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Web3 & Tech VC Roundup: dao5 Raises $125M For Crypto Fund

Last Updated: January 11, 2024
Boardroom’s latest Web3 & Tech VC Roundup includes deals from Anthropic, Oh Baby Games, Voyager Space, and more.

US Black Web3 founders only raised $60 million out of the $11.9 billion invested in Web3 startups in 2022, TechCrunch reported.

This shows an increase in funding compared to 2021, but Black Web3 leaders are still raising far less venture capital compared to their white counterparts. If I did the math correctly, Black founders only received roughly 0.5% of Web3 venture capital last year. That is a stark data point when you factor in the countless VC funds making promises to invest in minority founders.

Switching gears. Let’s take a look at some of the recent funding deals in Boardroom’s latest Web3 & Tech VC Roundup.

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dao5: $125M Crypto Fund to Launch DAO

Tekin Salimi, a former partner at Polychain Capital, launched a $125 million crypto fund that he eventually wants to turn into a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) by 2025.

The fund will raise $125 million over the next two years, with promising investments already rolling in. Once the $125 million threshold is met, the fund will be dissolved. The funding will then be returned to investors, and the fund will be converted into a DAO.

Salimi is launching dao5 this way to gather a collective of crypto founders and investors who will control the capital and decide as a group which companies to invest in.

Anthropic AI x Google

AI startup Anthropic inked a big partnership with Google this week that came with $300 to $400 million in funding from the big tech company. Anthropic is developing an AI-powered platform that could go head-to-head with OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Now, the company is getting a boost from Google Cloud to make that happen.

Anthropic will use Google’s cloud computing services. While their partnership is public, Google and Anthropic haven’t officially confirmed the investment number. News broke when people close to the deal shared the details.

Other Notable Investments

  • Digital asset protection company Coincover closed a $30 million funding round led by Foundation Capital.
  • UK-based Raylo raised $136 million to grow its fintech business that offers short-term leases on the latest tech gadgets.
  • Voyager Space raised $80.2 million in venture capital to continue developing its private space station.
  • Web3 game developer Oh Baby Games closed a $6 million seed round led by Synergis Capital and eGirl Capital.
  • BlockJoy raised a $12 million Series A to help businesses run their crypto infrastructures better.
  • Sesame Labs raised $4.5 million for its web3 marketing platform.
  • Planet A Ventures announced a $170 million fund for science-backed climate change initiatives.
  • VitaDAO, an organization that funds longevity science research projects, closed a $4.1 million round that includes investments from Pfizer and Shine Capital.
  • Crypto security firm Hypernative raised a $9 million seed led by Boldstart Ventures and IBI Tech Fund.
  • Israel-based blockchain scaling startup Dymension raised $6.7 million and is releasing its public testnet.

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Michelai Graham

Michelai Graham is Boardroom's resident tech and crypto reporter. Before joining 35V, she was a freelance reporter with bylines in AfroTech, HubSpot, The Plug, and Lifewire, to name a few. At Boardroom, Michelai covers Web3, NFTs, crypto, tech, and gaming. Off the clock, you can find her producing her crime podcast, The Point of No Return.

About The Author
Michelai Graham
Michelai Graham
Michelai Graham is Boardroom's resident tech and crypto reporter. Before joining 35V, she was a freelance reporter with bylines in AfroTech, HubSpot, The Plug, and Lifewire, to name a few. At Boardroom, Michelai covers Web3, NFTs, crypto, tech, and gaming. Off the clock, you can find her producing her crime podcast, The Point of No Return.