Last updated 7 months ago
Manual processes and fragmented tools challenge wineries in Moldova and globally; lack of traceability, compliance, and DLT adoption hinders efficiency, trust, and export competitiveness.
WineOpSys - Intelligent Winery Operations Platform: Modernizing Viticulture with Integrated ERP and Blockchain Traceability.
This is the total amount allocated to WineOpSys via Originate - ERP with supply chain tracking.
Please provide your proposal title
WineOpSys via Originate - ERP with supply chain tracking
Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA
379000
Please specify how many months you expect your project to last
12
Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated
No
Original Language
en
What is the problem you want to solve?
Manual processes and fragmented tools challenge wineries in Moldova and globally; lack of traceability, compliance, and DLT adoption hinders efficiency, trust, and export competitiveness.
Supporting links
Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?
No
Describe any dependencies or write 'No dependencies'
No dependencies
Will your project's outputs be fully open source?
No
License and Additional Information
All blockchain-related code and research outputs will be open-sourced.
Specifically, all Cardano-related modules, both on-chain and off-chain, will be published under open-source licenses. In addition, documentation, research, and regulatory alignment resources will also be made public. This ensures other Cardano-based projects and businesses can easily adopt and comply with supply chain tracking standards, accelerating ecosystem-wide interoperability and adoption.
Please choose the most relevant theme and tag related to the outcomes of your proposal
Supply Chain
Describe your established collaborations.
Describe funding commitments.
There are no collaborator funding commitments for this project. All implementation costs will be covered solely through the requested Catalyst funding and the in-kind contributions of the project team. No external partners are providing financial resources or monetary contributions for the delivery of the proposed activities.
Describe your key performance metrics.
We will track adoption and performance via active winery onboardings (target: 100 within 12 months), tokenized batches/bottles on-chain, and user engagement from pilot wineries. KPIs include deployment success rates, transaction volumes, and feedback scores. All code, metrics, and progress will be open-sourced on GitHub, with live dashboards, monthly reports, and financial tracking ensuring transparency and trust.
Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem
WineOpSyS
Intelligent Winery Operations Platform: Modernizing Viticulture with Integrated ERP and Blockchain Traceability
Wineries often operate with high overhead and limited agility—factors that reduce competitiveness, hinder scalability, and constrain sustainability in increasingly globalized and export-driven markets.
Small to medium-sized producers in particular tend to rely on fragmented digital infrastructure. Key operational data—from vineyard activities and grape intake to fermentation, bottling, inventory management, and distribution—is typically managed across spreadsheets, paper records, and siloed software solutions that are not tailored to the specific workflows of winemaking. This disjointed setup leads to systemic inefficiencies, frequent data inconsistencies, and a high risk of manual error. As a result, routine operational processes become time-consuming and resource-intensive, requiring significant human effort to reconcile records, generate reports, and maintain regulatory compliance.
These challenges are further exacerbated by non-intuitive user interfaces that mimic raw database tables rather than offering workflow-oriented, user-friendly environments. As a result, usability suffers—particularly for field staff—and system adoption rates remain low. The absence of integrated systems and real-time visibility impedes production planning, forecasting, and order fulfillment. Meanwhile, inventory tracking, order execution, and coordination with financial systems remain heavily manual, delaying decision-making and increasing operational exposure to errors and inefficiencies.
Compliance—a critical concern for regulated industries like wine production—is similarly affected. Data silos and incomplete records turn audits into burdensome exercises and introduce elevated costs related to traceability and documentation. Without a unified operational platform and a secure system of record, wineries are unable to deliver end-to-end product traceability or meet rising expectations from data-driven, digital supply chains. This lack of digital maturity not only impairs internal efficiency but also limits the ability to compete in both domestic and international markets.
