Gaming
CES2025: Free, AI-powered cultural, tourism app looks for international partners
MUMBAI: Making waves at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, Cryptors in the City is being positioned as the world’s first AI-powered cultural app. Free, ad-free, and multilingual, this innovative app transforms cities into immersive playgrounds where history comes alive, reimagining exploration as an interactive adventure.
At the heart of the app are Cryptors—pixelated ceramic artworks crafted by renowned comic artist Guillaume Mazurage (Mazu). Strategically installed near iconic landmarks, these street art creations come to life through a simple smartphone scan. Acting as guides and companions, Cryptors engage users with interactive challenges, fascinating insights, and fun-filled exploration.
Founded in 2023 by Louis de Carolis, Mazu, and Florent de Carolis, Cryptors in the City blends cutting-edge technology with a passion for cultural preservation. Supported by esteemed institutions like Château de Cheverny, Deauville, and the Île-de-France municipalities, the app aims to captivate global audiences by fostering intergenerational connections and promoting immersive tourism.
With Cryptors in the City, users become the heroes of their own cultural journeys. Each step transforms into a treasure hunt, seamlessly blending history with modern exploration. Iconic locations become starting points for immersive quests, making every walk an engaging and educational experience.
Inspired by 1980s retro gaming aesthetics, the pixelated Cryptors come to life with enriched conversational AI. These historical figures share captivating anecdotes, pose thought-provoking quizzes, and offer personalized challenges. High scores unlock unlimited access to conversations with Cryptors, each imbued with a unique personality and deep historical knowledge. Imagine exchanging ideas with Aurangzeb or Mahatma Gandhi in real time!
“With Cryptors in the City, history and heritage become interactive playgrounds,” says Mazu, the app’s artistic director & co-founder. “Reimagining historical figures through a fresh lens makes them accessible and relatable to younger generations. For CES, Sacajawea was the perfect choice.”
Cryptors in the City was founded with three key objectives: to preserve and share cultural heritage in innovative ways; to bridge generational gaps and captivate younger audiences and to offer immersive, year-round tourism experiences.
By blending street art, AI, and retro gaming aesthetics, the app creates an engaging, interactive universe. “Our goal is to transform tourism into a connected, educational, and entertaining adventure,” says Louis de Carolis, the app’s president & co-founder.
With over 3.09 billion gamers worldwide (expected to grow to 3.32 billion by 2024), gaming is a powerful tool for engaging communities. Cryptors in the City draws inspiration from this global phenomenon, merging gaming elements with cultural exploration to connect users with history while revitalising cities and tourist sites.
Cryptors in the City is preparing for its next chapter with a fundraising campaign. Its key goals include: enhancing user experiences with augmented reality, creating dynamic 3D playgrounds; expanding to new cities across France and exploring opportunities in international markets. This vision aims to overlay immersive, interactive elements onto real-world settings, transforming streets and monuments into vibrant, living experiences.
Whether enjoyed solo, with friends, or as a family, Cryptors in the City transforms exploration into meaningful adventures. By integrating diverse forms of heritage—cultural, historical, artistic, natural, and even sports-related—the app creates connections across generations and offers a revolutionary way to experience the world.
Cryptors in the City is more than just an app—it’s a bridge between the past and the future, powered by the creativity of its founders and the limitless possibilities of AI.
Gaming
Bluestone FY26 revenue rises to Rs 2,436 crore, turns profitable
Q4 profit at Rs 31 crore, full-year profit at Rs 13 crore vs loss last year.
MUMBAI: From sparkle to numbers, Bluestone seems to be polishing more than just jewellery this year. Bluestone Jewellery and Lifestyle Limited reported a sharp turnaround in FY26, with revenue from operations rising to Rs 2,436 crore (Rs 24,364 million), up from Rs 1,770 crore (Rs 17,700 million) in FY25. The company posted a full-year profit of Rs 13 crore (Rs 131.79 million), a significant recovery from a loss of Rs 222 crore (Rs 2,218 million) a year ago.
Total income for the year stood at Rs 2,486 crore (Rs 24,860 million), compared to Rs 1,830 crore (Rs 18,300 million) in the previous year, reflecting both topline growth and improved operational momentum.
The March quarter, however, told a more nuanced story. Revenue from operations came in at Rs 681 crore (Rs 6,814 million), down from Rs 748 crore (Rs 7,486 million) in the year-ago period, though higher than Rs 461 crore (Rs 4,613 million) in the preceding December quarter. Net profit for Q4 stood at Rs 31 crore (Rs 311.81 million), compared to Rs 68 crore (Rs 688 million) a year earlier, but a clear reversal from a loss of Rs 51 crore (Rs 512 million) in Q3.
Margins were shaped by higher input costs, with raw material consumption rising to Rs 2,204 crore (Rs 22,043 million) for the full year, alongside employee benefit expenses of Rs 282 crore (Rs 2,824 million) and finance costs of Rs 210 crore (Rs 2,104 million). Other expenses came in at Rs 371 crore (Rs 3,715 million), slightly lower than Rs 393 crore (Rs 3,938 million) in FY25.
On the balance sheet front, total assets expanded to Rs 4,961 crore (Rs 49,610 million) as of March 31, 2026, from Rs 3,532 crore (Rs 35,322 million) a year earlier, driven largely by a surge in inventories to Rs 2,672 crore (Rs 26,718 million). Equity also strengthened to Rs 1,803 crore (Rs 18,030 million), nearly doubling from Rs 911 crore (Rs 9,107 million).
Cash flows reflected the cost of growth. Net cash used in operating activities stood at Rs 199 crore (Rs 1,990 million), while investing activities saw an outflow of Rs 239 crore (Rs 2,392 million). Financing activities, however, generated Rs 497 crore (Rs 4,971 million), helping the company end the year with cash and cash equivalents of Rs 108 crore (Rs 1,075 million), up from Rs 49 crore (Rs 487 million).
Earnings per share for FY26 came in at Rs 1.10, a sharp improvement from a negative Rs 79.74 in FY25, underlining the shift from losses to profitability.
With revenue scaling up, costs still glittering on the higher side, and profitability finally back in the black, BlueStone’s FY26 performance suggests a business mid-transition less about shine alone, and more about sustaining it.
