A daily newsletter summarizing recent activity & interesting start-ups globally
RECENT NOTABLE ACTIVITY – BLOCKCHAIN APPLICATIONS
- Align Commerce, a Blockchain-based business payment platform, raised $24M funding in a Series B round led by NAB Ventures, with participation from KPCB, Silicon Valley Bank, SBI Holdings, GV. Link
- Filament, a Decentralized IoT stack, raised $15M funding in an undisclosed round led by Verizon Ventures and Bullpen Capital, with participation from Intel Capital, JetBlue Technology Ventures, CME Group, Flex technology accelerator program Lab IX, Backstage Capital, Tappan Hill Ventures, Samsung NEXT, Resonant Venture Partners, Digital Currency Group. Link
- Funderbeam, a global marketplace for startup investments built on blockchain, raised €2M funding from Japanese investor and incubator Mistletoe. Link
- Slock.it, a Blockchain-based IoT smart contract solutions provider, raised $2M funding in a Seed round. Link
- OpenLedger’s Apptrade, the platform creating “Kickstarter for Apps on the Blockchain”, has received a $100k boost from OpenLedger ApS, the world’s first blockchain powered conglomerate. Link
- The Senate of the state of Arizona has passed a bill relating to the blockchain that would give smart contracts and blockchain signatures legal binding status. Link
- Toronto-based identity management services provider SecureKey has launched a blockchain-based identity service, with the support of Canada’s top five banks. Link
- Internet of Coins has launched an inter-systemic and cross-blockchain token called a ‘hybrid asset’. Link
SOME INTERESTING STARTUPS FOUND
Humaniq (2016, Luxembourg) – A mobile banking service provider using Ethereum blockchain and AI.
Proof (2016, Gangnam) – Blockchain platform to manage and trade equity, debt, program points, and other financial assets.
LEADER BOARD – BLOCKCHAIN APPLICATIONS
Financial Services
Circle (2013, Boston, $136M) – Digital currency wallet and international money transfer service provider. Backed by Accel Partners, Goldman Sachs, Baidu, General Catalyst Partners, IDG Capital Partners, Oak Investment Partners, CICC, CreditEase, China Everbright, Fenway Summer, Breyer Capital, Pantera Capital, Wanxiang America, Digital Currency Group.
Ripple (2012, SF, $90.5M) – Open source payment protocol. Backed by Standard Chartered, AME Cloud Ventures, Seagate, CME Group, IDG Capital Partners, RRE Ventures, Venture 51, Core VC, ChinaRock Capital Management, SBI Holdings, Route 66 Ventures, Camp One Ventures, Blockchain Capital, Santander InnoVentures, Digital Currency Group, Tusk Ventures, CRCM Venture Capital, SCB Digital Ventures.
Digital Asset Holdings (2014, NYC, $67M) – Blockchain-based trade settlement solution provider. Backed Accenture, IBM, Goldman Sachs, Broadridge Financial Solutions, Citigroup, J.P. Morgan, CME Group, BNP Paribas, ABN AMRO Bank, Australian Securities Exchange, PNC Financial Services Group, Deutsche, DTCC, ICAP, FinTech Innovation Lab, Santander InnoVentures.
Enterprise
Filament Networks (2012, Reno, $36M) – A decentralized Internet of Things stack. Backed by Intel Capital, CME Group, Techstars, Crosslink Capital, Bullpen Capital, Resonant Venture Partners, Amherst Fund, Samsung Venture Investment, Pantera Capital, Detroit Innovate, Bullpen Capital, Verizon Ventures, Flex technology accelerator program Lab IX, Digital Currency Group, Working Lab Capital, Zenstone Venture Capital, VTF Capital, JetBlue Technology Ventures, Backstage Capital, Tappan Hill Ventures, Samsung NEXT.
Keybase (2013, NYC, $11M) – Identity mapping service via a public key encryption tool. Backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Corazon Capital.
Technology
Blockstream (2014, SF, $76M) – Provides sidechain solutions to improve blockchain. Backed by Khosla Ventures, AME Cloud Ventures, Innovation Endeavors, Data Collective, Horizons Ventures, Ribbit Capital, Real Ventures, Digital Garage, DG Incubation, SK Ventures, Future Perfect Ventures, Maiden Lane, Mosaic Ventures, Blockchain Capital, Digital Currency Group, AXA Strategic Ventures, Seven Seas Partners.
BitFury (2012, SF, $95M) – Full-service blockchain techno
Chain (2014, SF, $44M) – Provider of blockchain networks and applications to businesses. Backed by Capital One, VISA, Nasdaq, SV Angel, Khosla Ventures, Thrive Capital, RRE Ventures, Betaworks, Homebrew, Fiserv, Orange, Firestartr, Pantera Capital, Citi Ventures, Blockchain Capital, Digital Currency Group, BoxGroup.
Consumer
FirstBlood Technologies (2016, Boston, $5.5M) – Blockchain-based eSpo
Augur Project (2014, SF, $5M) – Decentralized prediction market based on Blockchain.
Leaderboard includes all the top funded, IPO and successfully running bootstrapped companies along with their location, founding year and funding amount.
For latest update, visit Blockchain Applications feed.