Halloween was particularly fun yesterday! Boost VC had our Spooktacular pitch day with a grand prize of a $25,000 investment. In the end only one startup walked away with the $25k prize, however the quality of founders was INCREDIBLE! CRYPTO IS BACK!!!!

One thing I would like to highlight were the amazing judges who donated their time to help us discover the current Crypto Pitch Winner! To ensure that the startups got feedback from the best in the business, Boost VC roped in three phenomenal judges:

Hoolie Tejwani, Director of Coinbase Ventures: With a reputation for identifying and investing in leading crypto startups, Hoolie brought a wealth of experience to the judging panel.
Clay Robbins, General Partner at Colosseum: Coming from Slow Ventures, and now founding his own crypto fund — Known for his ability to spot promising talent and disruptive technologies, Clay Robbins was an invaluable asset to the day's proceedings. He kept asking the “what if” questions we all needed to hear the answers to.
Sam Rosenblum, Partner at Haun Ventures: Coming from Coinbase, Polychain, and now Haun ventures partnered with some of the most groundbreaking crypto initiatives, Sam's perspective was invaluable. I loved when he would step in and ask the deeply knowledgeable questions surrounding the Crypto Ecosystem at large.

One of the standout elements of Boost VC's Crypto Pitch Day was undoubtedly the impressive array of startups that graced the stage. Ten in number, but infinite in ambition, these startups showcased a diverse range of solutions and ideas. After absorbing their presentations, it was evident that their visions could be grouped around three central themes:

1. International Payments

In a globalized world, the ability to make seamless international payments becomes not just a luxury, but a necessity. A significant chunk of the startups aimed to eliminate barriers, reduce fees, and increase transaction speeds. They envisioned a world where borders wouldn't hinder transactions and where everyone, irrespective of their geographic location, could participate in the global economy with ease.

2. Get to Know Your Customer Better

In an industry where trust is paramount, understanding one's customer becomes the bedrock of any successful venture. Several startups focused on enhancing the user experience by leveraging the power of blockchain and crypto technologies to foster trust and transparency.

3. Ease of Use

The crypto world, with all its jargon and complexities, can be intimidating for the uninitiated. Recognizing this, a number of startups were geared towards simplifying crypto for the masses. Their solutions ranged from user-friendly wallets to intuitive platforms that demystified crypto trading.

The winner of the competition ended up being the founder Igor Yuzo, with OnThis. Igor is a long time DeFi advocate and founder who pivoted their idea in the last six months to a more intuitive process for using DeFi. It’s always been a headache to use DeFi - and what Igor and his team did was make it as easy as sending money to a wallet. This new innovation allows for DeFi to be executed easily on mobile while also on boarding a larger customer base.

An additional note - if you are a startup and would like to get to our investment team, our rolling application will close this Friday, November 3.

*I did not participate in this particular vote because Boost VC had previously been an investor, but am glad that the other judges saw the potential of what they have built!

*Originally published on Adam’s Substack - https://www.adamdraper.vc/

OnThis Wins the CRYPTO PITCH Competition!

1. International Payments

2. Get to Know Your Customer Better

3. Ease of Use