Nascent

Nascent is a San Francisco-based venture capital firm established in 2020, uniquely positioned within the web3 ecosystem. They operate as a multi-strategy firm, with a dedicated Ventures arm focused on backing early-stage founders building products and primitives for an open financial world. Their approach is distinguished by a "builders backing builders" philosophy, leveraging their deep technical expertise to support portfolio companies and contribute to the development of decentralized technologies.

Nascent primarily targets seed and early-stage investments across various web3 verticals, including decentralized finance (DeFi), infrastructure, gaming, and NFTs. They seek out ambitious teams developing foundational technologies and applications that contribute to a more open, transparent, and programmable financial future. Their investment strategy extends beyond capital, offering operational support, technical guidance, and strategic networking to accelerate the growth of their portfolio companies, aiming to be a hands-on partner rather than just a capital provider.

In February 2022, Nascent notably announced the close of a $100 million fund specifically dedicated to early-stage crypto startups, underscoring their significant commitment to the space. This substantial capital base allows them to deploy meaningful first checks, typically ranging from $250,000 for nascent projects to upwards of $5,000,000 for more developed seed or pre-Series A rounds. Their extensive portfolio includes over 100 investments, with more than 30 instances where they have taken a lead investor role, demonstrating their conviction and active participation. Prominent investments include industry leaders like Celestia, EigenLayer, LayerZero, and Arbitrum, showcasing their ability to identify and support transformative projects within the rapidly evolving web3 landscape.