Through ongoing discussions with the National Office of Vine and Wine (ONVV), it has become evident that Moldova’s wine sector has a strong institutional ambition to embrace digital transformation. In particular, there is growing interest in the use of distributed ledger technologies (DLTs) as strategic enablers of transparency, regulatory compliance, and global competitiveness. To align with this vision, Blazar Labs has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ONVV, establishing a formal framework for collaboration on blockchain-powered solutions specifically designed for the wine sector. This agreement reflects increasing alignment between national institutions and private sector innovators in driving technological advancement in viticulture.
Concurrently, the blockchain-based supply chain tracking platform previously developed by Blazar Labs has seen growing adoption, with additional wineries and product lines being onboarded. This signals increasing demand from industry stakeholders for verifiable, tamper-proof systems that enhance transparency, traceability, and consumer trust. It also affirms the broader applicability of blockchain to viticulture and agribusiness contexts.
Current Status and Technical Roadmap
The WineOpSys minimum viable product (MVP) has been completed and is currently deployed in pilot mode with two partner wineries, both of which have signed commercial agreements. The immediate focus is to evolve this MVP into a full-scale production platform while advancing the go-to-market strategy and initiating broader user adoption.
From a technical perspective, the next milestone involves integrating digital signature capabilities by connecting the platform with Moldova’s national MSign service. This will enable secure, authenticated user interactions and ensure legal compliance in data management. In parallel, the platform will adopt the Cardano Foundation’s data anchoring protocol developed through the Originate project in Georgia. This integration will allow tamper-evident, verifiable records to be anchored on the Cardano blockchain, reinforcing the auditability and trustworthiness of operational data.
Following these implementations, WineOpSys will be fully integrated with the ONVV’s national registries, allowing seamless data exchange for traceability and regulatory reporting in accordance with Moldovan wine legislation.
Commercial Readiness and Onboarding
In parallel with technical development, commercial readiness will be supported through the finalization of a comprehensive sales kit, including tailored product presentations, brochures, and onboarding materials for wineries. A formal go-to-market strategy will be documented and validated, outlining communication channels, messaging pillars, and marketing tactics. Early-stage brand visibility will be amplified through targeted blog publications and strategic engagement with key opinion leaders (KOLs), while lead generation activities will build on momentum created during the OIV Congress. Foundational training materials will also be developed to support onboarding for wineries and distribution partners.
To support this expansion, a robust customer support infrastructure will be established, including a ticketing system and structured onboarding workflows. At least three previously identified wineries will be onboarded during this phase, each with full MSign integration to ensure secure, authenticated interactions by registered economic agents. Internal support documentation and operational procedures will be finalized to facilitate scalable deployment and ensure consistent service delivery.
Feature Expansion and Mobile Enablement
WineOpSys will expand its core functionality by integrating with accounting systems (notably 1C), supporting automated reporting, reconciliation, and improved financial visibility. A dedicated mobile/tablet application will be developed to serve distributed operational roles—including pickers, weighers, and agronomists—using customized role-based interfaces. To ensure usability in low-connectivity environments, the application will support offline data capture with synchronization capabilities once connectivity is restored. Comprehensive user manuals and training materials will be produced to streamline onboarding for both mobile users and accounting personnel.
Regional and Global Expansion
Once core functionality and national registry integration are stabilized, WineOpSys will pursue regional expansion through an account-based marketing campaign targeting wineries in Romania and Georgia. Platform visibility and user acquisition will be supported by participation in major industry events and wine trade conferences, with the goal of cultivating new leads and reinforcing domain authority.
In the final project phase, a global expansion initiative will be launched, targeting international wineries and leveraging leads generated from the OIV Congress and related events. Continuous platform improvements will be driven by feedback from the growing user base, ensuring WineOpSys remains adaptive, user-centric, and responsive to operational needs across diverse market contexts.
Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community
The launch of WineOpSys marks more than a technological upgrade for international and Moldova’s wineries. It represents a systemic shift towards competitiveness, transparency, and sustainability in one of the country’s most important industries. By moving from fragmented systems to an integrated, blockchain-enabled platform, wineries unlock opportunities for efficiency, growth, and global recognition.
