This week, we learned about three prominent web3 startups, that had previously secured priced VC rounds, making the difficult decision to shut down operations:
- Utopia Labs: Raised $ 23m, with Paradigm leading the round.
- Yield Protocol: Secured $ 10m, backed by Paradigm.
- SuperDAO: Attracted $ 11.5m in funding.
Btw: you remember those investors who say they "invest alongside tier 1 VCs" in their investment strategy? Tell me now it's a smart decision! 🤪
(c) InnMind Newsletter (don’t forget to subscribe to receive in your mailbox!)
Did you know? 70% of pitch decks fail to grab investor attention within the first 3 slides.
Don't become just another statistic.
Join our 📢 Pitch Perfect sessions at InnMind. Gain insights from seasoned VC analysts who know exactly HOW to close deals and captivate crypto VC attention. Elevate your web3 startup pitch deck and ensure it stands out right from the start.
PS: We host these sessions every Thursday. The next one? Tomorrow. Apply here.
A list of trending 200+ crypto KOL's from Star Protocol 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/posts/alexander-sly_okx-kols-generate-16b-volume-each-month-activity-7114460863398363136-7YAV/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
'Influencer Type'
- Super Star (High engagement & post frequency)
- Rising Star (Engagement rate growing fast with growing follower base)
- Potential Hidden Gem (Engagement rate growing fast with low follower base)
The next edition of the VC Pitching Sessions by InnMind will be held on October 4th, at 16:00 CET / 14:00 UTC time.
We are actively selecting Blockchain, Web3 & Crypto startups that will get a chance to pitch to proactive VCs on InnMind Platform.
Criteria for startups 👇
➡️ Verticals: Decentralized Infrastructure and Apps | Blockchain protocols | Web3 cloud solutions | DeFi | SocialFi & Gaming | NFT | Metaverse, etc.
➡️ Stage: Pre-seed / Seed / Series A
➡️ Geography: Worldwide
Confirmed crypto VC investors:
- Outlier Ventures
- London Real Ventures
- MEXC Ventures
- Vis Caeli
- Insolvent Capital
- Mulana Capital
- Blizzard Fund
… and other VC funds.
This pitching session allows startups to pitch directly to top-tier investors and VCs and get immediate feedback!
Click "Apply" to get an assessment with the InnMind Investment Analyst before the event 👇
https://app.innmind.com/events/invite/2023/9/4/Jeve2jqRmHASf9LhN
🚀 Tomorrow: New OTC Aggregator Launch by Marsbase!
💲 Marsbase, the New DeFi Amazon for SAFT, SAFE & illiquid crypto assets p2p-trading, is inviting you to an exclusive online presentation where they will unveil the new revolutionary OTC platform! We'll have a lot of interesting guests, including LayerZero.
📆 Date: [Tuesday, 26.09.2023]
🕒 Time: [15:00 UTC]
📍 Location: Online [https://lu.ma/j0g0hioy]
💸And also participate in the $100,000 drawing
What you'll learn:
— Unique opportunities for investors and Web3 projects.
— How to bring liquidity back and make the market safer.
— Collaboration and partnership opportunities with Marsbase for web3 startups and VCs.
⚡️ Registration is open, but seats are limited. Hurry and register to be a part of OTC history!
➡️https://lu.ma/j0g0hioy
📢 Blockchain Capital Raises $580M for 2 New VC Funds
Despite the challenging crypto market conditions, Blockchain Capital, a crypto-focused investment firm, has successfully raised $580 million for two new funds. This significant funding, split between early-stage and opportunities funds, indicates a continued appetite for investment in the crypto space.
🔍 Key Highlights:
- The firm's limited partners predominantly consist of traditional institutional investors, including university endowments, financial institutions, and U.S. pension plans.
- Notable strategic investors from the past include payment giants Visa and PayPal.
- Blockchain Capital has recently led funding rounds for Worldcoin developer Tools for Humanity and crypto infrastructure provider RISC Zero.
