Startup Central has unveiled Start.fun, a blockchain-powered venture launchpad designed to channel cryptocurrency investment into real-world manufacturing, AI, and deep-tech startups in the United States.
The platform, launched alongside an Initial Coin Offering (ICO), aims to replace traditional venture capital models with a decentralized, community-driven funding approach.
Start.fun merges decentralized finance (DeFi) with tangible industrial output, enabling investors to support startups building physical products from factories and advanced machinery to cutting-edge AI systems. Projects will be selected through community governance, with token holders voting on which ventures receive funding.
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— StartupCentral (@1startupcentral) August 13, 2025
The platform operates on four interconnected tokens: ΔV (deltaV) as the primary liquid token for trading and staking, apoG (apogee) for rewards and long-term incentives, START as the governance and yield token, and ADVNTR, an NFT containing each venture’s project manifest and accounting records.
The ICO uses Meteora’s Dynamic Bonding Curve over a six-month sale, with early ΔV buyers receiving a 1:1 apoG airdrop when purchased through Start.fun. Revenue from trading fees — ranging from 3% to 10% based on participation — will be distributed to stakers. Governance decisions, including monthly startup funding allocations, will be made by the community. Security mechanisms such as WhaleGuard and YeetGuard are built in to prevent manipulation.
CEO and Co-Founder Blake Spurgin said the mission is to “fund and build what matters,” focusing on America’s industrial comeback rather than speculative hype. The team behind Start.fun includes veterans from Big Tech, defense, cryptography, and manufacturing.
By integrating crypto funding with on-the-ground technical support and production facilities, Start.fun aims to bridge the gap between blockchain capital and tangible industrial growth.
The launch comes as blockchain investment increasingly converges with hard-tech and AI. According to PitchBook, AI startups captured 57.9% of global venture capital in Q1 2025 more than double the share from a year earlier signaling a shift in funding priorities that Start.fun aims to accelerate through crypto-driven capital.
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