Participated · Seed · Aug 2023

Linera is a San Francisco-based, low-latency blockchain that scales via microchains to bring web2-like scalability to web3 applications. Its architecture removes mempools and minimizes validator interactions to optimize performance and enable horizontal scalability for use cases with many parallel active users, such as retail payments, gaming micro-payments, messaging, proprietary trading, and bridges. The team, led by founder and CEO Mathieu Baudet and COO Bernadette Cay, has made an initial SDK available for Rust developers. Linera raised an additional $6M in Seed funding, bringing total seed proceeds to $12M. The company plans to use the funds to expand its team, launch a devnet and a testnet, foster a strategic presence in the APAC region, and continue growing its developer academy.

Participated · Seed · Jan 2023

Ethos Wallet is a San Diego-based crypto wallet and developer platform that enables users to store digital assets and discover and engage with decentralized applications. Co-founded by Nadia Eldeib (CEO) and Jared Cosulich (CTO), Ethos was the first application live on the Sui developer network and builds tooling to make it easier for developers to build decentralized applications on Sui. The company’s core product is an integrated wallet and wallet explorer that supports interactive, dynamic NFTs and has launched on-chain games including Sui 8192 as well as on-chain chess and checkers. Ethos intends to use its Seed funding to increase headcount, continue development of its wallet, developer infrastructure, and apps, and expand capabilities beyond traditional wallet functionality. The company raised $4.2M in a Seed round led by Boldstart Ventures and gumi Cryptos Capital with participation from several institutional and strategic investors. Its technology emphasizes ease-of-use and security to help users store and trade crypto and to enable discovery and interaction with applications on the Sui blockchain.

Participated · Series A · Dec 2022

Evertas is a Chicago, IL-based cryptoasset insurance company focused on covering the full spectrum of crypto risks for institutional holders of cryptoassets and blockchain technology. It covers exchanges, custodians, traditional financial institutions, funds, family offices, corporations, miners and net worth individuals. As a Lloyd’s coverholder, Evertas can write and service policies insuring custodial cryptoassets and blockchain infrastructure. The company is licensed to operate as a Class 3A Insurer by the Bermuda Monetary Authority. Led by CEO J. Gdanski and President Raymond Zenkich, Evertas intends to use new funding to expand underwriting capacity, add key personnel and further develop proprietary enabling technologies and standards. The company closed a $14M Series A to support those plans. Evertas has developed comprehensive underwriting tools and a framework for crypto, including blockchain and DLT systems. It offers an end-to-end insurance product for crypto that includes claims handling and comprehensive risk-management processes. The company says these capabilities allow it to underwrite and scale insurance products for the crypto ecosystem. Led by CEO J. Gdanski and President Raymond Zenkich, Evertas is headquartered in Chicago, IL. It raised $5.8M in seed funding and will use the proceeds to accelerate product development and build out infrastructure. The team also counts a number of industry operators and individual investors among its backers. Evertas provides insurance coverage for institutional holders of cryptoassets, including exchanges, custodians, traditional financial institutions, funds, family offices and ultra-high-net-worth individuals. The company focuses on underwriting risks faced by institutional crypto participants and operates as a licensed insurer. Founded in 2017 and rebranded from BlockRe, Evertas received a Class 3A licence from the Bermuda Monetary Authority earlier in 2020 to begin operating from that jurisdiction. The team includes experienced executives such as the founding Chief Insurance Officer of Lemonade and senior blockchain insurance and banking veterans. Evertas will use the seed funding to support its growth plans. The company emphasizes its world-leading team as it scales operations in the institutional crypto insurance market.

Participated · Seed · Oct 2022

Braavos is a self-custodial smart contract-based wallet built on StarkNet that provides an all-in-one crypto asset management solution. It uses advanced cryptography and smart-contract logic to keep assets in user custody while aiming to deliver an intuitive UX comparable to leading web2 platforms. The wallet enables users to connect to dApps, use a built-in exchange, view transactions via a Transaction Explainer, transfer ERC20 tokens, convert to USD, browse NFTs, and access developer tools. Braavos leverages Ethereum security and StarkNet scaling to offer lower fees and improved usability. The product is available as a browser extension and on iOS and Android, and includes a built-in Hardware Signer that uses device Trusted Execution Environments and biometrics to secure wallets. The company was founded in early 2022 and is based in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Led · Equity · Aug 2022

OrBit Markets is an institutional liquidity provider specializing in exotic options and structured products for digital assets. Founded this year by former leaders of Deutsche Bank’s currency division and headquartered in Singapore, the firm has built quantitative models and risk engines to provide liquidity across vanilla to the most exotic option structures. OrBit partners with CeFi platforms and DeFi protocols and has launched a number of innovative products aimed at safer investing and hedging solutions. The company offers market-making and bespoke structured products to institutions across CeFi, DeFi and TradFi. It raised $4.6M in an oversubscribed angel round, which it will use to accelerate development of proprietary technologies and expand its business footprint. OrBit plans to scale its client base and product offerings as institutional demand for advanced options strategies grows.