Bankless Ventures
Description
Bankless Ventures is an early-stage venture capital fund dedicated to investing in the frontier of Web3. Established in 2022, the firm is an extension of the broader Bankless ecosystem, founded by the same team behind the widely recognized Bankless Media and BanklessDAO. This deep integration allows Bankless Ventures to leverage a vast network, community, and intellectual capital within the decentralized space, positioning it as a strategic partner for nascent crypto projects. The fund's primary focus is on empowering pioneers building the next generation of crypto protocols and applications.
The investment mandate for Bankless Ventures centers on pre-seed and seed-stage companies that are pushing the boundaries of Web3 innovation. Their investment thesis spans a wide array of categories within the decentralized landscape, including decentralized finance (DeFi), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), Layer 1 and Layer 2 solutions, blockchain gaming, and core infrastructure. The fund typically deploys first checks ranging from $250,000 to $1.5 million, providing crucial early capital to promising ventures. With a reported fund size of $35 million, Bankless Ventures possesses the capacity to support multiple high-potential projects through their initial growth phases.
Beyond capital, Bankless Ventures offers a unique value proposition to its portfolio companies by integrating them into the robust Bankless ecosystem. This includes access to the Bankless Media's extensive audience for visibility, engagement with the BanklessDAO's vibrant community for feedback and talent, and strategic guidance from experienced operators in the crypto space. This hands-on, ecosystem-driven approach aims to accelerate the development and adoption of its portfolio projects. Notable investments include foundational projects like LayerZero, Arbitrum, and Optimism, underscoring their commitment to backing impactful infrastructure and application layers within the Web3 space.
Investor Profile
Bankless Ventures has backed more than 46 startups, with 20 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 1 rounds, about 2% of its total and boasts 0 exits across its portfolio.
Investment Focus Highlights
- Concentrates on Seed, Series A, Series Unknown rounds (top funding stages).
- Majority of deals are located in United States, Cayman Islands, Singapore.
- Strong thematic focus on Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, Software.
- Typical check size: $250K – $1.5M.
Stage Focus
- Seed (63%)
- Series A (26%)
- Series Unknown (7%)
- Pre Seed (2%)
- Initial Coin Offering (2%)
Country Focus
- United States (57%)
- Cayman Islands (7%)
- Singapore (7%)
- Israel (4%)
- Argentina (2%)
- Canada (2%)
- Switzerland (2%)
- Finland (2%)
- Bermuda (2%)
Industry Focus
- Blockchain
- Cryptocurrency
- Software
- Information Technology
- Web3
- Ethereum
- Financial Services
- Artificial Intelligence (Ai)
- Cloud Computing
- Fintech
Frequently Asked Questions
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