Written by the Tokenomics.net team
Mar 2, 2025
Web3 fundraising is unique and challenging. Here's what you need to know to succeed at each stage:
Pre-Seed: Focus on building your team, creating an MVP, and documenting your vision in a whitepaper. Early funding often comes from friends and family.
Seed: Prove product-market fit, refine tokenomics, and grow your community. Seed funding averages $3.5M.
Series A: Scale operations, demonstrate growth with metrics like Total Value Locked (TVL), and ensure legal compliance. Average funding is $21.2M.
Key Takeaways:
Tokenomics Matter: Plan token allocation, utility, and vesting schedules early.
Compliance is Critical: Align with regulations to build investor trust.
Metrics Drive Success: Show user growth, transaction data, and community engagement.
Fundraising in Web3 is about balancing innovation with strategy. Start strong, build trust, and focus on sustainable growth.
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Pre-Seed Stage Requirements
At the pre-seed stage, Web3 projects need three main elements to secure initial funding: a whitepaper, a product demo, and a well-thought-out token model. These are essential for attracting early investors and setting the stage for future fundraising.
Writing Your Whitepaper
A whitepaper is your project's technical and strategic blueprint. It should include:
Your whitepaper should clearly show how well you understand your customers and your strategy to attract them. For example, Vitalik Buterin's Ethereum whitepaper stood out because it included his personal journey, highlighting his shift from centralized gaming to blockchain. This added a layer of credibility to his vision.
Once the whitepaper is ready, the next step is creating a functional demo to validate your ideas.
Creating Your First Product Demo
A good demo can set your project apart. Many fail because they don't address real problems. To avoid this, focus on the following:
Solve a Specific Problem
Build a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that addresses a clear market need. For instance, Tony Drummond’s Web3 gaming project grew to 75,000 community members by focusing on early validation.
Prove Technical Feasibility
Create a functional prototype and refine it based on early user feedback.
A validated demo not only strengthens your pitch but also builds trust with potential investors. After this, it's time to focus on your token model.
Setting Up Token Economics
Carefully planning your token allocation and utility is crucial. Looking at successful projects like Ethereum, which allocated 83.3% of its tokens to its ICO, here’s a general breakdown:
Use simulation tools like Tokenomics.net to test your model and identify potential issues early.
When documenting your token model, be sure to include:
Allocation and distribution methods
Vesting schedules
Token utility
Incentives for growth
A well-documented token model is key to earning investor trust and confidence.
Seed Stage Requirements
Moving into the seed stage means proving your idea works in the market, forming valuable partnerships, and laying out a clear plan for your token sale. These steps are crucial for attracting larger investments and establishing trust.
Testing Market Demand
Understanding market demand involves a mix of qualitative and quantitative research to ensure your product matches what the market needs. Here's how you can gather actionable insights:
Building Project Partnerships
Strong collaborations can give your project a boost in functionality, visibility, and scalability. Focus on these types of partnerships:
"In Web3, partnerships are everything - strong alliances can provide funding, credibility, and direct user growth."
Structuring Token Sales
According to Max Yamp, "The seed investment amount is often small - varies from $10,000 to $40,000 - and its main purpose is to get funding for the further ICO process: create a token contract, build the marketing team, create a website, and finance the first promotional campaigns."
To build investor trust, create a well-thought-out token sale strategy. This includes defining pricing, supply, and distribution. Additionally, ensure smart contract audits are in place and maintain active communication with your community through platforms like Discord or Telegram.
Series A Requirements
Securing Series A funding requires consistent growth, a well-structured token model, and adherence to regulatory standards. These factors demonstrate that a project is ready for major investment and long-term viability.
Tracking User Growth
Venture capitalists rely on both traditional and blockchain-specific metrics to evaluate growth. Here are some key indicators they consider:
Take Uniswap as an example. Its growing user activity and transaction volumes have been directly linked to its increasing platform valuation. These metrics are often the foundation for improving token models.
Strengthening Token Models
An effective token system creates lasting value by focusing on proper distribution and utility. Here are some key elements:
For instance, Solana uses an inflationary system with a gradually reducing rate and a burn mechanism tied to transaction fees. This approach helps maintain economic stability. While optimizing token models is crucial, meeting legal requirements is equally important.
