In a strategic funding round, KAIO has secured $8 million in investments from Tether and other prominent crypto and institutional investors. This brings the company's total funding to $19 million, with new investors including Systemic Ventures and returning investors such as Further Ventures and Laser Digital.
KAIO's platform enables asset managers to distribute funds on the blockchain, having already tokenized products from firms like BlackRock, Brevan Howard, and Hamilton Lane. The company aims to expand its offerings to include credit, structured investments, and exchange-traded funds, with plans 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, with minimum investments starting at $100 for eligible users.
Tether's involvement is expected to leverage the stablecoin's vast liquidity, with USDT boasting a $185 billion supply, to channel funds into regulated investment products. According to Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino, KAIO's innovative approach 'unlocks new pathways for capital formation and investment by bringing institutional-grade assets on-chain and making them more broadly accessible.' The company's platform prioritizes compliance, supporting regulated distribution frameworks in Abu Dhabi, the Cayman Islands, and Singapore.
To date, KAIO has tokenized approximately $100 million in assets and processed over $500 million in transactions.