/Investor DB

Protagonist

Venture capitalActively deploying

Bay Harbor Islands · Seed–Growth · 7 people tracked

Also known as PROTAGONIST MANAGEMENT LLC

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Investment thesis

Protagonist invests in ambitious founders building early-stage emerging technology businesses. The firm positions itself as founders and operators first, emphasizing hands-on partnership beyond capital — bringing strategic partners, operating experience, deep network access, and guidance to help portfolio companies succeed. Its backed companies span artificial intelligence, defense, renewable energy, semiconductors and computing hardware, healthcare software, consumer and media products. The name 'Protagonist,' meaning 'the main character of a story,' reflects its founder-centric philosophy of moving fast, thinking big, and caring about long-term company success.

Source: firm website, verified Oct 27, 2026.

Stage
Seed–Growth
Check
$10K – $1M
HQ
Bay Harbor Islands, Florida, US
Leads rounds
Follows
Instruments
Equity
Founded
2022
Last 12 months
6 investments
Private fund assets
$443.4M
VC funds
14
Tracked investments
101
Unicorns
3
Acquisitions
3

Team · 7 people

from the firm's website & public directories
George Bousis· Co-Founder & Managing Partnerin𝕏

A founder-focused investor who backs and advises highly ambitious founders aiming to advance humankind and challenge the status quo, guided by the philosophy of prioritizing outcomes over optics.

George Ruan· Co-Founder & Managing Partnerin𝕏

George Ruan, a serial founder of five startups who co-founded Honey and achieved a $4B PayPal exit after modest VC, leverages China insight to prioritize friction removal and capital efficiency.

Harry Hurst· Co-Founder & Managing Partnerin𝕏

Harry Hurst is a serial founder-turned-investor who co-founded multibillion-valued Pipe and Skurt (acquired), using operator experience to help founders pursue non-dilutive financing with unusually high personal engagement.

James Norris· Partner, CFO & Chief Compliance Officerin

James Norris is Chief Financial Officer, Partner, and Chief Compliance Officer at Protagonist, a $450M AUM early-stage venture capital firm investing in AI, fintech, blockchain, and consumer software, where he oversees fund accounting, investor relations, regulatory compliance, digital asset management, and SPV structuring. Over more than 20 years he has co-founded and operated five investment firms across venture capital, hedge funds, and family offices, including CFO roles at two family offices ($300M and $1B+ AUM), co-founding hedge fund Blue Jay Capital Management, and co-founding a SPAC that raised $170M through a 2019 NASDAQ IPO. He was trained in PricewaterhouseCoopers' Investment Management group and holds active CPA (California) and FCCA (England) licenses.

Sevan Avakian· Partner, General Counsel and Chief Operating Officer
Nick Malone· Principal
Michael Gargiulo· Analystin

Founder mafia

2 people who came through Protagonist went on to found or lead other companies.

What they invest in

from 75 of 101 portfolio companies

AI & Machine Learning ×33Crypto & Web3 ×25Fintech ×23Enterprise Software ×17Consumer ×16Data & Infrastructure ×12SaaS ×11Developer Tools ×9

HQs:United States×38France×4United Arab Emirates×2Switzerland×1Finland×1United Kingdom×1

Who they back

founder profiles across 49 portfolio companies
33%
solo founders
16 of 49 mapped founding teams
54%
repeat founders
of 61 founders with career history
~1 yr
old at investment
median across 15 dated deals

Founding team size:solo founder×162 founders×173 founders×84+ founders×8

Where their founders studiedfrom 54 founders with education data

University of California, Berkeley ×4Princeton University ×3University of Toronto ×3Carnegie Mellon University ×2Harvard Business School ×2Le Wagon ×2Massachusetts Institute of Technology ×2Miami University ×2

What their founders studiedfrom 50 founders with field-of-study data

Computer Science ×16Business & Management ×12Engineering ×9Finance & Accounting ×7Mathematics & Statistics ×6Economics ×4Physics ×3Humanities ×2

Where their founders worked beforefrom 61 founders with career history

Google ×4Microsoft ×3RBC Capital Markets ×3Revolut ×3Uber ×3Accuvant ×2AMD ×2BoldEnd ×2

Accelerator rootsportfolio companies that came through a program

Entrepreneur First ×3

6 founders hold a PhD · 8 hold an MBA (of 54 with degree data)

Investments · 101 tracked

founders shown can be your intro path

By year:2026 · 32025 · 122024 · 32023 · 52022 · 62021 · 12015 · 131 dated

Diamond Standarddiamondstandard.coin𝕏✓ verified

Diamond Standard offers investment products that allow people to invest in diamonds as an asset class, and provides an educational guide covering ways to invest, market context, and case studies.

