• Zeko Labs

  Participated · Seed · Apr 2024

  Zeko Labs is developing the Zeko Protocol, a cross-chain zero-knowledge scaling protocol built on Mina in partnership with o1Labs and the Mina Foundation. The protocol aims to give developers advanced zero-knowledge-proof capabilities, including recursive proof aggregation, to expand the design space for both EVM and non-EVM applications. Zeko positions its technology to enable privacy-preserving zkApps that support finance, AI, gaming, and broader internet services while improving scalability, data security, and interoperability. The company says the protocol will empower individuals with greater control over assets and identity and lower barriers to entry for developers and enterprises. Zeko plans to use newly secured capital to expand the team, accelerate product development, grow its developer community, and foster strategic partnerships across blockchain and traditional software sectors. The company recently closed a $3 million pre-seed funding round to support these efforts.

• Usual Labs

  Participated · Equity · Apr 2024

  Usual issues USD0, a community-focused, yield-bearing stablecoin launched out of stealth in early 2024. USD0 is backed 1:1 by real-world assets—primarily U.S. Treasurys—and the protocol is governed by the USUAL token. The protocol is designed to distribute real yields generated by its reserve holdings to holders, and it projects an 80% annualized yield. Users can stake USD0 for up to four years to earn rewards paid in USUAL. USD0 crossed a $1 billion market capitalization and was approaching $1.5 billion, making it the seventh-largest stablecoin by market cap and the sixth most-traded by volume, per CoinGecko. Usual recently inked a deal with onchain stablecoin infrastructure firm M^0 to help expand its backing assets, and its founder and CEO Pierre Person is a former vice president of the presidential political party that spearheaded France’s crypto asset legislation and an ex-member of the French Parliament. Usual Labs is developing Usual, an innovative protocol that bridges traditional finance and decentralized finance via the USD0 stablecoin. The project includes a Liquid Deposit Token (LDT) designed to establish the offering as a DeFi-native stablecoin. The company has committed $75M in Total Value Locked (TVL) to ensure the protocol’s timely launch. Usual Labs raised $7M in funding to support its next steps. The funds will be used to prepare for the pre-launch of the USD0 stablecoin on the Ethereum mainnet in Q2 2024. The company was founded in 2022 in Paris by CEO Pierre Person, Design Executive Officer Adli Takkal Bataille, and COO Hugo Sallé de Chou.

• Saga.xyz

  Participated · Seed · Nov 2023

  Saga is a Layer-1 protocol and developer ecosystem built around an Integrated Stack that provides automated, high-performance, gasless, interoperable, and customizable chains called Chainlets. The protocol emphasizes developer needs, aiming to remove barriers like high gas fees, congestion, and complexity associated with modular stacks. Saga reported 295 Innovator projects building on its protocol in less than two years and expects over 300 by its Mainnet launch in early 2024. Its Incentivized Testnet Pegasus logged over 150,000 transactions and opened 30,000 wallets within two weeks, among one of the highest participant counts for an ITN. Saga plans to expand its engineering team, grow community and ecosystem activation, and scale its Saga Innovator Program through strategic partnerships with projects such as Polygon, Avalanche, and Celestia. The company also announced token airdrops to Pegasus participants and other community members subject to eligibility terms.

No current team members are available.