Fund targets startups valued at $5-10M, offering strategic guidance and $5M in farming liquidity to boost DeFi protocol operations.
Integration with Telegram’s ecosystem positions TON to potentially serve 500 million users through advanced financial systems.
Initial investments include four projects: Factorial, Torch Finance, Fiva, and Memes Lab, establishing foundation for TON’s DeFi growth.
Steve Yun, a former president of the , has launched a new $100 million venture fund aimed at accelerating the growth of the TON ecosystem, particularly in decentralized finance (DeFi) and payment finance (PayFi).
Yun in an interview with The Block on Monday, February 3, that a Toncoin miner, who chose to remain anonymous, contributed part of the capital. The fund is designed to back early-stage projects building on The Open Network (TON), a blockchain deeply integrated with Telegram, to drive adoption and expand the ecosystem.
Investing in the Future of TON-Based Projects
The launch of TVM Ventures comes as TON continues to gain traction, especially with its seamless Telegram integration that enhances the user experience for crypto applications. Yun, who played a key role in shaping TON’s early development, emphasized that the fund will prioritize startups working on DeFi protocols, payment solutions, and innovative blockchain tools within the network.
“Our focus is to build an advanced and comprehensive financial system capable of meeting the financial needs of 500 million users in the next few years,” Yun said.
“Our focus is to build an advanced and comprehensive financial system capable of meeting the financial needs of 500 million users in the next few years,” Yun said.
In addition to the financial support, the $100 million fund will offer strategic guidance, and access to a growing network of TON-focused investors and builders. Startups looking to tap into TON’s infrastructure for DeFi applications, non-custodial payments, and blockchain-based financial services are expected to benefit the most from the initiative.
A Balanced Investment Approach
With TVM Ventures now in operation, the focus will be on selecting high-potential projects that align with TON’s broader vision. The fund will invest in early-stage startups valued between $5 million and $10 million.
In addition to direct investments, TVM Ventures will provide $5 million in “farming liquidity.” This refers to funds allocated to help DeFiprotocols on the TON blockchain establish the necessary minimum liquidity required for their platforms to operate effectively.
In DeFi, liquidity is crucial for functions like trading, lending, and borrowing—without it, users would face issues such as high slippage or slow transactions. By offering this liquidity, TVM Ventures ensures that new protocols can function smoothly and attract more users.
Despite setting its eyes on early stage startups, the fund remains open to funding larger projects within the TON ecosystem. However, these projects must demonstrate strong potential for network growth. TVM Ventures will invest in both equity and tokens, providing flexible support based on each project’s needs.
Already, TVM Ventures has made investments in four projects within the TON ecosystem, including Factorial, a DeFi lending platform; Torch Finance, Fiva, and Memes Lab. These projects represent the early seeds of a growing DeFi and blockchain-based financial services landscape on TON.