2024: A Breakthrough Year for PLVS

As we close out 2024 and look forward to 2025, we at Protocol Labs Venture Studio (PLVS) are excited to welcome our latest cohort of badass founders and teams graduating into the PL network, and highlight the focus areas we're most excited about in 2025.

Over the past year, we've seen 12 new venture-backed teams graduate from PLVS - joining the 20+ companies who have been cofounded by PLVS over the years. Our journey has been driven by exceptional founders, bold ideas, and an unwavering commitment to driving breakthroughs in computing that shape the future of Web3, cloud infrastructure, and decentralized networks.

Here's a quick look-back at 2024 highlights and some of our incredible portfolio companies driving change:

Highlights from 2024

  • Graduated 12 Exceptional Teams: This year, we partnered with 12 amazing teams developing breakthroughs across threshold cryptography, decentralized object storage, environmental efficiency reporting, and more, helping them design, develop, and launch their new businesses into the PL network.

  • New PLVS Support: This year, PLVS introduced tailored programming for early-stage founders - including workshops, expert sessions, and bespoke 1:1 coaching to help founders bring their visions to life.

  • Founder Events and Networking: From Buenos Aires in August to Singapore in September and Bangkok in November - we hosted workshops, gatherings, and dinners to grow and connect new founders with impactful breakthroughs.

  • Growing Our Portfolio: We welcomed a diverse cohort of startups this year, ranging from energy solutions to cutting-edge AI and data infrastructure. Each company represents a unique perspective on solving some of the most complex challenges in technology today.

Our Portfolio in 2024

This year, PLVS successfully graduated 12 amazing teams working on transformative solutions. Among them, three teams stood out for achieving exceptional growth and valuations: Akave, Storacha, and Randamu.

Below, we dive deeper into the groundbreaking work of these standout companies:

Akave

Akave is redefining privacy and security with next-generation zero-knowledge proof systems. Their work enables scalable, privacy-preserving solutions for decentralized networks. Akave's innovative approach to cryptographic computation has positioned them as a leader in the privacy technology sector, driving adoption across Web3 applications.

Storacha

Storacha is revolutionizing decentralized caching infrastructure, enhancing the speed and efficiency of distributed applications worldwide. By solving critical challenges in high-speed data access, Storacha has emerged as a vital player in improving performance across decentralized cloud systems.

Randamu

Pioneering randomness-as-a-service, Randamu provides unbiased, verifiable randomness for cryptographic and blockchain applications. Their distributed randomness beacon ensures fairness and security, creating robust foundations for gaming, lotteries, and trustless systems in Web3.

Looking Ahead to 2025

As we step into the new year, PLVS is excited to announce the launch of Cohort 2 in 2025, which will welcome another group of visionary founders. With a proven track record of success, we are committed to providing them with the resources, and mentorship needed to scale their ideas into revolutionary startups.

We see immense potential in the following opportunity landscape:

  • Filecoin L2s / Apps: Accelerating the development of scalable applications on Filecoin.

  • DePIN Networks: Building decentralized physical infrastructure networks.

  • DeAI: Innovating at the intersection of compute and storage.

  • Community-Funded Infrastructure: Addressing systemic failures with decentralized solutions.

  • Crypto Primitives for AI Mitigation: Creating verification tools to counteract the rise of AI.

  • Onchain Cities and New DeFi: Exploring tokenized real estate, digital corporations, and decentralized funding models.

  • Stablecoins and on-chain financial infrastructure: Focusing on payments, RWAs, asset management, and credit systems.

  • DeSci Funding Models

  • User-Owned Data Monetization through Data DAOs

  • Regulatory Unlocks: Startups that capitalize on crypto-friendly policies across regions (e.g., UAE, Argentina, US regulatory changes)

A Call for Startups

At PLVS, we're building flywheels for innovation—from funding initiatives to spinning out new programs. If you're a founder with bold ideas in any of these areas, we want to hear from you. Join us in building the decentralized future by reaching out to us at plvs@protocol.ai.

We invite ambitious founders to join us in building the next generation of decentralized technologies. If you are working on innovative solutions in any of these areas, reach out to us—2025 is your year to make an impact.

To all the builders, partners, and supporters—thank you for being part of our journey. Let's continue to innovate and accelerate the future, together. 💪