[IMPACT] Please describe your proposed solution.
Aeros is the first universal “currency” issued and owned by airports. Aeros can be exchanged for many frequent flier miles or hotel points while members manage all their Loyalty programs and balances in one wallet. Members are able to Earn and Redeem Aeros in many different ways inside and outside the airport, and use it as another payment method.
We do have three key elements that we provide to airports:
Aeros App that is offered by the airports to passengers and allow them to monitor their flights, gates changes, airport maps, lounges, and store promotions like Duty-free and other merchants.
Aeros Shop is the market place tool for airports to expose their merchants and partners before and after traveling.
Aeros Pay that allow passengers to pay with any payment method or Aeros using their mobile inside and outside the airport.
Through our technology, we also collect key information about the passengers:
Loyalty account: including balance, expiration, status, date of registration, etc.
Flight reservation: including departure airport, gate, time, duration, price paid.
Hotel reservation: dates, period, location, room type, price paid.
This information about the passengers where AI could be used to predict passenger behavior
The project is to back the currency with blockchain and create Aeros as a native token to run under the Cardano system. This will be the first Airmile token that unifies different frequent flier miles and other loyalty points programs in one currency.
Aeros native mobile app has 5 important features:
1) A wallet that keeps the aeros currency
2) An exchange mechanism to redeem for miles
3) A place where to find Earn and Redeem possibilities
4) A communication tool to talk to end-users
5) A peer to peer transfer of Aeros or payment module
It is a new payment method for passengers as well as a tool for airports to generate new revenues.
Aeros is not live yet but all the technology has been developed.
See video of mobile app & wallet attached
See the presentation of the Aeros solution program
See Aeros mock-up website video demo
Cardano is the perfect platform to run Aeros on a blockchain and allow members to exchange currency on a peer-to-peer base or to retailers.
[IMPACT] Please describe how your proposed solution will address the Challenge that you have submitted it in.
Loyalty programs concentrate the biggest amount of members with currencies in their accounts. There is no better target audience than reward programs since their currency depreciates over time but crypto tokens can offset this problem since they could appreciate it in the future.
There are millions of members around the world and many are frustrated with the Airmiles redemption alternatives, so crypto could be a great one.
A product like Aeros plus the integrations to the different loyalty programs will increase the utility & adoption of Cardano through exposure to a massive customer base of loyalty programs.
Also this project can introduce to the airlines the usage of blockchain and the advantages of this technology to migrate their programs to be run on Cardano.
[IMPACT] What are the main risks that could prevent you from delivering the project successfully and please explain how you will mitigate each risk?
We think Haskell and Plutus developers are in high demand and our project could face a shortage of these talented developers at the time of execution but we are confident we have the right amount of resources to execute what we envision. We had many discussions with Cardano developers and we know how to balance this shortage if this occurs.
[FEASIBILITY] Please provide a detailed plan, including timeline and key milestones for delivering your proposal.
We usually work with our technology team in Sprints, each of them is defined first and is adjusted on a weekly basis by grooming. We estimate we will need at least 20 developing sprints, or 5 months total to launch a customized fully functioning MVP.
Sprints are detailed with use cases and each of them corresponds to different features of the solution.
All sprints are reflected in a live document with a Dashboard, execution Plan by dates, a backlog, and a Grooming list.
Month 1:
Planning and Initiation
Definition of Aeros system (values, exchanges)
APP Wallet set up and customization
Earn and Spend Aeros set up
Graphic design, logo, brand, and colors definition of the program
Month 2:
Set up Back end admin for the Aeros system
Web design Earn and Spend options
Web integration with Aeros currency admin
Finalize graphic design deliverables
Month 3:
Integration of mobile APP with web solution under the same currency Aeros
Cardano Blockchain integration to the Wallet
Native token set up plan and tokenomics definition
Month 4:
Integration with airline providers
Testing of Aeros exchange to miles
Testing of blockchain transactions and wallet
Month 5:
Set up all systems into Amazon web services
Features adjustments
Testing and launch of MVP
[FEASIBILITY] Please provide a detailed budget breakdown.