Advanced ManufacturingCrypto & Web3FintechNew York, US

Cormac L Kinney(Executive Officer)inCormac Kinney(Founder)inCormac Kinane(Founder)

Co-investorsLeft Lane CapitalGaingels

Fogworksfogworks.ioin𝕏✓ verified

Fog Works develops personal AI edge computing solutions, combining software and hardware, that allow users to run AI assistants locally while maintaining data sovereignty through a decentralized storage network.

AI & Machine LearningCrypto & Web3Data & InfrastructureHardwareIoT

Xinglu Lin(CEO & Co-Founder)Victor Chen(COO)Zhicong Liu(Chief Engineer)Felicia DengWilliam Entriken(Chief Architect)

Co-investorsAlumni VenturesIoTeXOnePiece LabsSolana FoundationDraper Dragon

1MONEY CO.1moneynetwork.comin𝕏

1Money builds a decentralized payment network for stablecoin and tokenized deposit transfers, designed for global financial settlements.

Crypto & Web3Fintech

Matt Shroder(Founder)inBrian Shroder(Founder)inMatthew Shroder(Founder)

Co-investorsA100X VenturesBorderless VentureCMT Digital VenturesDigital Currency GroupEthereal Ventures Management Ltd.F-Prime Capital+11 more

Agentioagentio.comin𝕏Nov 2023

Agentio is an AI infrastructure platform that enables brands to buy creator media at scale.

AdTechAI & Machine LearningCreator EconomyMarketing TechNew York, US

Arthur Leopold(Founder)inJonathan Meyers(Founder)in

BoardSarah Tavel(Benchmark director)inEurie Kim(Forerunner managing partner / Series B investor)

Co-investorsAlleyCorpAntlerAntler AustraliaBackwards CapitalCraft VenturesForerunner Ventures+3 more

Aionaion.xyz

Aion builds and deploys machine learning models, agents, and engineering teams that help organizations move from experimentation to production.

AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsEnterprise Software

Jayden Watson(Founder)in

Co-investorsNazare VenturesStreamlined Ventures

Anokianoki.aiin𝕏Nov 2023

Anoki builds ContextIQ, a multimodal AI platform for Connected TV (CTV) that analyzes video at the scene level to enable brand-suitable, contextually relevant ad placements.

AdTechAI & Machine LearningMedia & EntertainmentSan Carlos, US

Raghu Kodige(Executive Officer, Director)inAshish Baldua(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardUllas Naik(Director)in

Co-investorsStreamlined Ventures

Aoriaori.io𝕏

Infrastructure for high-frequency intent execution on any chain

Co-investorsBankless VenturesL2 Iterative Ventures (L2IV)

Aptosaptoslabs.comin𝕏

Aptos Labs develops a Layer 1 blockchain platform using the Move programming language and parallel execution technology, serving developers and users building decentralized applications.

Crypto & Web3Developer ToolsNew York City, US

Avery Ching(Founder)inMo Shaikh(Founder)inAlin Tomescu(Head of Cryptography)inSasha Spiegelman(Head of Research)Zekun Li(Head of Blockchain)in

Co-investorsa16z cryptoDragonflyAndreessen HorowitzArrington CapitalBixin CapitalBixin Ventures+15 more

Aragoarago.incinJul 2025

Arago develops a photonic AI accelerator chip that uses light-based computing to reduce energy consumption for AI workloads.

AI & Machine LearningDeep TechEnterprise SoftwareHardwareParis, FR

Nicolas Muller(CEO)inEliott Sarrey(CTO)in

Co-investorsEarlybird Venture CapitalEntrepreneur FirstC4 Ventures

Atomsatoms.coin𝕏

Builds automated kitchen systems using robotics to produce consistent, affordable meals at scale.