Source
In the midst of a deep crypto winter, such positive trends hint at a potential surge in deals and investments in the near future. Could this be a sign of a thawing market and more deals on the horizon for web3 founders? 🤔
WATCH NOW: Live Crypto VC Pitching session 👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cR693BKyfcY and find out WHO gets funded on the bottom of the crypto bear market 🥶
Investors presented:
+ Stratified Capital
+ Gain Ventures
+ AQN Digital Ventures
+ Polygon Ventures
+ Eterna Capital
+ Gate Labs
Join live stream
DeFi Liquidity Pools Explained
If there's ➕ article you read this week, make it this one
A deep dive into DeFi Liquidity Pools, the essentials, risks, and strategies in a clear, concise manner. Explained for web3 founders and crypto entrepreneurs of any stage.
A must read for everyone who have ever felt lost in the maze of liquidity pools and tokenomics.
Key Takeaways from Analysis on 5000 Token Unlocks 🚀
Short summary based on the original longread by 6th Man Ventures
1/ Small Unlocks Matter: Most token unlocks are <10M tokens. It's the little things that add up.
2/ Early Vesting Volatility: Tokens with early vesting periods see higher volatility. Caution advised.
3/ Unlock Size & Price Impact: Larger unlocks often correlate with negative price impacts. Size does matter.
4/ Frequency: Most projects have monthly unlocks. Consistency is key.
5/ Long-Term Vision: Projects with longer vesting periods tend to signal long-term commitment.
6/ Utility vs. Hype: Real utility often trumps initial hype. Sustainable growth > short-term spikes.
7/ Conclusion: Designing token unlock schedules requires a balance of short-term incentives and long-term vision.
A VC’s data-driven cheat sheet to web3
Here are the key takeaways to save your time:
🚩 The State of Web3: With regulatory progress and products like the PayPal stablecoin and Base mainnet, web3 is turning a new page. It's not just about the tech; it's about the ecosystem's readiness for mainstream adoption.
🚩 Ethereum's Role: Ethereum isn't just another blockchain. It's the developmental standard bridging major ecosystems. It's where you start if you want to understand web3.
🚩 Trends to Watch:
🔹 DeFi: It's alive and kicking, especially if you count bots.
🔹 NFTs: Their status mirrors DeFi. But remember, every technology has its ebbs and flows.
🔹 Gaming: Web3 gaming is doing okay. But "okay" in the early stages often means massive potential later.
🚩 The Future: Web3 users are currently in their comfort zones, sticking to their favorite sectors. But intersections, say between DeFi and NFTs, are where the magic will happen. As on-chain tech advances, those updated with the latest trends will be the ones leading the charge.
Source: Flipside
Unearthing Gems: InnMind Accelerate Program 2023
Applications are open for the 3rd cohort – an intense 3-month program designed for Web3, Crypto and Blockchain startups looking to get ready for VC funding and scaling on a global level.
- Exclusive investor workshops and feedback
- Weekly Individual sprints & mastermind sessions with web3 founders
- User acquisition and retention
- Market-making landscape
- Web3 Marketing and Community
- Tokenomics & Business Model
- IDO Preparation
- Regulatory guidance
- VC fundraising secrets & pitch deck mastering
- Pitch Days with top crypto VCs
📆 October 2nd to December 22nd, 2023
💡 Only 6 startups per cohort
🌐 Fully online
What's in it for you?
💥 Connect with 200+ crypto VC funds, 30+ industry leaders, and a vibrant startup community.
💰 Unlock €228,000+ in savings for essential software, marketing, and more through top-tier partners like Amazon Web Services (AWS), IBM, HubSpot, Zealy, Quicknodes, Zendesk and others.
🚀 Boost your startup with zero equity commitment. Benefit from personalized mentorship by seasoned venture analysts, VCs, and experts in tokenomics, fundraising, bizdev, and sales & marketing.
👉 Apply now!
