The
finalists, in alphabetical order, are:

Artcrush
(Belgium) 
This company transforms public spaces into open-air
galleries by turning city billboards into digital
canvases – making art accessible to millions by bringing cultural experiences into everyday life.
Artcrush CEO Mathieu France said, “Artcrush being named a finalist for the
2025 DIAC Award marks our first international recognition. In
 just 3 years, we’ve deployed 15,000+
digital billboards across 15+ countries, showcasing outstanding art daily—a validation of both our global impact and the scalability of our model.”  

Loupe Art
(United States) 
The world’s first streaming platform for visual art, Loupe (loupe.art) turns screens into
curated art environments across homes, hotels, hospitals, and public spaces, supporting artists through licensing and
exposure. Loupe Art Curator Gabriella Silvagnoli
said, “This recognition celebrates our mission of connecting global audiences with contemporary artists in new and meaningful
ways. We’re excited to continue pushing the boundaries of how art is experienced in homes, businesses, public spaces, and beyond.”   

Peggy
(Canada) 
A social art marketplace powered by AI authentication and resale royalties. Peggy (peggy.art) democratizes art collecting by ensuring transparency, equity, and accessibility for both artists and collectors worldwide.
Peggy Co-founder & CEO Craig Follett
said, “This is a profound honor that we share with our entire community. The recognition belongs to the incredible artists, galleries, and collectors on Peggy who are together building a more accessible and connected art world. Our technology and infrastructure exist for one reason: to empower this community and advance
our shared vision of seeing art in every home. A heartfelt thank you to the Peggy team for their tireless work of the years, and to .ART for celebrating the community’s collective achievements.”  

SmartStamp (Switzerland) 
This ETH Zürich spin-off is developing a biometric authentication system for
artworks. SmartStamp turns a smartphone into a tool for creating tamper-proof digital passports anchored in blockchain, ensuring secure provenance and compliance with EU standards.
SmartStamp CCO Jonas Kastenhuber said, “This finalist nod is about
turning provenance into something you can trust (in seconds).
Less paperwork, more certainty and better art
practice gives artworks a digital identity and intelligent archive to make admin of it easy and fun.” 

WHATCLASS (United Kingdom) 
Revolutionizing music and cultural education by turning artists into teachers and fans into
co-creators. Backed by ABRSM and major streaming partners, WHATCLASS blends AI-personalized learning with scalable cultural participation.
WHATCLASS CEO Austen Smart noted, “WHATCLASS is creating the category-defining platform for arts education, where real human artists own their knowledge, earn from it, and fans learn directly from them. Being a DIAC finalist signals
a new era of cultural accredited education, with a model designed to scale globally, just like streaming itself.”

(Posted
September 22, 2025)