Stanford Alumni Launch $28 Million Fund to Incubate Web3 Startups
In a significant move to support the growth of the Web3 ecosystem, Stanford University's esteemed graduate students have launched a $28 million fund to incubate and invest in promising blockchain startups. The venture fund, dubbed Blockchain Builders, aims to provide a platform for innovative founders to bring their ideas to life and scale their businesses.
The fund was spearheaded by Gil Rosen, Kun Peng, and Steven Willinger, who drew upon their collective experience scaling the Stanford blockchain ecosystem. As part of this effort, they founded Stanford's Blockchain Accelerator, taught MS&E 447 Blockchain Entrepreneurship, and organized the Blockchain Application Stanford Summit (BASS) conference series – initiatives that have collectively supported over 200 founders, 400 students, and nearly 5,000 cumulative attendees.
Blockchain Builders has already made a significant impact in its first phase, deploying over $16 million across 40 blockchain ventures spanning AI, infrastructure, DeFi, DePIN, payments, and RWAs. The fund's portfolio includes some of the most promising startups in the space, such as AI blockchain 0G, supercomputer venture Nexus Labs, open-access AI cloud Hyperbolic, and blockless Layer-1 Pod.
A Proven Track Record
The team behind Blockchain Builders has a proven track record of success, with Willinger having invested at Capital One Ventures and worked in product and partnerships at Blockstream and Google / Google X. Rosen is also an experienced angel investor who bootstrapped a 100-employee venture building distributed computer infrastructure for JPMorgan, the London Stock Exchange, and the IRS.
Peng, meanwhile, has extensive experience as a founder in Web3, spanning crypto analytics and indexing, NFT, DeFi, and infrastructure. His deep understanding of the space allows him to identify high-potential founders who value Blockchain Builders' hands-on approach – positioning them optimally for competitive follow-on rounds led by tier-1 investors.
The Future of Fund II
Following the successful completion of its first phase, the team is now set to launch Fund II, which will enable it to extend its support nationwide and cover a new range of institutions, including the IC3-Cornell accelerator at Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon, Princeton, Yale, and UCL.
In addition to expanding its reach, Blockchain Builders is also working on thought-leading events with key partners such as the Ethereum Foundation, Solana, Starkware, BASE (Coinbase), and more. With Fund II poised to launch, the team is excited to continue supporting innovative founders and driving growth in the Web3 ecosystem.