KAIO Secures $8 Million in Funding from Tether to Tokenize UAE Investments

KAIO, a tokenization firm based in Abu Dhabi, has announced an $8 million strategic funding round led by Tether, along with other prominent crypto and institutional investors. This investment brings the company's total funding to $19 million, with new investors such as Systemic Ventures and returning investors like Further Ventures and Laser Digital. KAIO's mission is to create infrastructure that enables asset managers to distribute funds via blockchain, making traditional investments more accessible. The firm has already tokenized products from notable companies like BlackRock, Brevan Howard, and Hamilton Lane, and plans to expand into other areas such as credit and exchange-traded funds. With this funding, KAIO intends to launch an on-chain fund in partnership with Mubadala Capital, an Emirati private equity firm managing $385 billion in assets. By tokenizing institutional funds, KAIO seeks to lower the barriers to entry for investors, offering minimum investments as low as $100. Tether's involvement in this funding round highlights the potential for stablecoin integration, leveraging the liquidity of USDT to channel funds into regulated investment products. According to Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether, KAIO's platform has the potential to expand participation in global financial markets by making institutional-grade assets more accessible. The company's platform prioritizes compliance, supporting regulated distribution frameworks in several jurisdictions, including Abu Dhabi, the Cayman Islands, and Singapore. To date, KAIO has tokenized approximately $100 million in assets and processed over $500 million in transactions.