The leading independent investment fund led by Kraken Alumni, Kraken Ventures announced today that it has secured $65 million for an early-stage fund to invest in companies working in the global crypto and financial technology (Fintech) ecosystem.
Kraken acted as the anchor LP in the latest funding. Additionally, the fund witnessed investment from a wide range of international institutional investors. Kraken Ventures aims to boost innovation in the crypto ecosystem through the support of emerging companies.
The fund focuses on areas including financial infrastructure, Web3, decentralized finance (Defi), consumer crypto protocols as well as enabling technologies, such as AI and Machine Learning. According to the details shared by Kraken Ventures, it has made several investments in some of the leading crypto companies, including Anchorage and Messari.
“We’re extremely pleased to have successfully closed our first fund,” said Brandon Gath, Managing Partner of Kraken Ventures. “Our long-term view on investing, and the possibility to leverage Kraken’s experience in building a truly global, scalable platform, definitely contributed to the overwhelming interest we received from investors. Our focus now is to put that money to work and help some of the most innovative projects and their exceptionally talented founders accelerate the development of their companies and protocols.”
Headquartered in Texas, Kraken Ventures has team members in London and New York. The fund makes initial investments in the range of $500K and $2 million. According to the company, its investment strategy is based on the long-term horizon.
Appointment of Laurens De Poorter
To expand its presence in Europe, Kraken Ventures recently announced the appointment of Laurens De Poorter as Head of Europe. The newly appointed Head of Europe will be based in London. “The European crypto scene is booming. Deal count doubled in the last two years and continues to accelerate,” said Laurens De Poorter.
