KAIO, a tokenization firm based in Abu Dhabi, has announced the successful completion of an $8 million strategic funding round, led by Tether and supported by various crypto and institutional investors. This investment brings the company's total funding to $19 million, with new participants including Systemic Ventures and returning investors such as Further Ventures and Laser Digital. KAIO's primary objective is to develop infrastructure that facilitates the distribution of traditional funds via blockchain rails, thereby increasing accessibility for a broader range of investors. The company has created tokens for products from prominent firms like BlackRock, Brevan Howard, and Hamilton Lane, making them available through blockchain-based systems.
With this new funding, KAIO plans to expand its product offerings to include credit, structured investments, and exchange-traded funds, as well as launch an on-chain fund in collaboration with Mubadala Capital, an Emirati private equity firm with $385 billion in assets under management. By tokenizing institutional funds, KAIO aims to significantly lower the barriers to entry for investors, with minimum investments starting at $100 for eligible users.
Tether's involvement in the funding round is expected to leverage the stablecoin's vast liquidity to channel investments into regulated products. According to Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino, KAIO's innovative approach has the potential to unlock new pathways for capital formation and investment by making institutional-grade assets more accessible on-chain. The company's platform prioritizes compliance, supporting regulated distribution frameworks in key jurisdictions such as Abu Dhabi, the Cayman Islands, and Singapore.
To date, KAIO has tokenized approximately $100 million in assets and processed over $500 million in transactions.