Placeholder

Placeholder Ventures is a venture capital firm founded in 2017 and headquartered in New York City. The firm is focused on investing in decentralized information networks, particularly within the cryptocurrency and blockchain sectors. Placeholder Ventures employs a thesis-driven approach to identify and support innovative projects that align with its investment philosophy, aiming to foster the growth of decentralized technologies and their applications.

Brad Burnham

Venture Partner

Christopher Burniske

Co-Founder & Partner

Joel Monegro

Partner

35 past transactions

Monad

Seed Round in 2023
MONAD is a proof-of-stake (PoS) blockchain and decentralized computation platform that combines the best of performance and portability.

VAULT

Series A in 2023
Flick, Inc. is a software company that specializes in developing a chat application designed for sports influencers and their fans. The platform enables sports influencers to engage with their most dedicated followers, transforming them into passionate fans. Through Flick, users can create a personalized branded hub where fans can communicate directly with influencers and each other. The application offers features such as group creation, quizzes, live in-game statistics, and real-time chat during events. Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Mamaroneck, New York, with an additional office in Edinburgh, the company aims to enhance the interaction between fans and sports figures, providing a unique space for engagement and monetization. The app is accessible on both the App Store and Google Play.

WeatherXM

Seed Round in 2022
WeatherXM is a community powered weather network, that rewards weather station owners and offers accurate weather services.

Monaverse

Series A in 2022
Mona is building the tools and protocols to grow the open metaverse.

seedclub

Series A in 2022
Seed Club is a DAO that builds and invests in communities. We’re building a future where the value created by communities on the internet is captured by people, not platforms.

Agoric

Funding Round in 2021
Agoric Systems Operating Company, founded in 2018 and based in San Francisco, develops an open application platform for smart contracts that integrates with both public and private blockchains. The company aims to enhance the security and simplicity of programming smart contracts, primarily using JavaScript, thus enabling millions of developers to create safer and more efficient applications. Agoric emphasizes composability, which facilitates rapid development and provides a competitive edge in the blockchain ecosystem. The organization envisions fostering unprecedented global cooperation and the emergence of new business models through secure digital assets. The Agoric team comprises experienced technologists, economists, and business leaders with over 30 years of collaborative experience in smart contract technology. The company has established partnerships with notable projects like Cosmos and has received backing from various investment firms and individuals, reinforcing its mission to advance the capabilities of smart contracts in the digital economy.

Matter Labs

Series B in 2021
Matter Labs is driven by a mission to accelerate the mass adoption of public blockchains. The company started out of scientific curiosity, the joy of engineering, and a deep conviction, the most impactful way to improve the world today is to provide an open and free alternative to its existing, deeply flawed financial system.

Futureswap

Venture Round in 2021
Futureswap is a decentralized futures exchange based in San Francisco, California. The platform utilizes blockchain technology to facilitate non-custodial trading of crypto futures contracts. By employing an automated market making algorithm, it enables users to buy and sell futures contracts with leverage, providing a flexible trading experience. Futureswap combines features of a decentralized exchange and a leveraged trading platform, allowing investors to access low-rate leveraged contracts supported by liquidity pools. This innovative approach aims to enhance the trading experience while maintaining user control over their assets.

SMIN ltda

Series A in 2021
SMIN é uma Startup que carrega o objetivo de fomentar o Empreendedorismo no Brasil. A foco principal está relacionado a ações incisivas de acesso ao capital de giro e crédito às PMEs, de forma simplificada e mais acessível, via rodadas de investimentos no modelo Crowdfunding e Crowdinvestments. Tendo ainda como uma de suas Vertentes o Clube de Investidores e Negócios, Clube SMIN, com suas atividades concentradas em duas frentes, sendo: - Networking e Business. Um espaço de relacionamento, interatividade e negócios entre Profissionais e Investidores. - Aquisição e Sociedade em Empresas. Através da organização de rodadas de investimento, via Crowdfunding e Crowdinvestment. Direcionados a empresas nos mais variados segmentos, além de startups e fintechs, com real potencial de mercado. CONSULTORIA FINANCEIRA. Atuando através da composição de portfólios de investimentos, que são estruturados sob orientação e direcionamento de analistas e agentes autônomos do Mercado Financeiro. Seja em Renda Fixa ou Renda Variável, nós temos as melhores oportunidades. CROWDFUNDING. As operações relacionadas as rodadas de crowdfunding, tem como finalidade a aquisição e/ou sociedade em empresas físicas, como também no modelo Investidor Anjo, financiando startups, fintechs e projetos que estão sendo estruturados dentro das incubadoras de negócios ou aceleradoras. Seja para investir conosco ou solicitar nosso investimento, a SMIN oferece as melhores condições do mercado. A unidade de Campinas é gerenciada pelo nosso Investidor, Partner e Head Financeiro, Lucas Thomaz, que também atua como nosso auditor junto a 7ID, que é a nossa correspondente de Serviços Financeiros e Gestão Empresarial. https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucas-thomaz-0541201b/

