Find a Startup

Below, we track startups that are building products to push the boundaries of DeFi and attracting investor attention. Startups are segmented into areas that align most with their USP.

Artificial Intelligence

  • 0G Labs | Total raised: $75M
    Programmable Data Availability layer to support scalability of blockchain and AI.
  • Akave | Total raised: $3.45M
    Layer 2 data management platform, bringing data lakes on-chain to support AI workloads.
  • Eidon | Total raised: $3.5M
    Data collection platform that rewards users for contributing real-world data to train AI models.
  • Flock | Total raised: $6M
    Machine learning on blockchain, keeping data local and private so users can mine insights and monetise at their discretion.
  • Pond | Total raised: $7.5M
    Decentralised model layer for developers to collaboratively create, own and monetise AI.
  • Sapien AI | Total raised $15.5M
    Rewards users with cash and tokens for training AI models.

Decentralised Exchanges

  • Drift Protocol | Total raised: $52.3M
    Solana-based DEX for spot trading, perpetual futures and swaps.
  • Ellipsis Labs | Total raised: $23.3M
    Decentralised infrastructure supporting multiple protocols, including Phoenix – a decentralised limit orderbook on Solana.
  • Filament Finance | Total raised: $1.1M
    Exchange combining off-chain orderbooks with on-chain liquidity pools in niche markets.
  • Orderly Network | Total raised: $25M
    DEX on NEAR protocol.
  • Thruster | Total raised: $7.5M
    DEX built on Blast ecosystem.
  • Vessel | Total raised: $10M
    Zero-Knowledge powered DEX focusing on low latency.

Derivatives

  • Arbelos Markets | Total raised: $28M
    Trading firm providing principal liquidity across crypto derivatives markets.
  • Bitnomial | Total raised: $25M
    U.S.-based regulated crypto exchange offering futures and options trading for digital assets.
  • CVEX | Total raised: $7M
    Decentralised derivatives exchange.
  • D2X | Total raised:
    EU-regulated derivatives exchange under MiCA, specialising in crypto options and futures.
  • Variational | Total raised: $10.3M
    Peer-to-peer trading protocol designed for perpetual and generalised derivatives.
  • ZKX | Total raised: $7.6M
    Derivatives trading protocol built on StarkNet.

Infrastructure

  • Brevis | Total raised: $7.5M
    Computation engine that enables Web3 applications to offload on-chain, intensive computations to lower-cost off-chain environments.
  • Ennoventure | Total raised: $13.9M
    Anti-counterfeit solution that places cryptographic signatures on packaging to validate authenticity.
  • Heurist | Total raised: $2M
    Layer-2 access to open-source AI models with low fees and privacy.
  • Parfin | Total raised: $26.3M
    Web3 infrastructure provider offering digital asset custody, trading, tokenisation and management in LATAM.
  • Pharos | Total raised: $8M
    EVM-compatible Layer-1 network designed to run parallel to multiple virtual machines so developers can leverage tools across chains.
  • TAC | Total raised: $6.5M
    EVM-compatible network extension for TON blockchain, supporting interoperability with Ethereum.

Lending

  • Ammalgam | Total raised: $3.3M
    Lending exchange that combines lending and trading functions into one contract.
  • Arch Lending | Total raised: $7.8M
    Financial platform offering crypto-backed loans, allowing users to unlock liquidity from their digital assets without selling them.
  • Folks Finance | Total raised: $6.2M
    Lending and yield staking on Algorand ecosystem.
  • Huma Finance | Total raised: $46.3M
    DeFi protocol supporting borrowing based on cash flow rather than tokens.
  • Morpho | Total raised: $69.4M
    Lending protocol that moves loans from liquidity pools into a peer-to-peer mechanism to offer higher yields for investors.
  • Term Finance | Total raised: $8M
    Decentralised lending protocol that employs auctions to scale fixed-rate/fixed-term lending.

Stablecoin

  • Borderless | Total raised: $3.3M
    Global stablecoin liquidity network for payments, providing fast, low-cost cross-border transfers across 50+ countries using stablecoins for settlement.
  • Cap Labs | Total raised: $1.9M
    DeFi protocol offering a stablecoin mechanism designed to generate high, sustainable yields.
  • Hermetica | Total raised: $1.7M
    DeFi platform offering Bitcoin-backed, yield-bearing stablecoins., up to 25% APR.
  • RD Technologies | Total raised: $7.8M
    Company behind HKDR (HKD-backed stablecoin) which aims to expand Web3 across Hong Kong and Asia.
  • World Stable Payment Network | Total raised: $30M
    Decentralised, asset-backed digital payment system to deliver a stable and secure way to transact globally.
  • Yala | Total raised: $8M
    DeFi protocol focused on developing Bitcoin-backed stablecoins.

Trading

  • Azura | Total raised: $6.9M
    Non-custodial trading app for DeFi assets, with real-time market data and multi-chain interoperability. 
  • Genius | Total raised: $6M
    Non-custodial crypto trading platform that gives users full control of their private keys.
  • Hata | Total raised: $4.2M
    Global cryptocurrency exchange to buy and sell with fiat.
  • Wasabi | Total raised: $3M
    Enables leverage trading of meme coins and NFTs.
  • Wyden | Total raised: $27.2M
    Institutional trading platform supporting the full trade lifecycle for banks, hedge funds, brokers and asset managers.
  • Yellow Network | Total raised: $10M
    Supports P2P trading between any blockchains and exchange brokerages, to interconnect DeFi with traditional finance.

Yield / Liquidity Provision

  • aPriori | Total raised: $10M
    Supports optimised yield strategies and secure asset management in multiple blockchains.
  • EigenLayer | Total raised: $164.5M
    Users staking ETH can opt-in to EigenLayer smart contracts to re-stake their ETH to support additional apps on the network.
  • LogX | Total raised: $10.1M
    Aggregates liquidity across multiple chains to increase speed and minimise trading costs.
  • StakeStone | Total raised: $22M
    Supports ETH staking across multiple blockchains to optimise yield.