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Outlier Ventures

Outlier Ventures is a venture capital firm specializing in investments and support for blockchain and Web 3.0 projects.
Outlier Ventures
Leadership team

Jamie Burke (CEO and Founder)

Aron van Ammers (CTO and Founding Partner)

Tim Rule (Board Member)

Rumi Morales (Board Member)

Walther Doernte (Board Member)

Stephen Apel (Board Member)

Number of Employees
100 - 500
Headquarters
London, UK
Established
2014
Social Media
Summary

Outlier Ventures is a renowned Web3 accelerator and founder community that invests in and partners with 200 exceptional founders in the Web3 space annually, spanning various sectors including DeFi, NFTs, blockchain infrastructure, and more. As the leading Web3 accelerator, they have worked with a wide range of projects in DeFi, NFTs, DAOs, blockchain infrastructure, identity, luxury fashion, music, gaming, and the Metaverse. With a focus on investing in the founders and projects shaping the future, Outlier Ventures has established itself as the number one global crypto investor.

In the first quarter of 2023 alone, Outlier Ventures successfully closed 42 individual deals, further solidifying their position as the top Web3 accelerator. Ascent, their premier token launch advisory service, provides expert guidance to projects seeking to optimize the success of their token economy and network. With a diverse portfolio comprising over 220 projects, their commitment to supporting the Web3 ecosystem is evident.

At Outlier Ventures, founders and participants benefit from an extensive network of over 400 mentors who are renowned leaders in the Web3 space. Through their mentorship, founders gain valuable insights and knowledge to navigate the industry successfully. The combined funding raised by Outlier Ventures' portfolio companies exceeds $350 million, highlighting the significant financial backing they provide to their projects.

The Outlier Ventures community is composed of over 400 founders and continues to grow steadily. Their ecosystem encompasses 100 companies and offers 196 job opportunities, fostering collaboration and innovation within the Web3 community. As strategic partners, Outlier Ventures works closely with industry-leading entities such as Hedera, Polygon, Filecoin, IPFS, New Order, Polkadex, Polkadot, Aptos, and FarFetch, strengthening their position as an Open Metaverse Accelerator.

With their extensive experience, global network, and commitment to supporting Web3 startups, Outlier Ventures plays a crucial role in shaping the future of the Open Metaverse. Through their Base Camp and Ascent programs, they provide founders with a proven framework for growth while nurturing an ecosystem of mentorship and investment. Additionally, Outlier Ventures acts as ecosystem accelerators, offering dedicated incubation partnerships to startups building on their ecosystem tech stack.

History

Outlier Ventures was established in 2014 as one of the early venture capital firms focused on investing in the emerging crypto ecosystem. However, it gained significant momentum after launching its Base Camp accelerator in 2019. The accelerator quickly gained popularity, receiving over 5,000 applications from around the world. Through its accelerator program, Outlier Ventures has helped raise over $250 million in seed funding for its portfolio, which now consists of 100+ high-profile projects.

Outlier Ventures has been actively involved in supporting the launch and growth of several billion-dollar crypto economies. Some notable projects in their portfolio include Fetch.ai, Boson Protocol, Secret Network, Blox Move, Swash, and DIA Data. They have specifically focused on investments in decentralized finance (DeFi), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and blockchain infrastructure. Additionally, they have shown a keen interest in emergent Metaverse use cases such as NFT-based digital couture fashion brands, avatar marketplaces, decentralized music publishing platforms, play-to-earn games, and augmented reality social positioning protocols.

In recent years, Outlier Ventures has expanded its Base Camp program to partner with leading protocols such as Filecoin/IPFS, Polygon, and Polkadot. This expansion has allowed Outlier Ventures to host dedicated accelerator programs for these Web3 ecosystems, further strengthening their position as one of the most active investors and Metaverse accelerators globally.

Outlier Ventures has always embraced a vision of Web3 that prioritizes user sovereignty, data ownership, and decentralized wealth. In January 2021, they published their thesis on the Open Metaverse OS, outlining their framework and pathway towards architecting an Open Metaverse. This thesis foresaw the growing interest in the Metaverse and warned against the dangers of centralized, closed, and proprietary approaches. Outlier Ventures has been at the forefront of combining blockchain technology with VR and AR, enabling new use cases in gaming, fashion, entertainment, and e-commerce.

The firm has also established the Outlier Ventures Partnership, which invites a select group of founders, investors, and culture makers to join as mentors and investors. These members, known as "Outliers," collaborate with portfolio companies and have the opportunity to take a direct stake in token economies. This partnership has been instrumental in fostering growth, expanding into new markets, and bridging the gap between big companies and creators in the Web3-based Metaverse.

To further strengthen their ecosystem, Outlier Ventures has welcomed prominent figures from various industries as new members of the Outliers community. These include Shaun Neff, Joel Zimmerman (deadmau5), Snoop Dogg, Cathy Hackl, Sandeep Nailwal, Sebastien Borget, Sillytuna, Max Stealth, Gabby Dizon, and others. Their addition brings diverse expertise and financial firepower to support the Open Metaverse ecosystem.