FoodTechHardwareRobotics

Travis Kalanick(Founder)Sidra Qasim(Founder)inWaqas Ali(Founder)in

Co-investorsA*Abstract VenturesAlpha Wave GlobalAndreessen HorowitzAtaraxia CapitalBain Capital Ventures+16 more

Bird Buddymybirdbuddy.comin𝕏Oct 2021

Bird Buddy makes a smart bird feeder with a built-in camera (Nature Cam Pro) that captures 2K video and photos and uses AI to recognize bird species, paired with a mobile app that lets users view and share bird activity in their garden.

ConsumerHardwareIoTKalamazoo, US

Franci Zidar(Founder)inKyle Buzzard(Founder)inTom Vodopivec(Chief Operating Officer)inMichael Dietz(Chief Technology Officer)inBenjamin Kumalic(Vice President of Growth)inHenrik Fuglsang(Vice President of Supply Chain)in

Co-investorsBackedBoscarol d.o.o.Emblem55Fundamental VenturesGaingelsGeneral Catalyst+4 more

Blokblok.aiin𝕏acquired by Magenta Homes · Nov 2023

Blok is a digital real estate agency that helps homeowners sell properties with lower commission fees (averaging €6,000 savings) and provides an advanced valuation tool for property assessment.

B2B MarketplacesPropTechSaaSFinland, FI

Juha Jokela(Co-Founder & CTO)inOlli Gunst(Co-Founder & CMO)inRudi Skogman(Co-Founder & CEO)inSamu Hautala(Co-Founder (Lead Developer))in

Co-investorsACF InvestorsBonnier CapitalLifeline VenturesManta Ray VenturesRingier Digital VenturesBlank Ventures+3 more

Blokblok.fitinDefunct

Blok provides a platform where fitness instructors can offer live classes, sell recorded content, monetize specialized services, manage brand partnerships, and build their own branded communities.

ConsumerSan Francisco, US

Sahana Rajasekar(Founder)inOlivia Higgs(Founder)Rudi Skogman(Founder)Tom Charman(Founder)

Co-investorsY CombinatorBlank VenturesCorrelation VenturesDataPower VenturesLifeline VenturesMaC Venture Capital+2 more

Blokjoinblok.co

Seldon is a product development tool that uses synthetic personas modeled from real user behavior to surface bugs, friction, and design insights before product launch.

Developer ToolsEnterprise Software

Co-investorsBlank VenturesDataPower VenturesLigature VCRackhouse Venture Management LpMaC Venture Capital

BPI Francebpifrance.comin𝕏Jul 2025

Bpifrance is a French organization that provides financing, credits, and partnership support to innovative companies and entrepreneurs, helping them accelerate growth domestically and internationally.

Enterprise SoftwareFintechSector AgnosticParis, FR

Nicolas Dufourcqin

Co-investorsRuna CapitalAlvenBek VenturesBetter AngleBlockchange VenturesCRV (Charles River Ventures)+11 more

Campcampnetwork.xyz𝕏Apr 2025

Camp Network is a Layer-1 blockchain for intellectual property infrastructure, providing a global IP registry that lets users own and monetize their IP and enables AI agents to train on user-owned IP.

AI & Machine LearningCrypto & Web3Data & Infrastructure

James Chi(Founder)inNirav Murthy(Founder)in

Co-investors1k(x)1kxBlockchain CapitalEterna CapitalHTX Ventures (ex Huobi Ventures)Hyperithm+12 more

ClearGridcleargrid.aeinMar 2025 · $10M

ClearGrid is a debt resolution platform that works with lenders to help borrowers view their balances, set up payment plans, and manage repayments at their own pace.

FintechSaaS

Mohammad Al Zaben(Founder)in

Co-investorsNuwa CapitalRAED VenturesWamda Capital9Yards CapitalBECO CapitalByld Ventures+1 more

ClearGridcleargrid.ai

ClearGrid is an AI-powered platform that transforms operational data into automated workflows and actionable insights for financial services institutions.

AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareFintech

Co-investorsAnnex Investments

Cognigetcogni.comin𝕏

Cogni is a mobile cryptocurrency wallet application that enables users to manage and control their crypto and digital assets across multiple blockchain networks in a single interface.

AI & Machine LearningCrypto & Web3FintechNew York City, US

Co-investorsSenaHill PartnersTechstarsWorldQuant Ventures

Credit Geniecreditgenie.comin

Credit Genie provides financial tools and credit management services designed to help consumers escape debt, build credit, and gain control over their finances.

