We knew that something was missing in the art world. It had never before been possible to track a unique work over time with categorical certainty.
With the invention of a revolutionary microscope, and a team bringing together deep expertise in both art and technology, we sought to change that.
When MIRA founder Roarke Hortsmeyer was completing his Ph.D. at CalTech, he invented a revolutionary computational microscope — one that could capture high resolution images over a much larger field of view than traditional microscopes. Julian Dawes, Sotheby’s Head of Impressionist and Modern Art (and Roarke's college roommate), realized that this technology could be invaluable to the art world.
With support from Sotheby’s, they embarked on a mission to build a solution that would use the cellular-level detail captured from an authenticated work to create a digital signature inextricably connected to it. Computer Vision expert Ron Appel joined the team to build out MIRA’s deep learning algorithm, and with the help of Kate Adamson, productized the technology resulting in the MIRAImage™ NFT.
MIRA is backed by Sotheby's, Kleiner Perkins, Coinbase Ventures, Chaac Ventures, and a group of prolific angel investors.
TEAM
Ralph Segreti, CEO
Background: Arthena (CRO), Barclays (MD)
Art World: Tate North American Acquisitions Committee (Member), Dieu Donne (Trustee)
MS, Illinois Institute of Technology; BA, Lake Forest College
Ron Appel, Lead Engineer
Background: Ramona Optics
PhD, CalTech; MS, BASc, University of Toronto
ADVISORS
Amy Cappellazzo
Background: Art Intelligence Global (Founding Partner), Sotheby’s (Vice President & Chairman of the Fine Art Division), Art Intelligence Global (Co-Founder), Christie’s (Chairman of Postwar and Contemporary Development)
Julian Dawes
Head of Impressionist and Modern Art, Sothebyʼs
Roarke Horstmeyer
Head of Computational Optics Lab, Duke University; Scientific Director, Ramona Optics
Kate Adamson
Background: Plaid, JP Morgan
BA, Princeton
Devin Walsh
Background: Uniswap, CoinFund, ConsenSys, BlackRock