Investment criteria

Bespoke Approach: Outlier Ventures provides customized advice, support, and expertise based on the specific roadmap of a team. They tailor their services to meet the unique needs of each project they work with.

Dedicated Program Team: Selected projects partnering with Outlier Ventures have access to a dedicated program team. This team consists of experts in various areas of Web 3, including legal, technology, token design, marketing, and more.

Extensive In-House Network: Outlier Ventures boasts an in-house network of 100+ Web 3 experts. These experts can provide valuable insights and guidance to the selected projects, leveraging their expertise and knowledge in different domains.

Co-Investor Network: Outlier Ventures has a broad co-investor network comprising over 1000 partners. These partners include venture capitalists, syndicates, market makers, liquidity providers, and pools located across North America, Europe, and Asia. This network can potentially contribute to the growth and success of the projects.

Rigorous Readiness Assessment: Outlier Ventures conducts a thorough readiness assessment to evaluate the preparedness of the projects. This assessment serves as a shortcut for their trusted partners, enabling them to engage with teams more efficiently. It also provides a strong signal to the market about the project's credibility.

Warm Introductions: Outlier Ventures facilitates warm introductions to their extensive network. These introductions can help activate key partners and generate new business leads for the projects they support.

Tailored Support: Outlier Ventures offers tailored support throughout the various stages of token development. This includes the critical period leading up to the project's launch, post-launch support, and ongoing support while the project is in the market. The support is provided through a personalized calendar of structured weekly calls, workshops, documents, and discussions, all designed to meet the specific needs of each project.

Values

At the core of Outlier Ventures' values is a passionate belief in the power of founders to create positive change in society. They focus specifically on supporting founders in the Web 3.0 space, recognizing that an open and inclusive metaverse will be the natural progression. Outlier Ventures invests not only financial resources but also their time and expertise to help founders realize their full potential. They actively work to allocate the ecosystem's attention, time, and resources towards supporting the founders who can have the most positive impact.

Outlier Ventures maintains an optimistic outlook on our collective future and remains determined to play their part in driving progress. They firmly believe that the web can and should be better, and this conviction drives their commitment. Regardless of market conditions, they remain dedicated to their goal of seeing billions of users benefit from the key principles of sovereignty, privacy, and digital property rights.

As trusted advisors, Outlier Ventures prioritizes building strong relationships with founders, co-investors, partners, and their own team. They demonstrate respect and reliability by consistently showing up and delivering on their commitments. Recognizing their responsibility, Outlier Ventures strives to make their knowledge and understanding as widely accessible as possible, ensuring that they contribute to the broader community by providing accessible resources.

Mission

The mission of Outlier Ventures is to play a pivotal role in funding and developing an open ecosystem that embraces inclusivity and openness. Their ultimate goal is to onboard one billion people to a more accessible and inclusive metaverse.

Outlier Ventures recognizes the transformative potential of the metaverse and aims to create an environment where individuals from diverse backgrounds can participate and benefit. By providing funding, resources, and support to projects within the Web 3.0 space, they actively contribute to the development of a metaverse that is open, decentralized, and accessible to all.

The mission of Outlier Ventures aligns with their belief that the metaverse should not be limited to a select few but should be a space that empowers and includes individuals on a global scale. By fostering innovation, collaboration, and the adoption of key principles such as sovereignty and privacy, Outlier Ventures strives to create a metaverse that reflects the values of openness, inclusivity, and shared benefits.

Through their investments, partnerships, and active involvement in the Web 3.0 community, Outlier Ventures is dedicated to realizing their mission of onboarding one billion people to a more open and inclusive metaverse. They are committed to driving positive change and shaping the future of the metaverse in a way that brings about widespread participation, equal opportunities, and meaningful experiences for all individuals.

Portfolio

Outlier Ventures has an impressive portfolio of projects that spans various sectors within the Web 3.0 space. With their extensive experience and expertise, they have carefully selected and invested in innovative startups that are pushing the boundaries of decentralized technologies and shaping the future of the metaverse.

Their portfolio includes projects across multiple domains, such as decentralized finance (DeFi), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), blockchain infrastructure, identity, luxury fashion, music, gaming, and the metaverse. By diversifying their investments, Outlier Ventures demonstrates their commitment to supporting a wide range of groundbreaking initiatives that have the potential to revolutionize industries and create new possibilities for users.

One notable aspect of their portfolio is their focus on emergent use cases within the Open Metaverse. They have identified the potential of NFT-based play-to-earn games, augmented reality experiences, and other applications that leverage the power of the metaverse. By backing projects in these areas, Outlier Ventures is actively contributing to the growth and development of the metaverse ecosystem.

References
Outlier Ventures
Leadership team

Jamie Burke (CEO and Founder)

Aron van Ammers (CTO and Founding Partner)

Tim Rule (Board Member)

Rumi Morales (Board Member)

Walther Doernte (Board Member)

Stephen Apel (Board Member)

Number of Employees
100 - 500
Headquarters
London, UK
Established
2014
Social Media