DeVenture: Bringing Transparency and Security to Startup Funding

Blockchain technology is reshaping the world as we speak. From education to entertainment, finance, gaming, arts, retail and media, almost every industry has experienced the benefits of blockchain. However, there is more to this groundbreaking technology than we usually notice, and one such case is how blockchain is rapidly changing the startup fundraising scene, Decentralized Venture Capital.

Blockchain fundraising models, such as Decentralized Venture Capital and Initial Coin Offering (ICO) allow for raising funds quickly and efficiently from a vast pool of global investors. These models provide much-needed value to startups while also helping investors to manage and distribute their funds securely and transparently.

So, let's discuss how fundraising has evolved over two decades, and review some of the most innovative blockchain-based funding models that can give a much-needed boost to today's startups.

The Evolution of Fundraising

Before the blockchain era, venture capital funds were one of the most common fundraising methods. These were indirect investments, where potential investors would hand their assets to a venture capital (VC) firm for management. That firm would conduct all the research and spread the funds across multiple startups to hedge risks. In the early 2000s, crowdfunding emerged as an effective alternative to venture capital funds. Crowdfunding platforms allow entrepreneurs to pitch their startup ideas on the platform and share them with the general public. The new model was way more flexible and scalable, as they didn't need to follow traditional fundraising patterns, such as valuation and risk assessment. On top of that, we have peer-to-peer funding, where the crowd lends money to the company, so their investment would be paid-off with interest after a certain period, and equity crowdfunding, where the public invests in the business in exchange for a stake in the company. Reward-based or donation-based funding allows individuals to donate money to a startup to receive non-financial rewards in the future, such as goods and services.

Enter the Blockchain Era of Startup funding

In the last few years, blockchain has emerged as a new way of raising funds through decentralized models, which can revolutionize traditional crowdfunding. For entrepreneurs, it provides a robust infrastructure for making direct, transparent and traceable investments without indulging a centralized authority. Startups, in their turn, can use blockchain fundraising to appeal to a wide range of new investors from the crypto and DeFi domains. One of the most common models of blockchain-based fundraising is ICO or Initial Coin Offering. In this model, the startup company would create its own digital asset or token representing its unique project. Potential investors would buy that token as a form of investment: as the value of the startup grew, so did the token's value. A more innovative form of blockchain-based funding is the 'Decentralized Venture' model, or DeVenture, which I will explore in the next section.

What is Decentralized Venture Capital?

Decentralized venture capital funds work pretty much the same as regular capital funds. One of the main drawbacks of the traditional model is the high risk involved in investing in a startup or company and also the difficulty of finding investors. DVCs are collectives of regular investors who contribute fairly modest amounts to currency-based funds to build a pool that supports these startups and companies. Among the successful decentralized venture capital funds are CSP DAO, Bull Perks, Gain Associates, Fish DAO, Orange DAO, and others. Innovations in this area are usually aimed at reducing risks for investors. For example, we introduced our DaVenture model, which reduces the risk in this type of investment and allows enterprises that have been validated to be more attractive to investors. After going through a series of procedures, Angel investors or professional investors can join a group of investors as part of a DAO community, which makes collective decisions on the validation of new projects and startups. If a potential startup is identified, it is funded through DAO investment tokens. The token itself represents the investment of the entire community or pool. DaVenture can be combined with other technologies to increase reach, drive adoption and attract further investment. In this sense, LivelyVerse has its own TV-show, 'LivelyWorld', where entrepreneurs can promote their projects and ideas while the mass user is educated about blockchain and DeFi.

Summing it up

Blockchain-based fundraising holds a promising future, as it can create new opportunities for both entrepreneurs and investors. With models like DeVenture, even the middle class can invest in potential startups, and entrepreneurs gain wider exposure. At the same time, the transparency and accessibility of blockchain can disrupt the global investment market.

Gabriela Reyes is CEO and Co-Founder of LivelyVerse