We estimate most of the cost will be in developing and integrations.
App development and customizations
1 mobile developer full time, 5 months @ 3000/ month = 15k
Web site development and customizations
1 web developer full time, 5 months @ 3000/ month = 15k
Blockchain integration and tokenization
1 full stack developer full time, 4 months @ 3000/ month = 12k
Backlog and direction of developers
1 CTO and scrum master 5 months @ 3000/month = 15k
Marketing and design of the brand, website and app
1 graphic designer, 2 months @3500: = 7k
Overall direction of the project
1 project director 5 months @ 3000 = 15k
Amazon web services set up =1k
Most of the people involved are part time so they can manage the time if working on other proposal. This has been already estimated accordingly.
TOTAL US$ 70000
[FEASIBILITY] Please provide details of the people who will work on the project.
Gonzalo de los Rios - Project director
My background is in Economics and Loyalty.
Entrepreneur and part of UC Berkeley Skydeck program with Aeros Wallet. Also part of British Airways incubator program.
Worked within redemption of miles for partners like United Airlines, Avianca Airlines, and British Airways among others.
Developed a Loyalty currency system with a total valuation of US$22M in currency.
<https://www.linkedin.com/in/gonzalo-de-los-rios-a8a9/>
Rafael del Corro - CTO and Scrum master
Founder of many (tech and non-tech) startups, experienced in technology and strategy.
<https://www.linkedin.com/in/rdelcorro/>
Franco Fadini - Lead / Prod. Developer
Vast experience in building multiple MVP projects from scratch (mobile, web, backend) and leading teams.
<https://www.linkedin.com/in/francofadini/>
Agustin Campos - UI/UX Spec developer
UX Designer for digital products with experience in Agile methodologies. Worked for 500 fortune companies and small agencies.
<https://www.linkedin.com/in/agucampos/>
Gustavo Lombardi - PM Communication & Marketing
Marketing and Brand Communications Strategist with experience in VISA and Fintech companies.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gustavolombardi/
Juan Herrera - Graphic design
Marketing and Communication Strategist and Co-Founder en LOCO Digital Agency
<https://www.linkedin.com/in/juanhrr/>
Lucas Sasso - PM Web developer
Woocomerce specialist and Ecommerce integration tool expertise
<https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucas-daniel-sasso/>
Javier Santiago Ortiz Correa
Ph.D. in Economics - University of California specialized in data, market analysis, and project evaluation.
<https://www.linkedin.com/in/javiersantiagoortiz/>
[FEASIBILITY] If you are funded, will you return to Catalyst in a later round for further funding? Please explain why / why not.
Probably we will need to keep improving the solution and customize some of the functionalities so we will need extra funds for these specific future actions.
[AUDITABILITY] Please describe what you will measure to track your project's progress, and how will you measure these?
As mentioned, all sprints are reflected in a live document that can be accessible by anyone
Dashboard
Where all the sprints are accounted for and the number of hours spent
Product snapshot is divided into the Core app, wallet, exchange, Earn, Spend, Pay module, movements, and notifications.
Also the minimum requirements.
In this Dashboard, we will reflect all the progress of the project by dates.
Development Sprints Plan
Divided into 20 sprints by pure tech development with dates and status of each of the actions and milestones to be achieved on each Sprint.
Backlog List
Each use case has its own ID with its correspondent extension (Core app, wallet. etc)
Minimum requirement, status, and sprint allocation are reflected here
The release date is also reflected in this backlog list
Grooming
Here the use cases are prioritized by low, medium, or high, and status is also reflected and visible.
[AUDITABILITY] What does success for this project look like?
Becoming the first AirMile Cardano token in the world to be integrated with many airlines and loyalty programs around the world.
Integrating at least 5 loyalty programs in the first MVP.
The development and launching of the three key elements of the currency system will be a success.
[AUDITABILITY] Please provide information on whether this proposal is a continuation of a previously funded project in Catalyst or an entirely new one.
No. It is not.