Zerion

Series A in 2021
Zerion Inc., a blockchain software company, develops a solution to access decentralized finance to invest, earn interest, and borrow crypto assets. It offers Zerion to manage decentralized finance portfolio across multiple accounts in a single place; and track assets in real-time with live price updates and instant push notifications. The company also provides CryptoTrader , an application to track the crypto market through charts, news, and alerts. Zerion Inc. was founded in 2015 and is based in San Francisco, California.

DELV

Seed Round in 2021
Developer of a crypto-asset trading platform designed to provide liquidity on yield and principal tokens. The company's platform helps to buy and sell yield and principal tokens which do not require any minimum amount and its protocols work together to help create and usher in the new financial system, enabling users to grow their savings at a fixed rate and thereby gain capital efficiency.

Radicle

Venture Round in 2021
Radicle is a peer-to-peer stack for building software together.

Async Art

Seed Round in 2021
Asynchronous Art, Inc owns and operates an online multi-layer art platform. Its platform async, connects artists and collectors; and allows them to purchase and sell art online. Asynchronous Art, Inc was incorporated in 2019 and is based in Fort Bragg, California.

Async Art

Seed Round in 2021
Asynchronous Art, Inc owns and operates an online multi-layer art platform. Its platform async, connects artists and collectors; and allows them to purchase and sell art online. Asynchronous Art, Inc was incorporated in 2019 and is based in Fort Bragg, California.

Radicle

Venture Round in 2021
Radicle is a peer-to-peer stack for building software together.

Nexus Mutual

Venture Round in 2021
Nexus Mutual Limited owns and operates Nexus Mutual platform, a decentralised alternative to insurance based on ethereum public blockchain, where users can become members and buy cover. The member decisions are recorded and enforced by smart contracts on the ethereum public blockchain. The company caters to insurance industry. Nexus Mutual Limited was previously known as Nexus Collective Limited and changed its name to Nexus Mutual Limited in July 2018. Nexus Mutual Limited was incorporated in 2017 and is based in London, United Kingdom.

Matter Labs

Series A in 2021
Matter Labs is driven by a mission to accelerate the mass adoption of public blockchains. The company started out of scientific curiosity, the joy of engineering, and a deep conviction, the most impactful way to improve the world today is to provide an open and free alternative to its existing, deeply flawed financial system.

API3

Seed Round in 2020
API3 is a company based in the Cayman Islands that specializes in providing decentralized application programming interfaces (APIs) for the web. It focuses on creating data feeds known as dAPIs, which aggregate information from first-party oracles. These oracles are operated by leading API providers, ensuring high-quality and reliable data for decentralized applications. By leveraging these resources, API3 aims to enhance the accessibility and functionality of decentralized systems, allowing developers to integrate real-world data into their applications seamlessly.

Nori

Seed Round in 2020
Nori Inc. is a company that operates a blockchain-based marketplace designed to facilitate the removal of excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Founded in 2017 and based in Seattle, Washington, Nori's platform allows farmers and carbon removal suppliers to connect directly with buyers, streamlining the process of measurement, verification, and sale of carbon removal certificates. By integrating these processes, Nori improves efficiency and reduces costs within the carbon removal market. The platform also incorporates cryptocurrency tokens to enable the exchange of carbon removal certificates, promoting a transparent and secure transaction environment.

Numerai

Funding Round in 2020
Numerai, founded in 2015 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, operates as a unique hedge fund that leverages a global network of data scientists. The firm invites these data scientists to contribute by creating predictive models, which are incentivized through the use of its own cryptocurrency. Numerai employs a long/short investment strategy in the public equity markets, aiming to capitalize on the collective intelligence of its contributors. This innovative approach combines finance and data science, allowing for collaboration while maintaining the anonymity of participants.

Magic

Seed Round in 2020
Get peace of mind with secure, extensible passwordless authentication that’s built to scale. All with a few lines of code.

Balancer Labs

Seed Round in 2020
Balancer Labs, Inc operates an exchange for decentralized finance. The company offers a platform for programmable liquidity. It offers exchange tokens without deposits, bids/asks, and order management. Balancer Labs, Inc was founded in 2018 and is based in the United States.