AI & Machine LearningConsumerFintech

Ed Harycki(Founder)in

Co-investorsKhosla VenturesDream Maker VenturesGabriel Investments

Deblockdeblock.comin𝕏

Deblock offers a current account with a 4% annual yield paid daily, combined with access to crypto-assets and precious metals.

Crypto & Web3FintechLille, FR

Mario Eguiluz Alebicto(Founder)inAaron Beck(Founder)Adriana Restrepo(Founder)inJean Meyer(Founder)inMario Eguiliuz(Founder)Mario Eguiluz(Founder)

Co-investors20VCCommerzVenturesHeadlineHeadline Growth Management, LLCHoxton VenturesKima Ventures+10 more

Defidevcorpdefidevcorp.comin𝕏
Dialectdialect.toin𝕏Seed · Feb 2022Acquired

Dialect provides infrastructure for Web3 user experiences, offering Blinks (embedded blockchain transactions) and Alerts (onchain notifications) that integrate directly into digital platforms without redirects.

Crypto & Web3Developer ToolsEnterprise SoftwareNew York City, US

Chris Osborn(Founder)inKeri McKiernanSelina Antela Martinez(Operations Manager)Nick Zhelezkov(Engineering Manager)Mark Wittman(Head of Ecosystem)Dylan Hattem(Head of Growth)

Co-investorsAsymmetricElectric CapitalFoundation CapitalMulticoin CapitalMusha VenturesY Combinator+12 more

EigenLayereigenlayer.xyz𝕏

EigenCloud is a developer platform providing cryptographic trust primitives for applications and AI agents through verifiable computation, inference, and data availability backed by slashable stake on EigenLayer.

AI & Machine LearningCrypto & Web3Developer Tools

Sreeram Kannan(Founder)in

Co-investorsa16z cryptoAmbush CapitalAndreessen HorowitzBitDAOBixin CapitalBixin Ventures+24 more

Eluveeluve.com

Eluve builds medical AI tools for clinicians, including an ambient scribe that drafts clinical notes, orders, and billing codes from patient conversations, plus clinical decision support and operational analytics.

AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthHealthtech

Enhanseenhanse.com

ENHANSE sells self-tanning skincare products, including face and body products with anti-streak formulas, for consumers seeking bronzed skin without sun exposure.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerWellness & Fitness

Evangelo Bousis(Founder)in

Epirus Modern Defense Systemsepirusinc.comin𝕏

Epirus develops high-power microwave systems and electronic warfare technology for defense applications, including counter-unmanned aircraft systems for the U.S. military.

AI & Machine LearningDeep TechDefense TechLos Angeles, US

Bo Marr(Founder)Grant Verstandig(Founder, Chairman & CEO, Red Cell Partners & Co-Founder, Epirus)Joe Lonsdale(Managing Partner, 8VC | Co-founded Epirus with the 8VC Build program in 2018)John Tenet(Founder)Max Mednik(Founder)inNathan Mintz(Founder)

Co-investors8VCBollinger Investment GroupBroom VenturesCenter15 CapitalChapter OneCrosscourt Ventures+11 more

Eraera.appin𝕏

Era is building an AI-native personal finance platform that consolidates a user's accounts, balances, transactions, and insights into a single view with automated actions.

AI & Machine LearningConsumerFintechSan Francisco, US

Jasper Lau(Founder)inLindsay B(Founder)Alex Norcliffe(Founder)Lindsay Brady(Founder)

Co-investorsDesigner FundMaC Venture CapitalMoth FundClocktower VenturesFusionFusion VC+1 more

Exowattexowatt.comin𝕏Nov 2025 · $50M

Exowatt builds modular clean energy infrastructure systems designed for 24/7 solar power generation, targeting global AI infrastructure and critical industries that require reliable, ultra-low-cost sustainable power.

AI & Machine LearningCleantechEnergyHardwareMiami, US

Hannan Happi(Founder)Jack Abraham(Founder)inHannan H.(Founder)inHannan Parvizian(Founder)in

Co-investorsAndreessen HorowitzAtomicBay Bridge Ventures ClimateBlack FlagBleu CapitalClimate Capital+16 more

Fab2fab2.com𝕏Aug 2026

fab2 designs and builds semiconductor fabrication equipment and the fabs themselves, developing the hardware, components, and software needed to manufacture chips.

