
Kronos Research
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
Frequently Asked Questions
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