
Shima Capital
Description
Shima Capital is a prominent venture capital firm headquartered in San Juan, Puerto Rico, dedicated to investing in early-stage blockchain and Web3 companies. Founded by Yida Gao, the firm has rapidly established itself as a key player in the nascent but rapidly evolving decentralized technology space. Shima Capital's investment thesis centers on identifying and nurturing foundational projects that aim to redefine digital ownership, finance, and online interactions, spanning areas such as decentralized finance (DeFi), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), gaming, infrastructure, and the metaverse.
The firm primarily targets pre-seed and seed-stage opportunities, seeking out ambitious founders with innovative ideas and strong technical capabilities. Beyond capital infusion, Shima Capital distinguishes itself by offering extensive operational support to its portfolio companies. This includes strategic guidance on tokenomics design, assistance with talent acquisition and recruiting, and comprehensive support in marketing and community building, leveraging their deep industry network and expertise to accelerate growth and adoption.
A significant milestone for Shima Capital was the successful closing of its debut fund in August 2022, which secured an impressive $200 million in commitments. This substantial fund was backed by a diverse group of limited partners, including major crypto exchanges, family offices, and institutional investors, underscoring the confidence in Shima Capital's vision and investment strategy. By early 2023, the firm had already demonstrated a prolific investment pace, having deployed capital into over 100 projects, showcasing their commitment to building a robust and diversified portfolio within the Web3 ecosystem. Their typical initial check sizes for seed rounds generally range from $500,000 to $2 million, though they can participate in larger strategic rounds.
Investor Profile
Shima Capital has backed more than 141 startups, with 1 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 34 rounds, about 24% of its total and boasts 1 exits across its portfolio.
Investment Focus Highlights
- Concentrates on Seed, Series A, Pre Seed rounds (top funding stages).
- Majority of deals are located in United States, Singapore, Hong Kong.
- Strong thematic focus on Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, Gaming.
- Led 1 rounds in the past year.
- Typical check size: $500K – $2M.
Stage Focus
- Seed (67%)
- Series A (9%)
- Pre Seed (9%)
- Series Unknown (9%)
- Initial Coin Offering (5%)
- Angel (1%)
Country Focus
- United States (52%)
- Singapore (8%)
- Hong Kong (4%)
- Canada (4%)
- Israel (2%)
- Japan (2%)
- United Kingdom (2%)
- Australia (1%)
- South Korea (1%)
- Liberia (1%)
Industry Focus
- Blockchain
- Cryptocurrency
- Gaming
- Web3
- Financial Services
- Fintech
- Video Games
- Software
- Information Technology
- Finance
Frequently Asked Questions
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