Balancer Labs

Seed Round in 2020
Balancer Labs, Inc operates an exchange for decentralized finance. The company offers a platform for programmable liquidity. It offers exchange tokens without deposits, bids/asks, and order management. Balancer Labs, Inc was founded in 2018 and is based in the United States.

FOAM

Venture Round in 2020
FOAM works on geospatial protocol and the resulting market implications on global infrastructures. The FOAM protocol is currently under development by a decentralized team of blockchain developers, designers, architects and urban planners. They are based out of the New Lab at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, an interdisciplinary work space designed to support urban entrepreneurs leveraging advanced technologies.

Zerion

Seed Round in 2019
Zerion Inc., a blockchain software company, develops a solution to access decentralized finance to invest, earn interest, and borrow crypto assets. It offers Zerion to manage decentralized finance portfolio across multiple accounts in a single place; and track assets in real-time with live price updates and instant push notifications. The company also provides CryptoTrader , an application to track the crypto market through charts, news, and alerts. Zerion Inc. was founded in 2015 and is based in San Francisco, California.

Matter Labs

Seed Round in 2019
Matter Labs is driven by a mission to accelerate the mass adoption of public blockchains. The company started out of scientific curiosity, the joy of engineering, and a deep conviction, the most impactful way to improve the world today is to provide an open and free alternative to its existing, deeply flawed financial system.

3Box

Seed Round in 2019
3Box Inc. offers 3box.io, a social profiles application for Ethereum users and communities and 3box.js, an application program interface (API) for web3 developers to onboard users and set/get data to a profile. Additionally, the company offers 3box-dapp, allows users to create and manage their social profile, sign in to dapps, interact with other users, build a reputation, and store data.3Box Inc. was founded in 2018 and is based in New York, New York.

Numerai

Funding Round in 2019
Numerai, founded in 2015 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, operates as a unique hedge fund that leverages a global network of data scientists. The firm invites these data scientists to contribute by creating predictive models, which are incentivized through the use of its own cryptocurrency. Numerai employs a long/short investment strategy in the public equity markets, aiming to capitalize on the collective intelligence of its contributors. This innovative approach combines finance and data science, allowing for collaboration while maintaining the anonymity of participants.

Decred

Venture Round in 2018
Decred is a cryptocurrency founded in 2016 and based in Germany, designed to prioritize community involvement and open governance. It employs a hybrid mining system that combines proof-of-work and proof-of-stake mechanisms, ensuring that no single entity can monopolize transaction processing or alter the currency's protocol without community consensus. Decred aims to provide sustainable funding and development for its ecosystem, promoting transparency and inclusivity. Transactions are secured through blockchain technology, which prevents fraud and the creation of counterfeit coins. The unit of currency is referred to as a 'decred' (DCR).

Zcash

Venture Round in 2018
Zcash offers total payment confidentiality, while still maintaining a decentralized network using a public blockchain. Unlike Bitcoin, Zcash transactions automatically hide the sender, recipient, and value of all transactions on the blockchain. Only those with the correct view key can see the contents. Users have complete control and can opt-in to provide others with their view key at their discretion. Zcash transactions do not depend on the cooperation of other parties. Additionally, full nodes in the Zcash network only need to store a small persistent state.

Zcash

Venture Round in 2018
Zcash offers total payment confidentiality, while still maintaining a decentralized network using a public blockchain. Unlike Bitcoin, Zcash transactions automatically hide the sender, recipient, and value of all transactions on the blockchain. Only those with the correct view key can see the contents. Users have complete control and can opt-in to provide others with their view key at their discretion. Zcash transactions do not depend on the cooperation of other parties. Additionally, full nodes in the Zcash network only need to store a small persistent state.

Ethereum

Venture Round in 2017
Ethereum Switzerland GmbH operates a decentralized platform that enables the development and deployment of applications without downtime, censorship, fraud, or third-party interference. Founded in 2014 and based in Baar, Switzerland, the company provides the Ethereum Wallet, which serves as a gateway to decentralized applications on the Ethereum blockchain. Users can hold and secure ether and other crypto-assets, as well as write, deploy, and utilize smart contracts. The platform supports a variety of uses, including crowdfunding, virtual share sales, auctions, and the creation of decentralized autonomous organizations. Additionally, developers can design and issue their own cryptocurrencies and utilize command line tools. Ethereum functions as both a platform and a programming language, allowing developers to codify and decentralize various applications across multiple sectors, including voting, financial exchanges, and intellectual property. It leverages a decentralized consensus mechanism, similar to that of Bitcoin, providing a robust foundation for building innovative applications.