Animoca Brands to launch $2B Metaverse fund

Leading gaming developer and investor Animoca Brands announced a plan to launch a $2 billion Metaverse fund, according to Animoca Brands co-founder Yat Siu in a Nov.30 interview with Nikkei Asia in Tokyo.

The fund, dubbed Anomica Capital, will go towards investing in the development of digital property rights, referring to ‘NFT Metaverse’ and ‘open Metaverse’ businesses around the world. Anomica Capital will make its first investment in 2023.

The fund aims to develop the ecosystem of web3, focusing on equity optimization rather than pursuing economic returns.

Siu said the fund would also serve as a good entry point for all web3 companies by creating opportunities for investors to connect with and access web3 companies.

‘For a lot of traditional investors, investing in growth [stage] to a late stage is safer. It's very different from investing in a seed startup, which has much higher risk,’ Siu added.

Founded in 2014, Animoca has around 380 portfolio investments in the Web3 business sector, including OpenSea and Dapper Labs. The company is recently valued at $5.9 billion after raising $75 million in July.

The company raised over $358 million for acquisitions and investments, product development and licenses for popular intellectual properties in the open metaverse.

Most recently, it has invested in Roboto Games’ $15 million fundraising and $228,000 for teachers through the Tiny Tap NFT collection.

Photo: Getty