Deep TechHardwareSemiconductorsAustin, US

Sam Zeloof(Founder)inJim Keller(Founder)

BoardCOREY NOBILE(Director)

Co-investorsDash VCFontinalis PartnersMana VenturesParadigm

Fhenixfhenix.ioin𝕏

Fhenix is a blockchain research and development company building FHE (Fully Homomorphic Encryption) infrastructure that lets developers run confidential computation on encrypted data in EVM-compatible smart contracts.

Crypto & Web3CybersecurityDeveloper Tools

Guy Itzhaki(Founder)inGuy Zyskind(Founder)inDr. Guy Zyskind(Founder)

Co-investorsCollider VenturesGSRHack VCMulticoin CapitalNode CapitalAmber Group+16 more

Fifth Doorfifthdoor.cominSeed

Fifth Door provides a platform for users to create, share, and play games with AI, targeting players and creators who want to develop games without specialized technical skills.

AI & Machine LearningConsumerGamingSan Francisco, US

Amir Ghazvinian(CTO)inDaniel Kan(CEO)in

Co-investorsDaft CapitalFelicis VenturesRebel FundY CombinatorJustin KanMantis Capital

Glacisglacislabs.comin𝕏

Glacis Labs builds Zero Delta, a settlement network that matches institutional order flow to execute large digital asset trades and cross-border remittances with zero slippage and no prefunded float.

Crypto & Web3Enterprise SoftwareFintech

Cofounder (JPMorgan, Spruce)(Cofounder)Technical Cofounder(Technical Cofounder)

Co-investorsArrington CapitalEdessa CapitalFactionPaper VenturesArrington XRP Capital

Glacisglacis.comin𝕏

Glacis builds software for supply chain coordination that integrates with existing workflows and systems without requiring suppliers or partners to change their processes.

AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareLogistics & Supply ChainSaaS

Co-investorsMighty CapitalArrington CapitalFactionPaper Ventures

Gopuffgopuff.comin𝕏Nov 2025 · $250M

Philadelphia, US

Rafael Ilishayev(Founder)inYakir Gola(Founder)inAlberto Menolascina(Founder)Yusuf Saban(Founder)

Co-investorsA-Rod CorpAccelAlpha PartnersDarco CapitalHeadlineHeadline Growth Management, LLC+7 more

Halcyonhalcyon.aiin𝕏

Halcyon builds a dedicated anti-ransomware platform that operates across the full attack chain — from initial access to data exfiltration and encryption — adding a detection, protection, and recovery layer within an organization's existing security stack.

AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityEnterprise SoftwareSan Diego, US

Jon Miller(Chief Scientist & Co-Founder)inRyan Smith(CTO & Co-Founder)inJeff St. Clair(Chief Revenue Officer)Jeff Williams(President)inMarvin Tien(Director)

BoardEnrique Salem(Director)in

Co-investorsBain Capital VenturesCisco InvestmentsDell Technologies CapitalDnx VenturesEvolution Equity PartnersGula Tech Adventures+7 more

Holonymholonym.idAug 2022

Holonym builds "Human Keys," a system for privacy and security in zero trust environments that gives each individual a key they alone control to access digital personhood, privacy, and security rights.

Crypto & Web3CybersecurityDeep TechWilmington, US

Nanak Khalsa(Executive Officer)in

Co-investorsArrington CapitalEdessa CapitalFounderheads,Arrington XRP Capital

Huupehuupe.com𝕏

huupe makes smart basketball hoops (the ARENA and mini) with built-in sensors that track shooting statistics such as FG%, shot angle, and trajectory, delivering live performance data to a companion app.

HardwareIoTSports TechIrvine, US

Paul Anton(Executive Officer, Director)inLyth Saeed(Executive Officer, Director)inJohn Chuang(Director)Bob Higgins(Director)

BoardAristotle Loumis(Director)Audie Attar(Director)

Co-investorsCauseway Partnersgener8torGenesis VenturesSSC Venture PartnersTundra AngelsMantis Capital

Idaidafi.xyz

IDA provides payment solutions for global commerce using digital assets and stablecoins, positioned to facilitate trust and transparency in transactions, particularly for emerging markets and Belt and Road Initiative participants.

Cloud ComputingCrypto & Web3Enterprise SoftwareFintechHong Kong, HK

Lawrence CHU(Co-Founder)Sean LEE(Co-Founder)

Co-investorsBrincHashedCMCC Global

IDAvsfg.comSep 2024

Hong Kong digital asset company building HKDA, a fiat-referenced stablecoin backed by fully reserved assets.

