Abu Dhabi-based Venom Foundation launches $1B fund for Web3 and blockchain

Abu Dhabi-based blockchain platform Venom Foundation and investment manager Iceberg Capital announced they will allocate $1 billion of funding to Web3 and blockchain firms through a new partnership.

The Venom Ventures Fund is set to invest in protocols and Web3 decentralized applications (DApps) focused on payments, asset management, decentralized finance (DeFi) and GameFi products and services.

The fund is a partnership between layer-1 blockchain solution, Venom Foundation and Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) investment management firm, Iceberg Capital. The latter will look to leverage its existing network to offer incubation programs and industry connections as well as marketing, exchange listing and technical, legal and regulatory support.

Related: UAE regulator adopts blockchain to speed up commercial judgments

Iceberg Capital will manage the fund, investing in projects and companies through pre-seed and Series A funding rounds. The partnership aims to accelerate businesses developing blockchain, DeFi and Web3 products and services.

In response to questions from Cointelegraph, Venom Ventures chairman Peter Knez said that the Venom Foundation, its founders and regional institutional and private investors had seeded capital for the fund. The fund will support companies and projects with a global footprint and is not limited to Abu Dhabi-based firms.

The investment fund will look to attract startups and technology firms to use Venom’s scalable, proof-of-stake-based blockchain solution. Knez highlighted key services that could operate on top of its ADGM-regulated blockchain:

“Payment systems, central bank digital currencies (CBDC), stablecoins and remittance are core services that Venom can provide a solution for due to our unique blend of technology and enterprise.”

Knez also believes that the platform could power a multitude of use cases, highlighting the potential for micropayment solutions driving Web3 business models and financial inclusion:

“Venom has a vision where developing countries can participate in western countries’ labor markets.”

Abu Dhabi continues to make moves to become a cryptocurrency and blockchain hub in the Middle East. The capital of the United Arab Emirates published regulatory guidelines for the industry in September 2022 under the purview of the ADGM.

Over 1,500 Web3 businesses and organizations reportedly operate in the UAE, while Abu Dhabi continued to grant licenses to cryptocurrency exchanges throughout 2022, including Binance and Kraken.