"Sei Foundation Launches $65M Fund to Revolutionize Science with DeSci"

The Sei Foundation has launched a $65 million venture fund, Sapien Capital – Open Science Fund I, to invest in decentralized science (DeSci) projects built on the layer 1 blockchain Sei (SEI). The fund aims to transform science funding and redefine how scientific research is shared and validated.

The fund, which is not designed for the Sei ecosystem and does not include grants, will focus on venture investments in DeSci startups. This includes projects focused on gamified drug discovery and wearables. Sapien Capital will invest in both project tokens and equity, with check sizes ranging from $100,000 to $2 million. The fund plans to fully deploy its capital within the next three to four years.

The interest in DeSci has attracted investment from leading venture funds in the space. For instance, a16z Crypto invested in AminoChain last September, and YZi Labs, previously Binance Labs, invested in November. The Sei Foundation's head of business development and investments, Justin Barlow, said that Sapien Capital will not only change how science is funded but also how it is shared and validated.