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Morningstar Ventures

Asia, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Dubai

Description

Morningstar Ventures, established in 2018, is a Dubai-based private equity firm with a dedicated focus on the burgeoning digital asset and blockchain technology sectors. The firm primarily targets early-stage investments, encompassing both token and equity rounds, aiming to support foundational projects within the Web3 ecosystem. Their strategic approach extends beyond mere capital injection, emphasizing long-term partnerships, incubation, and advisory services to foster the growth and adoption of decentralized technologies.

The firm's investment thesis centers on identifying and nurturing innovative projects that contribute to the infrastructure and application layers of the blockchain space. This includes a broad spectrum of areas such as decentralized finance (DeFi), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), blockchain gaming, metaverse initiatives, and core Web3 infrastructure. Morningstar Ventures is known for its hands-on approach, leveraging its expertise and network to help portfolio companies navigate the complexities of the crypto market, from product development to market entry and community building.

Morningstar Ventures has built a diverse portfolio, demonstrating a clear preference for seed and early-stage ventures. Their typical first check sizes range significantly, from as little as $300,000 for some participations in seed rounds, up to $5,000,000 for lead investments in promising projects. For instance, they notably led a $5 million seed round for Elrond (now MultiversX) in 2019, showcasing their capacity for substantial early-stage commitments. With over 40 investments to date and having acted as a lead investor in more than 10 instances, Morningstar Ventures has established itself as a prominent and active player in the global blockchain investment landscape.

Their commitment to the blockchain space is further evidenced by their initiatives like "The Morningstar Ventures House" in Dubai, which serves as a hub for Web3 events, community engagement, and incubation, reinforcing their role as an ecosystem builder. This holistic strategy underscores their belief in the transformative potential of blockchain technology and their dedication to supporting the entrepreneurs driving its evolution.

Investor Profile

Morningstar Ventures has backed more than 99 startups, with 6 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 10 rounds, about 10% of its total and boasts 1 exits across its portfolio.

Investment Focus Highlights

  • Concentrates on Seed, Series Unknown, Series A rounds (top funding stages).
  • Majority of deals are located in United States, Singapore, United Kingdom.
  • Strong thematic focus on Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, Gaming.
  • Led 2 rounds in the past year.
  • Typical check size: $300K – $5M.

Stage Focus

  • Seed (64%)
  • Series Unknown (13%)
  • Series A (11%)
  • Initial Coin Offering (4%)
  • Undisclosed (3%)
  • Pre Seed (3%)
  • Private Equity (2%)

Country Focus

  • United States (22%)
  • Singapore (18%)
  • United Kingdom (7%)
  • Germany (4%)
  • Taiwan (3%)
  • Hong Kong (3%)
  • Cayman Islands (3%)
  • United Arab Emirates (3%)
  • Israel (2%)
  • Romania (2%)

Industry Focus

  • Blockchain
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Gaming
  • Web3
  • Financial Services
  • Fintech
  • Metaverse
  • Software
  • Video Games
  • Information Technology
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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn who this investor regularly partners with—both firms and angels—and explore their latest activity.

Who does Morningstar Ventures frequently co-invest with?

Spark Digital Capital
North America, New York, United States, New York
Co-Investments: 13
Extra Watts
Europe, Istanbul, Turkey, Istanbul
Co-Investments: 13
OKX Ventures
Africa, Beau Vallon, Seychelles, Mahé
Co-Investments: 12
Ascensive Assets
Asia, Seoul-t'ukpyolsi, South Korea, Seoul
Co-Investments: 13
GBV Capital
North America, Midland, Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman
Co-Investments: 16
Infinity Ventures Crypto
Asia, T'ai-pei, Taiwan, Taipei
Co-Investments: 12
ZBS CAPITAL
Europe, Kyyiv, Ukraine, Kyiv
Co-Investments: 10
Animoca Brands
Asia, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, Cyberport
Co-Investments: 21
AU21 Capital
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 12
Mechanism Capital
Asia, Central Region, Singapore, Singapore
Co-Investments: 21

Which angels does Morningstar Ventures often collaborate with?

HL
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 1
Shared Deals: 4
Balaji Srinivasan
Asia, Central Region, Singapore, Singapore
Shared Deals: 2
Sandeep Nailwal
Asia, Indonesia
Shared Deals: 2
SK
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Shared Deals: 3
KL
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 2
SR
Europe, Monaco
Shared Deals: 4
Kieran Warwick
Oceania, New South Wales, Australia, Sydney
Shared Deals: 2
SB
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 2
RM
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 3

What are some of recent deals done by Morningstar Ventures?

FereAI uses multi-agent AI systems to enhance crypto trading with real-time insights, automated strategies, and market analysis.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)Machine LearningWeb3
SeedFeb 11, 2025

SYNTHR is redefining instant and slippage-free asset movement across chains

BlockchainCryptocurrency
Series UnknownJan 14, 2025
Arknet

Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Arknet is an internet service provider that offers a distributed network with secure and private internet solutions.

BlockchainCloud StorageInformation TechnologySoftwareUnified Communications
Series ADec 25, 2024
Amount Raised: $6,250,000

COTI AI Agents is an AI Agent platform where users can launch, train, and trade AI agents with just one click.

Digital EntertainmentGenerative AIWeb3
SeedDec 19, 2024
KIP Protocol

Hong Kong, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong

KIP Protocol is a decentralized base layer on which AI models, apps, and data owners can safely transact and monetize in Web3.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)BlockchainCryptocurrencyWeb3
Series UnknownAug 16, 2024
Amount Raised: $5,000,000

Nexio is a bitcoin scaling solution platform that helps to improve cryptocurrency's scalability by using parallelizing Bitcoin rollouts.

BitcoinCryptocurrency
Pre SeedAug 6, 2024
Amount Raised: $2,200,000
Gudchain

Liberty Hill, Texas, United States

Gudchain is the owner of a game production firm that aims to create web-3 games.

BlockchainGamingOnline Games
SeedJun 21, 2024
Amount Raised: $5,000,000
Particle Network

Singapore, Central Region, Singapore

Particle Network provides Universal Accounts to unify Web3's fragmented users and liquidity.

BlockchainFinTechWeb3
Series AJun 20, 2024
Amount Raised: $15,000,000
Mirror World

San Francisco, California, United States

Mirror World is a blockchain-based virtual world that aims to connect players with different games.

BlockchainGamingMetaverseVideo Games
Series AJun 18, 2024
Amount Raised: $12,000,000
Sonic

San Francisco, California, United States

Sonic permits sovereign game economies that roll up into Solana.

BlockchainGaming
Series AJun 18, 2024
Amount Raised: $12,000,000