Get ready to revolutionize your startup journey! 🚀
🚀 Calling all Blockchain, Web3 & Crypto founders: Pitch directly to leading VCs
Join the Web3 VC Pitching Session by InnMind on Sep 20th, 16:00 CET
🟢In 2023, we connected 61 startups with 85 VC funds
Focus Areas:
➡️Decentralized Apps & Infrastructure
➡️Web3 solutions | DeFi | NFT | SocialFi|Infrastructure & more
➡️Stage: Pre-seed to Series A
👀 Confirmed crypto VC investors
Polygon Ventures|Tykhe Block Ventures|DWF Labs|Stratified Capital|AQN Digital Ventures|Master Ventures|Blockchain Founders Capital|Digitata Capital|Lucid Blue Ventures|Gain Ventures|Hyper88|UF Ventures|Coinswitch Ventures|Oddiyana Ventures|Eterna Capital|Gatelabs|Scytale Ventures
Seize the chance to pitch and receive instant feedback.
👉 Apply now for a pre-event assessment with InnMind's analyst
NEW video 🎥 Web3 Sports Prediction Platform: Uncensored Pitch Deck Review with TGE Ventures.
Did this deck convince investor to dive in and follow up for the funding round?
Watch, Learn and Nail Your Pitch!
🥵Startups’ Shutdowns in 2023
Peter Walker, Head of Insights at Carta, recently shared some sobering statistics:
⛔️ 543 startups using Carta have shut down in 2023, surpassing the 467 from the entirety of last year.
⛔️ Half of these startups closed without any VC backing, while the other half had at least one priced round.
⛔️ A staggering 90% of VC-backed shutdowns were Seed or Series A startups.
⛔️ 34 startups that had reached Series B or later have already shut down this year.
⛔️ 87 startups that raised at least $10 million have closed their doors, nearly double from last year.
Are we finally at the bottom? 🤔
Takeaway: Don’t panic. Act smart. Calculate your runaway, spend wisely and focus on traction & cash generating activities. Survive now to thrive later!
LIVE Streaming in a couple of minutes 👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdYtpem9Kow
Raising funding on a bear market is same fun as chewing glass🥴. But we try to make it easier for founders, putting them in front of active, real and smart VC investors. Watch and learn from real founders & VCs, and get prepared to pitch your startup next time!
InnMind Web3 Accelerator: Autumn 2023 cohort just started.
6 early-stage web3 startups 🤝 for 3 months of intense and exciting journey to gain MAX 🚀 traction. Building new decentralized business models and bringing value to the industry and users.
We’ll later introduce each of them.
Meanwhile, let's focus on execution and buidling 📈
Useful links from Tony Drummond’s Tokenomics workshop:
🔗 Web3 Founder’s Checklist: https://www.moonboundconsulting.com/checklist.pdf
🔗 Uniswap V3 Explained: https://medium.com/coinmonks/uniswap-v3-explained-57e0cdf86719
🔗 Workshop Video recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9BBhbQu6mY
🔗 Tony in LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonydrummond/
🔗 Tony’s direct meeting link & ready-to-use tokenomics template will be sent to the inbox of those startups, who registered on InnMind event page.
PS: We organize insightful workshops with web3 experts every month. Register on innmind.com to get invited to the next zoom session + get access to speakers & extra docs & materials!
🔥 Cool news from EYWA Protocol
A web3 infrastructure startup on InnMind EYWA, building a Cross-Chain Liquidity & Data Protocol, launched a strategic partnership with Curve⚡️
🔸 Michael Egorov, founder of Curve, invested in EYWA's private round;
🔸 EYWA will be one of the bridges used in bridge aggregation solution Curve will use for passing messages, CRV and crvUSD tokens between chains;
🔸 EYWA deeply integrates Curve pools, with the help of Curve team, to build a unique solution which solves liquidity fragmentation in cross-chain swaps;
💭 Curve founder Michael Egorov about EYWA:
«I see a big potential in what EYWA is building. I always thought that a bridge which deeply integrates stable pools must exist: in addition to solving liquidity fragmentation it can enable sustainable economics for bridges, but never found time to build this myself. Very nice to see someone doing this.
