Participated · Equity · May 2024

Matera is building a platform that melds decentralized finance with established Web2 social networks so creators can earn and exchange “Matera Points” for liquidity and other rewards. Rather than replacing incumbent platforms, the company functions as a bridge, allowing creators to keep their current audiences while benefiting from Web3 economics. Its infrastructure roadmap includes a dedicated DeFi platform, a protocol layer, and an eventual layer-2 blockchain network. Matera currently supports creators on X (formerly Twitter) and plans to integrate additional social media channels. CEO Sam Huber believes Web3 SocialFi has struggled because it underestimates Web2 network effects, and Matera aims to remove those switching costs. The company projects its approach could help push the creator economy beyond $1 trillion by 2030 and bring 100 million creators and followers on-chain. To date, it has raised $3.6 million to fund these ambitions.

Participated · Series A · Mar 2024

IO Research develops io.net, a Solana-based DePIN that aggregates GPU computing power for AI and ML companies. The network enables teams to scale workloads across a distributed GPU pool with minimal adjustments. io.net handles orchestration, scheduling, fault tolerance, and scaling and supports preprocessing, distributed training, hyperparameter tuning, reinforcement learning, and model serving. It is designed to serve general-purpose Python computation for AI/ML workloads. Launched in November 2023, the network reports over 25,000 GPUs and has processed more than 40,000 compute hours for AI and ML firms. IO Research plans to use the new funding to expand operations and continue development; the company is led by Ahmad Shadid.

Participated · Series B · Apr 2023

LandVault is a UK-based metaverse builder focused on creating immersive virtual experiences and commercial metaverse projects. The company is expanding its commercial operations across Dubai, Europe, Asia, and the US. It is building Matera, a protocol intended to make the metaverse more accessible, and plans to invest in AI-powered tools to accelerate monetisation and content creation. LandVault says it aims for a 'WordPress moment' to make building virtual experiences as easy as creating a website and is investing heavily in R&D. The company has established itself in about a year as one of the most active metaverse builders. Financially, LandVault raised an additional $3 million in an extended Series B, which adds to a $25 million Series B fundraise in October 2021.

Participated · Seed · Dec 2022

Dogamí builds a Web3 mobile game and companion applications centered on collectible NFT virtual dogs. Its mobile app, DOGA House, lets owners play with, feed, pet, and walk their NFT dogs and earn rewards in the native $DOGA cryptocurrency; the app is exclusive to Dogamí NFT holders on iOS and Android. The project currently offers 12,000 unique virtual NFT companions across four rarity tiers and has released fifteen breeds, including Shiba Inu, Corgi, and Australian Shepherd. Co-founded in mid-2021, the team includes CEO Max Stöckl, COO Adrien Magdelaine, CBO Kristofer D. Penseyres and CTO Bilal El Alamy. Dogamí plans to expand features such as avatar personalization with branded accessories, game environment development, new animations and interactions, augmented reality, mini-games, and competitions between Dogamers. The company is also developing a new mobile game slated for 2023 to offer adventures with virtual companions. Dogamí raised $14M in Seed funding to scale its Web3 games and mainstream applications.

Participated · Seed · Sep 2022

Smobler Studios specializes in multimedia creative ideation, design thinking, storyboarding, 3D, graphic and technical design, animation, video production and metaverse development. The studio was founded by Dr Loretta Chen and Ruel Sarmiento, combining creative direction, media and academic experience with art, gaming and trained architecture. Headquartered in Singapore with offices in Canada, the USA and Bhutan, Smobler has already onboarded clients including The Food Bank Singapore and Aventis Graduate School. The company closed a USD$1.2m seed funding round to scale operations and form joint ventures to create voxel art and gamemaker academies to train virtual architects and metaverse designers. Smobler plans to use the funding to expand its reach into Asia, Latin America, Canada and the USA.