The most immediate impact is felt at the level of competitiveness. With operational data unified across vineyard activities, production, and distribution, wineries gain real-time visibility and control. This reduces the human effort previously required to reconcile records and generate reports, while enabling faster, data-driven decisions. For small and medium-sized producers, who form the backbone of Moldova’s wine industry, this transformation levels the playing field with larger enterprises, making them more agile and better equipped to compete in export-driven markets.
Compliance and traceability also undergo a fundamental change. Once integrated with national systems, WineOpSys will allow wineries to demonstrate compliance seamlessly, while anchoring records on Cardano ensures that all data is secure, verifiable, and tamper-evident. This drastically reduces the cost and complexity of audits and strengthens the credibility of Moldovan wine on international markets. The inclusion of digital signatures via MSign means that every transaction is authenticated, giving regulators, producers, and consumers confidence in the integrity of the system. What was once a costly administrative burden becomes a trust-building asset that reinforces Moldova’s reputation as a reliable wine exporter.
Beyond individual wineries, the project drives institutional and ecosystem-level adoption of blockchain. Through the partnership with ONVV, WineOpSys serves as a bridge between government, industry, and decentralized infrastructure. This positions Cardano as a trusted foundation for regulatory-grade systems, setting a precedent for how blockchain can be used in other agricultural and regulated industries. The result is not just a stronger Moldovan wine industry but also a replicable model for digital transformation in sectors where trust and compliance are paramount.
The impact also extends to sustainability and long-term industry growth. With centralized and reliable data, wineries can forecast more accurately, reduce waste, and optimize resource allocation across the production cycle. These efficiencies translate into more sustainable viticulture practices, aligning the sector with global trends towards environmentally responsible production. At the same time, improved visibility into inventory and distribution enhances the ability of producers to access new markets and expand exports. The planned regional rollout in Romania and Georgia builds on this momentum, establishing Eastern Europe as a hub for blockchain-enabled viticulture and extending Cardano’s reach into new markets.
Perhaps most importantly, WineOpSys empowers the people behind the wine industry. The platform has been designed with usability at its core, ensuring that field workers, pickers, agronomists, and administrative staff can easily interact with it, even in low-connectivity environments. Coupled with training and onboarding programs, this fosters higher adoption rates, improves productivity, and raises the digital literacy of the workforce. Rather than being sidelined by modernization, small producers and rural workers are brought into the center of digital transformation, benefiting directly from tools that make their daily tasks easier and more transparent.
In the long term, the true impact of WineOpSys lies in its ability to demonstrate how blockchain can create meaningful, real-world change. By embedding Cardano into national systems and industry workflows, the project delivers not just a product, but a proof of concept for how decentralized technology can support regulatory compliance, global trade, and sustainable growth. This positions Moldova as a pioneer in digital viticulture and establishes a pathway for Cardano-powered solutions to scale across agriculture and beyond.
What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?
Blazar Labs enters this project with the credibility of a proven track record, a team that combines technical expertise with industry knowledge, and institutional partnerships that ensure alignment with Moldova’s national wine sector. Our ability to deliver WineOpSys is not theoretical: it is grounded in past results, established relationships, and a clear operational roadmap.
Our track record in Project Catalyst demonstrates both competence and reliability. In Fund 11, we successfully delivered the Wine Supply Chain Tracking and Reporting System, exceeding expectations by going beyond the original scope. In addition to onboarding the intended wineries, we expanded adoption to new partners, integrated advanced tokenization features, introduced multi-language support, and deployed automated reporting tools. We also launched a user-friendly explorer and piloted Hydra features, delivering all of this within budget. This experience not only validated our technical capacity but also confirmed our ability to deliver complex blockchain-enabled solutions that directly serve regulated industries.
The current team builds on this foundation while expanding its capacity.
At the core is Tudor Cotruța, Project Lead and Community Manager, who has been deeply engaged in the Cardano ecosystem for years, organizing more than ten meetups, workshops, and stakeholder engagements. His experience in Fund 11 positions him to manage community-facing aspects while coordinating delivery.
