Mantle Core Proposes $200M Fund for Web3 Startups

Mantle Core, a subsidiary of BitDAO, has recently proposed the creation of a $200 million fund dedicated to early-stage Web3 startups. The proposal aims to accelerate the adoption of Mantle, an Ethereum layer-2 network, among developers and Dapps. The Mantle EcoFund will be deployed within the Mantle ecosystem over the next three years, with BitDAO's treasury providing $100 million in USD Coin (USDC), and another $100 million coming from external matching capital from strategic venture partners.

Several funds have expressed interest in participating in the Mantle EcoFund, including Dragonfly Capital, Pantera, Folius Ventures, Play Ventures Future Fund, Spartan, Lemniscap, Selini Capital, Cadenza Ventures, and QCP Capital, according to Mantle's proposal. If approved, the EcoFund and venture partners will participate in projects with a 1:1 co-investment ratio. The ecosystem fund will target Web3 startups raising pre-seed, seed, and series A rounds.

The Mantle spokesperson has stated that "the fund targets to invest in more than 100 projects deployed on Mantle and have a multiple on invested capital (MOIC) of 1.5x of cumulative performance through the fund's lifecycle." Management fees for the EcoFund team, including sourcing, due diligence, legal, portfolio support, and fund administration, will be "industry standard," with a 2% fee to support operational expenses.

The proposed Mantle EcoFund is part of a broader trend across the crypto industry, with similar initiatives seeking to drive adoption and innovation. For instance, in 2021, Polygon, an Ethereum scaling solution, launched a $100 million fund aimed at improving access to decentralized finance, onboarding users, and accelerating adoption.

In summary, the proposed Mantle EcoFund has the potential to significantly boost the development and adoption of Web3 startups by providing early-stage funding for promising projects. With the backing of BitDAO's treasury and external venture partners, the Mantle EcoFund could become a significant player in the Web3 ecosystem, fueling innovation and growth in the years to come.