Ensuring Legal Compliance
Regulatory compliance is a must for Series A fundraising. Following key guidelines helps reduce legal risks:
Projects that succeed in balancing decentralization with compliance tend to attract institutional investors. MakerDAO is a strong example, combining community-driven governance with adherence to regulatory standards. This balance is increasingly seen as a critical factor in gaining investor trust.
Fundraising Performance Metrics
Key performance indicators (KPIs) help Web3 founders set goals and demonstrate progress to investors. These metrics evolve with each funding stage, reflecting the project's growth and market traction.
Stage-by-Stage Metrics
Here's a breakdown of the metrics investors typically assess at different funding stages:
These metrics align with earlier discussions on token models and product validation, providing clear benchmarks for each funding stage.
"Founders should start focusing on their critical metrics 12 to 18 months before seeking Series A investment"
Metrics can differ based on the type of project. For instance, DeFi protocols often prioritize Total Value Locked (TVL), which surged from $41B in October 2023 to $109B by June 2024.
Network performance is another vital area. For example, GMX's user base on Arbitrum grew from 11,000 to 24,300 between July 2022, boosting its network penetration from 2% to 5%. Strong performance across these metrics significantly enhances a project's chances of securing funding.
Tools for Web3 Fundraising
Use these tools to boost the metrics mentioned earlier and speed up your fundraising process.
Web3 fundraising relies on a variety of specialized platforms and services. Here's an outline of key tools to make your efforts more efficient.
Investor Contact Platforms
InnMind is a top choice for connecting Web3 startups with over 5,000 VC investors. For instance, NIFTSY successfully secured funding from Waterdrip Capital after their first pitch.
"We pitched for the first time in an InnMind Pitching Session and since then, we're talking to investors literally every day. We have already closed the first round with Waterdrip Capital, the lead investor from the pitching session, and received several other VC offers on the table. That's incredible." – Alex K, Founder at NIFTSY
Here are some other key platforms and programs:
After connecting with investors, focus on refining your strategy with professional tokenomics services.
Token Design Services
Expert tokenomics services can play a key role in your fundraising success. These providers specialize in creating and validating token designs.
Tokenomics.net offers dynamic simulations and consulting. They’ve helped raise over $50 million across 40+ projects, providing services like stress-testing token economies, planning fundraising strategies, and preparing investor documentation.
Community Tools
Engaging your community is crucial for success. Here are some examples of effective strategies:
Chainlink: Established clear communication channels, launched a community grants program, and built strong partnerships.
MakerDAO: Implemented decentralized governance, hosted educational events, and created active forums.
When these strategies are part of a larger fundraising plan, they can deliver impressive results. For example, Tenity's accelerator program helped Keyrock secure $72 million in Series B funding.
"Investors aren't just looking for a product, they're looking for a vision of the future. How will your project redefine the Web3 space? What problem are you solving, and why does it matter in the grand scheme of things?" – TDeFi
Choose tools that align with your project’s stage, needs, and goals. The right mix can elevate your fundraising efforts and lay the groundwork for long-term growth.
Conclusion
Web3 fundraising requires a focused approach tailored to each stage of growth. In 2024, pre-seed rounds averaged $2.5 million (a 28% increase from 2023), seed rounds reached $5.6 million, and Series A rounds hit $17.6 million. These figures underline the importance of solid preparation in the early stages.
Each phase - pre-seed, seed, and Series A - builds on the one before it, demanding specific focus areas:
Pre-seed: Highlight a capable team and technical skills.
Seed: Prove product functionality and establish strong tokenomics.
Series A: Show measurable growth and ensure legal compliance.
Web3 fundraising stands apart from traditional startup funding. With 28% of American adults now owning cryptocurrency, projects must strike a balance between innovation and meeting regulatory standards. Using the right tools and platforms can help ensure that progress at each stage lays the groundwork for the next.
To succeed in Web3 fundraising, concentrate on the essentials: sustainable tokenomics, compliance with regulations, and an engaged community. These core elements, combined with a flexible approach as your project grows, are key to navigating this unique funding landscape.