Sorin Canter, our Tech Lead, brings more than 20 years of experience in software development, system integrations, and applied mathematics, ensuring robust design and execution of complex features such as MSign integration and Cardano anchoring through Originate.
Alexandr Avanesean, Operations and Marketing Lead, leverages over two decades in project management and international marketing with global companies like Mondelez and HAVAS, while also bringing deep personal knowledge of winemaking through his family background in viticulture. This unique combination makes him particularly effective in building trust with wineries, shaping the go-to-market strategy, and aligning platform design with real-world workflows.
The delivery crew itself consists of five dedicated engineers and UX designers who carried over from Fund 11, ensuring zero ramp-up time. Their experience with tokenization, reporting systems, and UI/UX for winery staff translates into continuity and rapid execution. To complement this technical expertise, we have engaged wine industry specialists (enologists, agronomists, and supply chain consultants) who provide domain-specific insights that are crucial for ensuring usability and sector adoption. Together, this mix of technical, operational, and industry expertise enables us to tackle both blockchain integrations and sector-specific requirements with precision.
Beyond the team, our partnerships reinforce feasibility. The Memorandum of Understanding with the National Office of Vine and Wine (ONVV) gives us a direct channel to regulatory bodies, ensuring that the platform is aligned with national requirements from the outset. Our co-hosted side event with the Cardano Foundation at the 46th OIV Congress of Vine and Wine in Chișinău further validated our approach and positioned WineOpSys on the international stage, attracting attention from stakeholders in more than 40 countries. Recent participation in an e-Governance masterclass led by the Cardano Foundation strengthened institutional understanding of blockchain traceability and reinforced our role as a trusted technology partner for government entities. These activities provide not only visibility but also tangible institutional backing for the project.
Transparency and accountability are built into our delivery process. All code and outputs will be open-sourced under Apache 2.0, with schema files, builders, and integration logic publicly auditable on GitHub. Progress will be communicated through monthly sprint reports, wallet-based financial tracking, and roadmap updates shared openly with the Catalyst community. A contingency buffer of 3% is included to manage ADA volatility, ensuring budget stability. In line with Catalyst standards, proof-of-life verifications and role disclosures will be provided for all team members, with no conflicts of interest.
Feasibility is further strengthened through structured validation steps. Proven code from Fund 11 will be reused wherever possible, reducing both risk and R&D overhead. Development milestones will be paired with testable artifacts deployed on testnet, allowing for community review and iterative refinement. The pilot phase will include validation at four wineries of varying size and ownership models: large-scale producers like Radacini and Cricova, as well as mid-sized independents like Minis Terrios and Poiana Winery. This ensures that scalability, usability, and integrations are tested across a representative spectrum of industry contexts.
Risk is actively managed through metrics-driven progress tracking. Key indicators such as system uptime, data integrity, user adoption rates, and on-chain anchoring performance will be measured continuously. Feedback will be captured from pilot wineries through surveys and structured reviews, directly feeding into platform improvements. The scope is tightly bound to a 12-month implementation horizon, with governance approvals required for any changes, ensuring predictability. Technical risks around high-frequency metadata handling are mitigated by leveraging Originate’s capabilities and subjecting smart contracts and APIs to independent review by Cardano experts.
Taken together, these elements, our track record of overdelivery, an experienced and multidisciplinary team, government partnerships, transparent governance practices, and a rigorous validation plan, make WineOpSys both a credible and feasible undertaking. We are fully equipped to deliver the platform on time, within budget, and at the level of quality required to generate lasting impact for wineries, regulators, and the global Cardano ecosystem.
Milestone Title
Originate Network Integration and Market Launch Preparation
Milestone Outputs
Data Anchoring Solution: Engage with blockchain experts and the Cardano Foundation to determine the best-fit anchoring approach for WineOpSys. This may include full or partial integration with Originate, leveraging its proven methodology and example of successful collaboration with government institutions.
