Pandemic-Era Art Tech Startups Are Here to Stay—But No Thanks to VC Funding

When former Christie’s co-chairman Loic Gouzer launched his auction app Fair Warning in 2020 as pandemic lockdowns halted art sales, it was an experiment. Last year, after a short break, he recommitted to the concept and, a few months ago, secured $5 million in a ten-day Series A funding round. In recent weeks, he has offered for sale two meditative landscape paintings by Lucas Arruda and Sterling Ruby from 2015 and 2013, respectively.
 
Fair Warning and several other major