In addition, decentralized bridges are a big challenge which has to be solved, and EYWA is doing very well there».
Source
Most countries lost crypto & blockchain jobs in 2022 vs 2023.
The U.S. is the biggest loser. While Japan, Uzbekistan and Australia are the only countries on the positive trajectory 🤷♂
Source: Blockchain Jobs Report 2023 by Coincub
🧷PS: check Brass Synergy startup that is trying to disrupt the global web3 jobs market through its vetted web3 talent ecosystem.
Liquidity pairs and how they can impact token price explained by Tony Drummond, President of Moonbound Consulting who launched and grew a project to 70,000 holders and $207MM in just 3 weeks!
Join our tokenomics workshop with Tony to learn more from him and ask questions regarding your tokenomics and liquidity strategies!
Telegram founder Pavel Durov reminds you about TON Blockchain and TON native wallet, organically integrated into every app of 800+ millions telegram users.
While I remind you about our recent workshop with Eugene Anisei, TON's key expert and LEAD @ Ton Society Europe, where he explained to web3 founders all the advantages of building on #TON and answered actual questions from our community.
🔗 Watch the recording
We recommend you diving in now, before TON becomes the leading blockchain network on the market 😉
And feel free to contact InnMind team if you want to connect with TON for partnerships, grants and collaboration!
📊 Tokenomics Analysis Report Example
Navigating tokenomics? Understand what investors prioritize! We've just published a detailed tokenomics analysis report example, provided by the experts at MHL Solutions.
🔍 Dive into a real-world analysis of Arkham, a crypto intelligence platform, and gain insights into the investor's perspective on tokenomics.
👉 Download the report for FREE. Discover how professional investors approach tokenomics during due diligence and use these insights to enhance your project's appeal in the competitive crypto landscape.
Mastering Your TOKENOMICS & Project Growth
Workshop with Tony Drummond on September 27th.
Want to understand tokenomics better than 99% of founders in the crypto space? Dive into upcoming workshop and learn:
🔹 Factors impacting your token's price
🔹 Preparing for a public launch without any hitches
🔹 Generating liquidity: utility vs speculative volume
🔹 Fundamentals of tokenomics in web3 and crypto startups
🌟 Why listen to Tony Drummond?
+ 20 years of expertise in operations, tech, marketing, and sales
+ Successfully launched a project with 70,000 holders & $207MM in just three weeks
+ Gained invaluable insights from costly mistakes in web3, spending millions
+ Dedicated 3,500+ hours across nearly every aspect of web3 Tokenomics
This workshop is a gem, meticulously crafted for web3 startups.
DON'T MISS OUT! Apply Now!
PS: Exclusive access to Zoom & Q&A for InnMind members. YouTube live stream available for all.
Up to $20k Grant from EtherMail
InnMind partnered up with Ethermail, first Web3 email solution to set the standard for anonymous and encrypted wallet-to-wallet communication.
Apply to get support & start hosting and building your community on EtherMail! You do not only gain access to a powerful and decentralised email platform designed specifically for web3 but also financial support, resources, and mentorship!
Use "InnMind" as your reference in the application to get fast tracked!
🤖 Exploring AI tools for your startup? We too!
While it's a shame not to use ChatGPT in 2023, there are plenty of other AI tools to save you from boring, time and energy-consuming tasks in startups...
Dive into our latest article: 'The Ultimate List of 39 AI Tools Saving Time and Money for Your Startup'. From automation to analytics, we covered those tools that can supercharge your operations!
You'll find there:
- AI for Text Editing
- AI for Image Generation and Editing
- AI for Sound Improvement
- AI for Voice Modulation
- AI for Video Creation
- AI for Video Editing
- AI for Transcription
- Other useful AI tools for language translation and drawings animation, creation of presentations, landing pages, etc.
🔗 Dive in and share it with fellow founders!