Sales kit finalized, including product presentations, brochures, and onboarding materials for wineries.
Go-to-market strategy documented and approved; communications and creation of marketing channels, with direct engagement and feedback collection from attendees of the WineOpSys OIV Congress side-event.
Blog content published, KOL (Key Opinion Leader) engagement completed, and leads collected from ONV Congress follow-ups.
Initial training materials for wineries and distributors prepared.
Acceptance Criteria
Selected blockchain anchoring method documented and first implementation module developed.
Sales kit and marketing materials reviewed, approved, and ready for distribution or in print.
Go-to-market strategy finalized and validated with feedback from OIV Congress side-event attendees.
Blog and KOL campaigns live and analytics tracking engagement.
Training materials completed, reviewed by at least 2 pilot wineries, and approved for onboarding use.
Evidence of Completion
Technical report with chosen approach and a working version of the blockchain anchoring module in WineOpSys.
Digital copies of sales kit and Go-to-market strategy.
Approved go-to-market document and feedback report from OIV Congress side-event attendees.
Published blog posts and social media engagement reports.
Finalized training documents and confirmation from pilot wineries.
Delivery Month
2
Cost
75
Progress
20 %
Milestone Title
Seamless ONVV Registry Integration and Client Onboarding
Milestone Outputs
Integration with ONVV registries completed for traceability and compliance.
Customer support system established (ticketing, knowledge base, onboarding process).
Onboard at least 3 existing interested wineries with full MSign integration for economic agent authentication.
Internal documentation for support and onboarding finalized.
Acceptance Criteria
ONVV registry integration verified with at least 3 test cases.
Customer support system operational and tested internally.
Three wineries successfully onboarded and authenticated via MSign.
Documentation for internal teams and clients completed and approved.
Evidence of Completion
Test reports demonstrating successful ONVV integration.
Screenshots of customer support system setup and workflow.
Onboarding records for 3 clients.
Signed internal documentation.
Delivery Month
2
Cost
70000
Progress
30 %
Milestone Title
Accounting System Integration and Mobile Role-Specific Views
Milestone Outputs
Acceptance Criteria
Evidence of Completion
Delivery Month
3
Cost
70000
Progress
50 %
Milestone Title
Regional Expansion and Conference Participation
Milestone Outputs
Acceptance Criteria
Evidence of Completion
Delivery Month
5
Cost
45000
Progress
70 %
Milestone Title
Global Expansion and Industry Event Engagement
Milestone Outputs
Global expansion campaign launched targeting international wineries.
Leads generated from OIV Congress and other wine events captured and logged and in continuous work.
Continuous improvement of platform based on feedback from expanded user base.
Acceptance Criteria
At least 10 international wineries engaged with the platform through campaigns.
ONV Congress and events participation confirmed with measurable results.
Feedback collected and used to implement platform refinements.
Evidence of Completion
CRM and campaign reports showing international engagement.
Conference attendance certificates or event participation proof.
Updated platform change log with improvements implemented.
Delivery Month
8
Cost
40000
Progress
90 %
Milestone Title
Project Finalization and Post-Launch Scaling Preparation
Milestone Outputs
Acceptance Criteria
Final closeout report reviewed, approved by stakeholders, and publicly accessible.
Final closeout video published and accessible to the community.
End-to-end demo video link available demonstrating full platform flows.
Evidence of Completion
Public link to final closeout report.
Public link to final closeout video.
Published demo video link showing end-to-end platform flows.
