Kronos Research logo

Kronos Research

Asia, T'ai-pei, Taiwan, Taipei

Description

Kronos Research, founded in 2018 and headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, is a prominent quantitative trading firm specializing in high-frequency trading, market making, and arbitrage within the cryptocurrency markets. Leveraging its deep expertise in digital asset liquidity and sophisticated trading algorithms, Kronos Research established Kronos Ventures as its dedicated venture capital arm. This strategic extension allows the firm to invest in and nurture promising early-stage blockchain and Web3 projects, aligning with its broader mission to support the growth and innovation of the decentralized ecosystem.

Kronos Ventures focuses on providing strategic capital and operational support to projects across various sectors of the blockchain industry. Its investment thesis targets innovative solutions in decentralized finance (DeFi), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), GameFi, core infrastructure, and other emerging Web3 applications. The venture arm differentiates itself by offering portfolio companies access to Kronos Research's extensive trading infrastructure, market insights, and liquidity provision capabilities, which can be invaluable for nascent crypto projects seeking to establish market presence and stability.

The firm actively participates in seed and early-stage funding rounds, demonstrating a flexible approach to investment sizes depending on the project's stage and capital requirements. For instance, Kronos Ventures notably led a $5 million seed round for the Solana-based DeFi protocol Zeta Markets in 2022, showcasing its capacity to anchor significant early-stage investments. Furthermore, the firm has participated in larger funding initiatives, such as the $15 million funding round for DODO in 2021, indicating its willingness to contribute to substantial growth rounds. While specific first cheque sizes can vary, Kronos Ventures typically targets initial investments ranging from $250,000 to $5,000,000, reflecting its commitment to fostering foundational growth within the crypto space.

Through Kronos Ventures, Kronos Research extends its influence beyond trading, actively shaping the future of decentralized technologies. Its unique position as both a leading quantitative trading firm and an active venture investor provides a symbiotic relationship, where its market insights inform investment decisions, and its portfolio companies benefit from unparalleled access to liquidity and market-making expertise. This integrated approach positions Kronos Ventures as a significant player in the crypto venture landscape, contributing to the development of robust and innovative blockchain solutions.

Investor Profile

Kronos Research has backed more than 26 startups, with 4 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 0 rounds, about 0% of its total and boasts 0 exits across its portfolio.

Investment Focus Highlights

  • Concentrates on Seed, Series Unknown, Series A rounds (top funding stages).
  • Majority of deals are located in United States, Singapore, United Kingdom.
  • Strong thematic focus on Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, Financial Services.
  • Typical check size: $250K – $5M.

Stage Focus

  • Seed (62%)
  • Series Unknown (12%)
  • Series A (12%)
  • Pre Seed (12%)
  • Series C (4%)

Country Focus

  • United States (31%)
  • Singapore (23%)
  • United Kingdom (8%)
  • Estonia (4%)
  • Bahamas (4%)
  • United Arab Emirates (4%)
  • Canada (4%)
  • Guatemala (4%)
  • Hong Kong (4%)

Industry Focus

  • Blockchain
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Financial Services
  • Trading Platform
  • Decentralized Finance (Defi)
  • Web3
  • Fintech
  • Finance
  • Information Technology
  • Virtual Currency
circle-line
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn who this investor regularly partners with—both firms and angels—and explore their latest activity.

Who does Kronos Research frequently co-invest with?

IOSG Ventures
Asia, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Co-Investments: 4
CMS Holdings
North America, New York, United States, New York
Co-Investments: 4
GSR
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Co-Investments: 4
Kenetic
Asia, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, Central
Co-Investments: 3
Polychain
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 5
Double Peak Group
Asia, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Co-Investments: 4
Wintermute Ventures
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Co-Investments: 6
Three Arrows Capital
Asia, Central Region, Singapore, Singapore
Co-Investments: 4
Mechanism Capital
Asia, Central Region, Singapore, Singapore
Co-Investments: 3
Co-Investments: 3

Which angels does Kronos Research often collaborate with?

Shared Deals: 1
Heslin Kim
Asia, South Korea
Shared Deals: 1
RT
Asia, Central Region, Singapore, Singapore
Shared Deals: 1
PG
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Shared Deals: 1
BG
Asia, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Shared Deals: 1
Shared Deals: 1
PT
North America, New York, United States, New York
Shared Deals: 2
RD
Asia, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Shared Deals: 1
Shared Deals: 2
Loi Luu
Asia, Singapore
Shared Deals: 2

What are some of recent deals done by Kronos Research?

SYNTHR is redefining instant and slippage-free asset movement across chains

BlockchainCryptocurrency
Series UnknownJan 14, 2025

Valhalla is a decentralized exchange platform.

BlockchainCryptocurrencyDecentralized Finance (DeFi)
Pre SeedDec 20, 2024
Amount Raised: $1,500,000
Yei Finance

Sai Wan, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong

Yei Finance a pioneering decentralized, non-custodial money market protocol.

BlockchainConsultingFinTech
SeedDec 14, 2024
Amount Raised: $2,000,000
BulbaSwap

Singapore, Central Region, Singapore

BulbaSwap is a Morph-based decentralized swap aggregator that uses a search engine driven by multi-source liquidity to help consumers .

BlockchainCryptocurrencyDecentralized Finance (DeFi)Marketplace
SeedOct 24, 2024
Amount Raised: $1,300,000
Nubila

San Francisco, California, United States

Nubila is a pioneer in the Environmental, Social, and Governance data industry, committed to revolutionizing sustainability projects.

Decentralized Finance (DeFi)Sustainability
SeedJul 1, 2024
Amount Raised: $2,500,000
Bitlayer

Singapore, Central Region, Singapore

Bitlayer is the first Bitcoin second-layer network, offering ultra-scalability and L1 security, aiming to be Bitcoin's computing layer.

BitcoinBlockchainCryptocurrency
SeedMar 27, 2024
Amount Raised: $5,000,000

Blueprint Finance develops protocols and infrastructure to advance on-chain finance.

FinanceFinancial ServicesInfrastructure
Series UnknownFeb 15, 2024
Amount Raised: $7,500,000

IntentX is a decentralized derivatives trading platform that provides intent-based access to decentralized exchanges to traders.

BlockchainDecentralized Finance (DeFi)Trading Platform
SeedFeb 13, 2024
Amount Raised: $1,800,000
Omega

Miami, Florida, United States

Omega is a Web3 infrastructure provider that enables users to use idle bitcoin as collateral for DeFi yield generation.

BlockchainWeb3
SeedFeb 6, 2024
Amount Raised: $6,000,000
GoldLink

San Francisco, California, United States

GoldLink is a high yield borrowing modular risk management protocol on blockchain.

BlockchainFinanceFinancial Services
Pre SeedAug 9, 2023
Amount Raised: $1,400,000