Skyseed, a new venture capital fund and incubator, has debuted to back projects built on the Bluesky/AT Protocol ecosystem. Initiated by Peter Wang, co-founder of Anaconda, Skyseed has rapidly grown from concept to reality in just four weeks, starting with a $1 million commitment and now nearing $1.5 million. The fund aims to support experimental projects with equity investments and developer grants while fostering collaboration among decentralized web innovators.
The fund emerged after Wang sought community input for incubator ideas in mid-November. His announcement received an enthusiastic response, reflecting growing interest in decentralized networks like Bluesky, which aim to break away from ad-centric, centralized social media models. The AT Protocol underpins this shift by enabling open, decentralized frameworks where users retain data ownership and can move seamlessly across platforms.
A New Chapter for Decentralization
Wang, a long-time advocate for decentralized technologies, has previously backed projects like Blue Link Labs, creators of the Beaker browser. While Beaker ceased operations in 2022, its foundational work fed into Bluesky, where Beaker’s creator Paul Frazee now serves as CTO. With Skyseed, Wang formalizes his support for decentralization, combining mentorship, funding, and collaborative tools to drive innovation.
Skyseed’s funding strategy includes equity investments of approximately $100,000 per project, targeting teams with viable business models, and grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 for developers with proven technical merit. Initial investments and grants are expected to roll out by early 2024.
Wang envisions Skyseed as a launchpad for diverse projects beyond Bluesky, including niche platforms for families, marginalized communities, dissident journalism, and social apps akin to Reddit or SoundCloud. Central to this vision is the AT Protocol’s flexibility, allowing modular ecosystems rather than monolithic platforms.
Skyseed also aims to support collaborative innovation through its incubator, fostering idea-sharing and partnerships among developers. Wang describes this as an active mentorship model, focusing on “founder matchmaking” and helping small teams thrive.
Opportunities and Challenges Ahead
Despite its promise, decentralized ecosystems face hurdles. While Bluesky promotes openness, it remains a privately held company with VC backing, raising concerns about the sustainability of its open-source ethos. Wang, however, sees user agency as a safeguard against potential pitfalls, emphasizing the power of communities to fork projects and pursue alternative paths.
Skyseed itself operates as a lean venture, with Wang managing it alongside his other commitments. With a growing pool of interested investors and allies, he plans to solidify its structure in the coming months.
As decentralized platforms gain traction, Skyseed’s launch marks a pivotal moment, offering resources and a collaborative network to shape the future of social media and digital ecosystems.
Featured image courtesy of TechCrunch
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