Delivery Month
1
Cost
55000
Progress
100 %
Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources
Milestone 1
Originate Network Integration and Market Launch Preparation
Data Anchoring Solution 40
Sales kit finalized, including product presentations, brochures, and onboarding materials for wineries. 15
Go-to-market strategy documented and approved, including communications and marketing channels. 14
Initial training materials for wineries and distributors prepared. 6
Total 75 000
Milestone 2
Seamless ONVV Registry Integration and Client Onboarding
Integration with ONVV registries completed for traceability and compliance. 40
Customer support system established (ticketing, knowledge base, onboarding process). 12
Onboard at least 3 existing interested wineries with full MSign integration for economic agent authentication. 15
Internal documentation for support and onboarding finalized. 5
Blog content, KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) engagement and leads collected from OIV Congress follow-ups. went to Milestone 3 22
Total 94 000
Milestone 3
Accounting System Integration and Mobile Role-Specific Views
Integration with accounting system. 50
Mobile/tablet application developed with custom views for distributed roles: picker, weigher, agronomist. 15
User manuals for mobile roles and accounting integration prepared. 5
Total 70 000
Milestone 4
Regional Expansion and Conference Participation
International expansion plan executed for account-based marketing in Romania and Georgia. 4
Participation in key conferences and events for networking, visibility, and lead generation. 20
Content campaigns launched with social posts, webinars, videos, and online events/podcasts on wine digitalisation. 14
Targeted outreach executed via email campaigns, collaborations, and workshop proposals. 7
Total 45 000
Milestone 5
Global Expansion and Industry Event Engagement
Total 40 000
Milestone 6
Project Finalization and Post-Launch Scaling Preparation
Final closeout report prepared and published. 10
Final closeout video created and made publicly available. 8
End-to-end demo video of WineOpSys platform flows delivered. 2
Ambassadorship program definition and promotion 20
Mass onboarding 15
Total 55 000
Grand total 379
How does the cost of the project represent value for the Cardano ecosystem?
Our request represents exceptional value for the Cardano ecosystem by transforming a proven MVP into a scalable SaaS platform that drives real-world adoption in the wine industry, generates sustained on-chain activity through Supply Chain data anchoring and RWA tokenization and creates open-source tools for global reuse. This funding builds directly on our Fund 12 MVP overdelivery, leveraging partnerships and efficient development to minimize costs while maximizing long-term impact.
Here is how and why:
In summary, this proposal delivers a high-impact, partnership-driven solution that recycles successful Fund 11 elements, aligns with local economics, and builds enduring open assets. By investing in WineOpSys, Cardano gains a showcase for sustainable innovation in agriculture, fostering transaction volume, community expansion, and long-term value far exceeding the initial outlay.
Terms and Conditions:
Yes
Tudor Cotruța is an accomplished entrepreneur and strategic operator with a diversified background spanning event management, destination branding, business development and large-scale logistics. Over the past four years, he has emerged as a recognized leader within the Cardano ecosystem, driving initiatives that bridge blockchain innovation with real-world industry applications. In this project, his role will be to maintain and facilitate the interaction with the Cardano ecosystem, manage the project to ensure deadlines and commitments are met, as well as actively contribute to communication with businesses, developers, and other entities.
transformation.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tudorct/
X: https://x.com/cotruta_tudor
Sorin Canter is licensed in applied mathematics and has a master's in information technology and has over 20 years of experience in the IT industry in various roles like engineer, consultant, teacher, and coach, as well as extensive leadership and management experience. Throughout his experience, he has worked in various industries like Financial Markets, Banking and Payments, Insurance, Retail and Logistics, Media, Publishing, and more. His role will be to provide an analytical flavor to the project, digest and leverage technical matters, and proactively get involved in the events as a speaker and coach. He will also be contributing alongside Tudor to community building by leveraging his broad network both in academic as well as business realms.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sorin-canter-21716327/
Alexandr Avanesean is a cross‑disciplinary growth catalyst with 20 years’ experience across marketing (Mondelez chocolate brands), broadcast media (CTC Media, RTR), top media agencies (Starcom, HAVAS), and large-scale industrial projects (including relaunching one of the Black Sea region’s largest grain processing facilities).
At Blazar Labs, he serves as Project Lead and government liaison, co-authoring ASEM’s accredited blockchain syllabus and steering company administration. His systems-thinking, data-driven mindset, and crisis-management background ensure reliable coordination of multi-stakeholder initiatives under tight timelines.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/avanesean/