Investment firm VanEck has launched a $30 million early-stage fund focused on fintech, digital assets, and AI startups.
What happened: The company announced Wednesday that its fund, VanEck Ventures, will target pre-seed and seed-stage companies.
Jan van Eck, CEO of VanEck and keynote speaker at Benzinga’s Future of Digital Assets event on November 19, said the company has recognized an opportunity for transformation. Emphasizing history, he said: Bitcoin in 2017 Embracing a long-term view of transformative opportunities has always been part of our investment philosophy. ”
VanEck Ventures will be led by veteran investors Wyatt Lonergan and Juan Lopez, who previously led Circle Ventures, the venture arm of USDC/USD issuer Circle.
Their expertise, combined with VanEck’s reputation in asset management, positions the fund as a valuable partner for innovative startups.
The fund’s investment strategy focuses on category-defining founders that leverage emerging technologies such as blockchain and large-scale language models. Key investment themes include tokenized assets, internet-native financial markets, and next-generation payment systems built on stablecoins and tokenized capital markets.
Wyatt Lonergan, general partner at VanEck Ventures, highlighted three core inflection points that form the firm’s investment thesis. These are “stablecoins emerging as an open source banking layer, commoditization of blockspace, and breakthroughs in AI.” He added that the convergence of these elements is creating “unprecedented opportunities for globally connected and user-centric financial experiences.”
The fund plans to make 25 to 35 investments, with check sizes ranging from $500,000 to $1 million. The company has already made four private investments. Juan Lopez, also a general partner, noted that this is an exciting time for blockchain utilities. ”
What’s next: VanEck CEO Jan Van Eck will speak at the Benzinga Future of Digital Assets event on November 19th.
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