while partnerships could scale it into e-sports and non-sports events. Expect funding pursuits or acquisitions by sports tech incumbents, evolving its influence from niche innovator to ecosystem enabler—building deeper fan connections in an always-on digital era, much like its core tech silently bridges sound to action.[1][3][6]