Co-investorsTitan FundYolo InvestmentsAnagram VenturesBrincChorus OneCMCC Global+5 more

Insomnia Labsinsomnialabs.ioin𝕏Jun 2022

Insomnia Labs offers a proprietary blockchain platform and managed services, including loyalty/fandom SDKs, data integrity SDKs, and white-glove token launch services.

Crypto & Web3Data & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareDublin, US

Chun Jiang(Executive Officer, Director)Benjamin Kramer(Executive Officer, Director)

io.netio.net

io.net operates a decentralized GPU cloud that gives AI teams on-demand access to H100, A100, and other GPUs from distributed data centers, mining operations, and private clusters.

AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingData & Infrastructure

Ahmad Shadid(Founder)Tory Green(Founder)

Co-investors6th Man VenturesBlock ConsultBollinger Investment GroupContinue CapitalFOMO VenturesHack VC+10 more

JOYMODEusejoymode.com

JOYMODE produces dietary supplements targeting male sexual health and wellness.

ConsumerDirect to ConsumerHealthtechWellness & Fitness

Shane W.(Founder)in

BoardDr. Eric TrexlerDr. Bill Lagos

Co-investorsGaingelsTouch Capital

Kluster AIkluster.aiDefunct

kluster.ai built tools to verify AI-generated code, checking for bugs, security issues, regressions, and intent mismatches.

AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityDeveloper Tools

Co-investorsLifeX VenturesForesight CanadaForesight GroupSuperSeed

levitatelevitate.aiin𝕏

Levitate is a marketing platform for relationship-based businesses that combines email, social media, texting, and other outreach tools to help users maintain personalized communication with their network at scale.

AI & Machine LearningMarketing TechSaaS

Jesse Lipson(Founder)

Co-investorsBull City Venture PartnersDuke Capital Partners

Levllevl.chin𝕏

Levl operates a unified platform for stablecoin payments, foreign exchange, crypto on/off ramps, and payment processing.

Crypto & Web3Enterprise SoftwareFintechSaaS

Co-investorsVariant Fund

Ltvltv.aiin𝕏

LTV.ai builds an AI-powered platform for retention marketing that automatically designs and executes customer retention campaigns without manual input.

AI & Machine LearningE-commerceMarketing TechSaaS

Co-investorsBling CapitalCoreline Ventures

Luoluopay.co

Luo builds financial infrastructure that lets businesses in emerging markets send cross-border payments to the rest of the world with more speed, transparency, and reliability.

Enterprise SoftwareFintechParis, FR

Hamza Benkirane(CEO)inMorgan Wirtz(CPO)in

Co-investorsDFS Lab FrontierEntrepreneur FirstMaC Venture CapitalSamos InvestmentsTranspose Platform ManagementAtreides Management+7 more

Mass Financemass.build

Platform for communities to build together

Co-investorsEast Sunshine Ventures

Momentummmt.finance

A ve(3,3) DEX on Sui designed to align liquidity providers, traders, and protocols through shared incentive structures.

San Francisco, US

Wendy F(Founder)

Co-investorsBollinger Investment GroupCastrum CapitalRR2 CapitalVarys Capital

Mortymorty.app𝕏

Morty is a free app to find, track, and review immersive attractions such as escape rooms, haunted houses, immersive art, speakeasies, and tiki bars worldwide.

ConsumerMarketplacesSocial

Andy Bauch(Founder)in

Co-investorsMarketplaceCorigin VenturesFJ LabsLerer HippeauMetaPropPrudence+4 more

Movement Labsmovementlabs.xyz

Cooper Scanlon(Founder)Rushi Manche(Founder)

Co-investorsArchetypeBankless VenturesBorderless VentureCitizenX Crypto VenturesContinue CapitalEnigma Fund+17 more

Pawppawp.comin𝕏

Pawp offers an annual membership giving pet owners 24/7 on-demand access to licensed veterinarians, nurses, and technicians for virtual consultations, follow-ups, and personalized care plans.

