At a Glance
Placeholder VC was founded in 2017 by Joel Monegro and Chris Burniske, two prominent thinkers in the crypto and Web3 space. The firm emerged from Union Square Ventures, where both partners developed their thesis around cryptonetwork investing. Placeholder focuses exclusively on investing in and supporting the development of decentralized information networks - blockchain protocols and applications that can serve as foundational infrastructure for a more open internet. The firm typically invests at the earliest stages, often in token sales or equity rounds for protocol development teams. Burniske, author of 'Cryptoassets,' and Monegro, who coined the 'fat protocols' thesis, bring both theoretical depth and practical experience to their investments. Notable portfolio companies include Arweave (decentralized storage), The Graph (blockchain indexing protocol), and Livepeer (decentralized video streaming). Placeholder's investment approach is highly research-driven, with the team regularly publishing influential analysis on cryptoeconomics and network effects in decentralized systems.
“Investing in decentralized information networks and open-source protocols that can become the foundation of the decentralized web.”
Placeholder VC primarily invests at the Seed, Series A stages. This means they focus on companies that are building their initial product and finding product-market fit.
Placeholder VC is headquartered in New York, NY. Many of their portfolio companies are also based in this region, though they invest across geographies.
Placeholder VC focuses on investments in Web3, Deeptech. Their portfolio reflects deep expertise and networks within these sectors.
Placeholder VC manages approximately $200M in assets under management (AUM) across their funds.