Management firm Underscore Talent opens a Web3 division (Exclusive)

Underscore Talent is betting big on Web3. The management company, launched in 2021 by Studio71 Co-Founders Dan Weinstein and Reza Izad, has announced a division called Underscore Labs. Through its new wing, Underscore will utilize a three-pronged approach to assemble a roster of blockchain-based intellectual property.

To head its Web3 Lab, Underscore has hired Brandon Eng, the Co-Founder of Purebase Studio. Eng’s venture, which has launched NFT collections like Lucky Zeros and Minisupers, will be woven into Underscore Labs. “Reza and Dan are at the forefront of digital and media,” Eng said in a statement, “and I am thrilled to partner with them to launch this new venture at the horizon of the next digital frontier.”

Underscore Labs will connect Web3 IP to “top creative talent in media.” NFT projects have evolved into entertainment properties, as evidenced by a recent music video that stars several members of the Bored Ape Yacht Club.

The second prong in Underscore’s approach is the incubation of owned-and-operated IP, which will be connected to the media world with the help of the creatives and media companies who make up Underscore Labs’ network. To round out its strategy, the new division will assist Web 2.0 standouts in fields like comic books, manga, anime, and webtoons. With Underscore’s help, those creators will move into the wild world of Web3.

Much of this development will take place in “the lab,” an invite-only Discord server. That’s where Eng and his collaborators will work on a token called the Underscore Labs Pass, which is due out in 2023. The plan is to expand the Discord server to 25,000 “superfans” over the coming year.

Studio71, which Weinstein and Izad turned into one of YouTube’s biggest networks, launched its first NFT collection last year. Other digital-focused management companies, such as We Are Verified, Loaded, and Range Media Partners, have also explored the potential of the blockchain.

Despite that excitement, Web3 remains mired in a so-called “crypto winter,” but Weinstein and Izad believe they have found the right leader to navigate through this tricky time. “Since we launched Underscore Talent, we have been strategically planning to develop a Web3 IP studio,” Izad said in a statement. “As soon as I met Brandon, I knew he was the partner to help us lead this game-changing venture that will become the industry standard.”

Underscore Talent represents more than 200 creators. Recent signees have included TikTok star Kodasteven, diver Brandon Jordan, and makeup artist Tati Westbrook.