ConsumerDigital HealthWellness & FitnessBrooklyn, US

Drew Taylor(Director)Andrew Malek(Director, Promoter)Marc Atiyeh(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)

BoardZack Schildhorn(Director)in

Co-investorsCompanion FundDCM VenturesGood FriendsHOF CapitalInnovating CapitalLux Capital+4 more

Perleperlerestaurant.comAug 2025 · $9M

Perle is a restaurant offering dine-in service, a bar, and takeout, with à la carte and prix-fixe menus.

ConsumerFoodTechLos Angeles, US

Co-investorsPEER VCYing FundCoinFundFramework Ventures

Perle AIperle.aiin𝕏

Perle provides expert-driven data services for AI teams, supplying credentialed specialists to handle data collection, labeling, quality assurance, evaluation, and RLHF/RLAIF for tasks that generic crowd-worker vendors can't judge.

AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareRoboticsSan Francisco, US

Ahmed Rashad(Founder)in

Co-investorsACTAI VenturesAlphaLab CapitalBig Brain HoldingsBreedCaladanCoinFund+3 more

Piepie.org

Pie is a browser extension that blocks advertisements across websites, streaming platforms like YouTube and Twitch, and other web services.

AdTechConsumerCreator Economy

Ryan(Founder)

Co-investorsAcrew CapitalAllianz XCapital One VenturesCenterbridge Partners, L.P.Commerce VenturesF-Prime Capital+5 more

Podpod.network𝕏

Pod Network is a Layer-1 blockchain built for high-performance, MEV-free trading markets, clearing orders in batches to remove front-running advantages.

Crypto & Web3Data & InfrastructureFintechNew York City, US

Haris Karavasilis(Founder)Alexis Brezas(Founder)Shresth Agrawal(Founder)

Co-investors1k(x)1kxLemniscapIPV

Pogojoinpogo.cominSeed · Jul 2022 · $12M

Pogo provides real consumer behavior data and qualitative research for investors and consultants conducting diligence, portfolio strategy analysis, and thought leadership.

AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureFintechMarketing TechSaaS

Shikhar Mohan(Founder)inDom Wong(Founder)inDom Wong. Dom Wong(Founder)Oskar Melking(Founder)

Co-investors20VCAdapt VenturesEarl Grey CapitalFlucas VenturesMantis CapitalRackhouse Venture Management Lp+11 more

Popcornpopcorn.space𝕏

Popcorn provides a global mobile phone plan with unlimited talk, text, and data for $69/month, covering 180+ countries with no roaming fees.

Lukas Kairys(Founder)inNeel Popat(Founder)

Co-investorsSquad CapitalSalica InvestmentsSouth Park Commons

Psy Protocolpsy.xyz𝕏

Psy is a Layer 1 blockchain protocol built with a PARTH architecture and Proof of Useful Work consensus, aiming for high transaction throughput, fixed low fees, and local zero-knowledge proving so user data stays on-device.

AI & Machine LearningCrypto & Web3Cybersecurity

Co-investorsPaper Ventures

Other

Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.

Breakaway GroupCertifydeDFDVEnhanceEpirusGigaBrainMiraiNubitProject PrometheusSpectralTinwell LabsTradoorYieldPoint

Exits · 3

3 acquisitions · showing 2

Blokacq. by Magenta HomesxAIacq. by SpaceXSI

Portfolio news

latest coverage across their companies

Frequently asked questions

How many investments has Protagonist made?
Protagonist has 101 tracked investments, 3 of which have exited, including 15 dated in the last 24 months.
What stage does Protagonist invest at?
Protagonist invests at the Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Growth stages.
What is Protagonist's typical check size?
Protagonist typically writes checks of $10K – $1M.
What sectors does Protagonist focus on?
Protagonist focuses on AI & Machine Learning, Cloud Computing, Consumer, Crypto & Web3, Deep Tech, Defense Tech, Digital Health, Energy, Enterprise Software, Fintech, Hardware, Healthtech, Media & Entertainment, SaaS, Semiconductors.
Where is Protagonist located?
Protagonist is headquartered in Bay Harbor Islands, US.
Does Protagonist lead rounds?
Protagonist typically participates in rounds rather than leading them.
Who does Protagonist co-invest with?
Protagonist most often shares deals with Arrington Capital, Gaingels, Hack VC, among 318 tracked co-investors.

Media · Podcasts & interviews

featuring the team

George Bousis, CEO of Raise, on Blockchain Innovation in the ...

Cryptonews Spotlight · George Bousis

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