Participated · Seed · May 2022

Masa Network is building a decentralized, privacy-first marketplace for personal data that leverages zero-knowledge and fully-homomorphic encryption to preserve user privacy. The platform lets users contribute data and earn rewards in Masa's native token while granting developers permissioned access to train AI models and build applications. Masa describes itself as a “Decentralized Google” for personal data and emphasizes data sovereignty and fair compensation for creators. The project plans a Q1 mainnet launch on a dedicated Avalanche Subnet through a strategic partnership with Avalanche. Since launching in August 2022, Masa reports over 1 million connected wallets, more than 15 million permissioned data points, and over 23,000 testnet node operators, with early adoption from projects like Avalanche, QuickSwap, Injective, and Celo. Financially, Masa announced a $5.4M Seed round that brings total funding to $9.2M. The company was incubated by Coinlist’s Seed Program and Binance’s Most‑Valuable‑Builder Accelerator. Masa Finance is a hybrid credit protocol and decentralized credit bureau that aggregates off-chain and on-chain data to create non-fungible on-chain credit reports. The platform links traditional financial accounts and credit bureau data with crypto holdings and on-chain signals, integrating over 10,000 off-chain sources across 78 countries and 26 on-chain integrations (exchanges and wallets such as Binance, Coinbase, FTX, Gemini and MetaMask). Built on Celo and Ethereum, Masa aims to give users ownership and sovereignty over their credit history and eventually migrate governance to a DAO structure. The company is launching out of beta with about 36,000 people signed up, most users in sub‑Saharan Africa (notably Nigeria and Kenya), more than 2,100 node operators on its live testnet, roughly 300 developer registrations and seven projects registered to integrate. Masa is preparing credit products including a credit builder loan, uncollateralized loans and an SME line of credit through its app, and hopes to partner with lending protocols such as Goldfinch. Financially, Masa raised $3.5M in pre‑seed funding, reports double‑digit growth each month since the start of the year, and plans a seed round to fund hires, the protocol's production release, a public token sale, and scale-up of node operators and developer and lender onboarding.

Led · Seed · Mar 2022

Maxwell Biosciences is an Austin, Texas-based health technology company developing a new category of immune-inspired small molecules called Claromers. Claromers are designed to mimic the body’s natural defenses and destroy pathogenic bacteria, viruses, fungi and biofilms without harming healthy cells or the microbiome. The company offers an AI-first platform to enable rapid innovation against resistant pathogens and to deliver scalable, shelf-stable, microbiome-resilient solutions. Maxwell is collaborating with multiple governments and select commercial partners to bring Claromer-based solutions to market, beginning with Claromer-based anti-aging cosmetics additives and molecules that target tested pathogenic bacteria and fungi. The company plans to use the $20M financing to expand commercialization into industries where nontoxic antiseptics are highly valued, including cosmetics, cleaning sprays and coatings. Maxwell is led by CEO and Founder Scotch McClure. Maxwell Biosciences develops CLAROMER™, a platform of patented synthetic, low-molecular-weight peptidomimetics designed to mimic human host-defense peptides such as LL-37. The technology targets viral membranes rather than viral proteins, aiming to reduce susceptibility to viral evolution and resistance. Preclinical studies and NIAID testing have shown activity against multiple coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-2, SARS-1, MERS, and Coronavirus Beta, and the compounds have been reported to be well tolerated in animal studies and human tissues in vitro. Maxwell has a large network of academic collaborators with more than 250 peer-reviewed studies supporting the approach and holds granted patents on the technology. The company has received non-dilutive support from DARPA, the NIH, Japan’s National Institute of Infectious Diseases and the Australian government. Maxwell closed an oversubscribed $10.8 million Seed capital raise to accelerate platform development, recruit talent, pursue clinical trials and scale manufacturing. Maxwell Biosciences is developing CLAROMER™ brand anti-infectives, a new small-molecule drug class that disrupts viral membranes and binds viral DNA/RNA. Preclinical studies and cryo-electron microscopy imaging (confirmed at independent labs) demonstrate broad-spectrum, direct virucidal activity against HBV, HCV, Influenza A, multiple SARS-CoV-2 strains, and HSV-1. Peer-reviewed research co-authored by a Maxwell Scientific Advisory Board member shows potent in vitro antiviral activity of related peptoids against HSV-1 and SARS-CoV-2. In vivo safety data in human tissue and animal models indicate tolerance at 1,000 µg/mL while antiviral activity was observed at 7 µg/mL, suggesting a potentially favorable therapeutic window for topical applications. The company holds a granted composition-of-matter patent portfolio and emphasizes academic collaborations and published evidence to support development. Maxwell plans to advance its CLAROMER program toward clinical-stage development using recent investor support.