ALBANY — Hopsy, the recently launched online marketplace for local craft beer, today announced a partnership with Thin Film Electronics, a global leader in printed electronics and smart systems, to integrate their NFC technology into its growlers. The wireless NFC tags will enable microbreweries to engage with beer lovers and communicate directly with their customers.
“Craft beer is not just about beer, it’s also about authenticity and craftsmanship. The two most important people in craft beer are the beer makers and the beer lovers. Our customers truly care about where their beer comes from and who made it. And we, at Hopsy, create a direct connection between the two, bringing the freshest beer to the home, just as the brewer intended it,” said Sebastien Tron, Hopsy’s co-founder and CEO. “We decided to go one step further and bring the tasting experience into the living room. We believe Thinfilm’s technology gives our partner breweries a powerful tool to connect with their customers beyond the brewery.”
Starting in June, growlers of San Francisco’s Magnolia Brewery and Oakland’s Ale Industries sold through Hopsy will feature an NFC OpenSense tag, allowing consumers to tap their smartphone to unlock an exclusive tasting video. Each tag is uniquely identifiable and can detect a growler’s “sealed” and “opened” states.
“Niche businesses and novel brands often find it very difficult to compete with larger, more established companies. They need solutions that differentiate their products and help them connect with customers,” said Davor Sutija, CEO of Thinfilm. “Hopsy has developed a compelling service that’s resonating in the craft beer markets, and we’re excited about the role our technology can play in growing its business and the businesses of its clients.”
Integrating the NFC technology into its growlers is Hopsy’s first step towards a more connected beer experience. “Our customers are eager for more brewery information and beer education. They want to keep track of what they drink and read as much as they can about their favorite beers and breweries,” Tron says. “We are working hard to make the experience rewarding and leverage innovative solutions to bring local breweries and local beer lovers together.”
ABOUT HOPSY
Hopsy is the first local craft beer marketplace and beer delivery service connecting local breweries with beer lovers. Hopsy’s technology enables brewers to have fresh draft beer delivered to local customers while providing beer lovers unprecedented access to local beer when they want and where they want. Launched in January 2016, Hopsy is currently serving the Bay Area, with plans to quickly expand in all major craft beer markets.
ABOUT THIN FILM ELECTRONICS ASA
Thinfilm is a leader in the development and commercialization of printed electronics. The first to commercialize printed, rewritable memory, the Company is creating printed systems that include memory, sensing, display, and wireless communication, all at a low cost unmatched by any other electronic technology. Thinfilm’s roadmap integrates technology from a strong and growing ecosystem of partners to enable the Internet of Everything by bringing intelligence to disposable goods.
Thin Film Electronics ASA (“Thinfilm”) is a publicly listed Norwegian company with headquarters in Oslo, Norway; product development and production in Linköping, Sweden; product development, production, and business development in San Jose, California, USA; and sales offices in the United States, Hong Kong, and Singapore. For more information, visit www.thinfilm.no.