EQ Tickets

EQ Tickets operates as a socially-oriented ticketing platform, aiming to address the high costs and transactional nature of the secondary ticket market for live events like music and sports. Founded in 2021 by brothers Ryan and Aaron Caradonna, along with artist-executive Matt Raposo (also known as Rapta), the company was born from their shared experiences and frustrations as both fans and industry professionals with the excessive fees in the ticketing industry.

The founders' backgrounds are directly relevant to the company's mission. The Caradonna brothers were avid event-goers from a young age. Ryan Caradonna has a background in the ticketing sector, having worked on tours for major artists, while Aaron Caradonna practiced entertainment law, representing talent. Rapta's experience as a touring music artist exposed him to the industry's outdated practices. This collective expertise from the fan, artist, and legal perspectives shaped the foundation of EQ Tickets.

The company's business model centers on offering tickets on the secondary market at significantly lower prices—up to 30% less than competitors—by charging a much smaller markup fee of around 5%. This strategy is designed to make events more accessible and transparent for fans. In addition to the resale market, the platform allows users and creators to host their own primary ticketed events, such as small concerts or tailgates. The platform generates revenue through these modest markup fees on secondary tickets and by providing primary ticketing services. A significant milestone for the company was securing a $2 million seed round led by Sage Venture Partners, an early investor in Apple, which enabled the company to refine its services and launch out of stealth mode.

The core service is a web platform that functions as a one-stop shop for what it terms the "total fan experience." A key differentiator is the integration of social features. Users can create profiles, connect with friends, share which events they are attending, and discover new events through their social network on the platform, moving beyond a purely transactional model. This approach aims to cultivate a community where fans can connect and share their experiences, similar to a social media platform like Instagram but focused on live events. Keywords: social ticketing, event tickets, live music, sports tickets, secondary ticket market, event discovery, fan community, affordable tickets, primary ticketing, live events, concert tickets, fan experience, ticket resale, event management platform, community building, ticketing fees, Rapta, Ryan Caradonna, Aaron Caradonna, Sage Venture Partners