KAIO Secures $8M in Funding from Tether to Revolutionize Emirati Fund Tokenization

In a strategic funding round, KAIO, a tokenization firm based in Abu Dhabi, has raised $8 million with the support of Tether and 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 on blockchain rails, making traditional funds more accessible. The company has successfully tokenized products from leading firms, including BlackRock, Brevan Howard, and Hamilton Lane, and has made them available through blockchain-based systems. With this new investment, KAIO plans to expand its offerings to include credit, structured investments, and exchange-traded funds, and is set to launch an on-chain fund in partnership with Mubadala Capital, a private equity firm managing $385 billion in assets. By tokenizing institutional funds, KAIO aims to lower the barriers to entry for investors, with minimum investments starting at $100 for eligible users. Tether's involvement in the funding round highlights the potential for stablecoin flows to be channeled into regulated investment products. According to Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino, KAIO's innovative approach unlocks new pathways for capital formation and investment, making institutional-grade assets more accessible and expanding participation in global financial markets. KAIO's platform prioritizes compliance, embedding it into its system and supporting regulated distribution frameworks in key jurisdictions, including Abu Dhabi, the Cayman Islands, and Singapore. To date, the company has tokenized approximately $100 million in assets and has processed over $500 million in transactions.