Alliance Entertainment Leads ArtPics Funding Round with Strategic Investment

PRESS RELEASE GlobeNewswire
Nov. 9, 2026, 08:30 AM

PLANTATION, Fla., Nov. 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Alliance Entertainment Holding Corporation (NASDAQ: AENT), a scaled entertainment commerce and collectibles platform serving content owners, brands, retailers and fans across music, movies, gaming, licensed merchandise and collectibles, with proprietary brands, authentication technology and reach across more than 35,000 retail and e-commerce storefronts, today announced a $500,000 strategic investment in ArtPics Inc. as the lead investor in the company’s current funding round. The investment, made through a Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE), builds on Alliance’s existing commercial relationship with ArtPics and expands its participation in the market for original Fine Art collectibles.

Founded by collectibles entrepreneur and artist Gareb Shamus, ArtPics brings original Fine Art to the trading-card format. Each card is a unique work created directly by an artist, rather than a print or reproduction, combining the appeal of original art ownership with the accessibility and collectibility of trading cards. ArtPics already incorporates Endstate Authentic’s NFC technology into its original Fine Art trading cards, connecting physical artwork with digital authentication and ownership-related information.

ArtPics recently extended its commercial relationship with Endstate Authentic for an additional two years, reinforcing the companies’ ongoing collaboration in NFC-enabled authentication. Alliance also sees opportunities to support ArtPics’ expansion through its established retail relationships, distribution infrastructure and direct-to-consumer fulfillment capabilities.

“ArtPics brings together two passionate collecting communities: Fine Art and trading cards,” said Jeff Walker, Chief Executive Officer of Alliance Entertainment. “Gareb has a strong understanding of collectors and how to build a business around what they love. What makes this particularly compelling for us is that ArtPics is already using Endstate Authentic’s technology to authenticate these one-of-a-kind works. We are excited to lead this funding round and see opportunities to help ArtPics reach more collectors through Alliance’s relationships and capabilities.”

“We’re incredibly excited for Alliance Entertainment to lead ArtPics’ new funding round,” said Gareb Shamus, Founder and CEO of ArtPics. “We’ve worked closely with Endstate over the past year, integrating their patented NFC technology to help authenticate and protect every original ArtPics Fine Art trading card. As collecting and secondary markets continue to grow worldwide, this technology will play an integral role in the future of collectibles. Together with Alliance and Endstate Authentic, we’re combining original art, the excitement of trading cards, and physical ownership supported by digital authentication and provenance records to create an entirely new collecting experience for fans around the world.”

The strategic investment comes amid continued interest in original art and distinctive collectibles. According to the Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report 2026, global art sales increased 4% to an estimated $59.6 billion in 2025. A separate 2026 Art Basel and UBS survey found that 43% of surveyed high-net-worth collectors identified uniqueness and rarity as the most important attributes of art ownership. ArtPics’ one-of-one format brings those characteristics to a product designed to appeal to both art collectors and trading-card enthusiasts.

ArtPics brings original Fine Art to the trading-card format, creating a new way for collectors to discover, own and trade one-of-a-kind artwork. Each card features an original work created by an artist, rather than a print or reproduction, and is encapsulated and equipped with NFC-enabled technology that connects the physical artwork to digital authentication and provenance records. Founded by Gareb and Stephen Shamus, ArtPics works with a growing roster of artists to make original fine art more accessible to collectors. Gareb Shamus is the founder of Wizard Entertainment and co-founder of ACE Comic Con, and previously published iconic entertainment and collectibles magazines including Wizard, ToyFare, InQuest Gamer, and Anime Insider.

Learn more at artpicscards.com and on Instagram at @artpicscards.

Alliance Entertainment (NASDAQ: AENT) is a premier distributor and fulfillment partner for the entertainment and pop culture collectibles industry. With more than 340,000 unique in-stock SKUs – including over 57,300 exclusive titles across compact discs, vinyl LPs, DVDs, Blu-rays, and video games – Alliance offers the largest selection of physical media in the market. Our vast catalog also includes licensed merchandise, toys, retro gaming products, and collectibles, serving over 35,000 retail locations and powering e-commerce fulfillment for leading retailers. Alliance also owns and operates proprietary collectibles brands, including Handmade by Robots™, a stylized vinyl figure line featuring licensed characters from leading entertainment franchises, and Alliance Authentic™, a premium platform for authentic, certified, and individually numbered entertainment collectibles. In addition, Alliance operates Endstate Authentic, a dedicated NFC-enabled authentication and digital product identity platform supporting authenticated collectibles, resale, and brand protection. Leveraging decades of operational expertise, exclusive sourcing relationships, and a capital-light, scalable infrastructure, Alliance connects fans and collectors to the products, franchises, and experiences they value across formats and generations. For more information, visit www.aent.com.

Certain statements included in this Press Release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally are accompanied by words such as “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “should,” “would,” “plan,” “predict,” “potential,” “seem,” “seek,” “future,” “outlook,” and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding estimates and forecasts of other financial and performance metrics and projections of market opportunity. These statements are based on various assumptions, whether identified in this Press Release, and on the current expectations of Alliance’s management and are not predictions of actual performance. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as and must not be relied on by an investor as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction, or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of Alliance. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including risks relating to the anticipated growth rates and market opportunities; changes in applicable laws or regulations; the ability of Alliance to execute its business model, including market acceptance of its systems and related services; Alliance’s reliance on a concentration of suppliers for its products and services; increases in Alliance’s costs, disruption of supply, or shortage of products and materials; Alliance’s dependence on a concentration of customers, and failure to add new customers or expand sales to Alliance’s existing customers; increased Alliance inventory and risk of obsolescence; Alliance’s significant amount of indebtedness; our ability to refinance our existing indebtedness; risks that a breach of the revolving credit facility could result in the lender declaring a default and that the full outstanding amount under the revolving credit facility could be immediately due in full, which would have severe adverse consequences for the Company; known or future litigation and regulatory enforcement risks, including the diversion of time and attention and the additional costs and demands on Alliance’s resources; Alliance’s business being adversely affected by increased inflation, uncertainty regarding tariffs, higher interest rates and other adverse economic, business, and/or competitive factors; geopolitical risk and changes in applicable laws or regulations; as well as our financial condition and results of operations; substantial regulations, which are evolving, and unfavorable changes or failure by Alliance to comply with these regulations; product liability claims, which could harm Alliance’s financial condition and liquidity if Alliance is not able to successfully defend or insure against such claims; availability of additional capital to support business growth; and the inability of Alliance to develop and maintain effective internal controls.

Dave Gentry
RedChip Companies, Inc.
1-407-644-4256
AENT@redchip.com

ArtPics Investor and Media Contact

Gareb Shamus
Founder and CEO, ArtPics
gareb@artpicscards.com
artpicscards.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c3cef7ef-2f93-4217-979f-4d5b363477e0

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