Financial Inclusion Fund Leads $5 Million Investment in Bitcoin Startup Coins
"We've been quiet for a long time, but it's not because we're not running." Launched in 2014, bitcoin startup Coins has focused on promoting financial inclusion in Southeast Asia. Armed with services in the Philippines and Thailand, Coins garnered early interest from major merchants while signing up more than 500,000 app users – yet, it hasn't been public about its activities since 2015. That might soon change, however, as Coins has raised $5m in funding from an impressive array of global investors to further develop its mobile wallet and supporting services such as remittances....
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Coins, a bitcoin startup that aims to bring financial inclusion in Southeast Asia has raised $5 million in a Series A round of funding to accelerate its effort to bring basic financial services for the unbanked in the region. Led by the Accion Frontier Inclusion Fund, the funding round also involved notable investors that includes prolific bitcoin- and blockchain-centric Digtial Currency Group former Google CEO Eric Schmidt’s Innovation Endeavors. Other investors include the investment arms of Globe Telecom and Smart Communications, the biggest telecom companies in the Philippines, making....
A bitcoin startup known simply as “Coins” has set a new financial record by raising over $5 million in a Series A funding round. Executives claim the money will be used to bring basic monetary services to unbanked populations in Southeast Asia. Funding efforts were led by the Accion Frontier Inclusion Fund, while other organizations involved include the Digital Currency Group, Globe Telecom, and Smart Communications, two of the largest global telecommunication companies in the Philippines. Leading Accion partner Ganesh Rengasway explained: “Coins is collaborating with key ecosystem players....
Japanese exchange Bitflyer has announced a 50 million Yen investment into a new fund which will see Osaka-based IoT startup Sivira as the first company to benefit from the fund. According to the exchange, this is in an effort to support and encourage the growth of blockchain businesses in Japan. Bitflyer has termed this new investment activity, “Block Chain Angel Fund.” Even though this is Bitflyer’s first investment of this type, it sounds as though it will not be their last. In its press release, Bitflyer states that it chose to make the investment in Sivira because of the track record....
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has invested in a South African blockchain startup as part of a broader technology innovation push. UNICEF indicated in February that it was looking to fund projects focused on the tech through an innovation fund launched last year. At the time, UNICEF said it was looking at the areas of digital identity and remittances as possible areas of investment, and UNICEF later moved to hire a point person on blockchain. Now, the organization is starting to cut checks to companies working in areas that enhance its mission to promote child and family....
Venture capital firm Blockchain Capital has announced the closure of its second fund used for investments in bitcoin- and blockchain-companies after fundraising $13 million in total. Blockchain Capital, a venture capital firm that set the precedent as the first investment fund for the digital currency industry has sealed its second startup fund for $13 million. A press release revealed that the second fund has already been used for investments in 2015, with a total of 23 bitcoin and blockchain technology companies invested into. In a statement, managing partner and co-founder Brad Stephens....