Exclusive

Web3 fund led by ex-Binance Labs executive Nicole Zhang lands $20 million

Quick Take

  • LIF raised $20 million to invest in web3 startups.
  • The vehicle is a sister fund to Lingfeng Capital, the Beijing-based fintech investment firm with over $400 million in assets under management.

Lingfeng Innovation Fund (LIF), a new venture capital fund led by former Binance Labs executive Nicole Zhang, landed $20 million to invest in crypto startups.

The web3-dedicated LIF is a sister fund to Beijing-based Lingfeng Capital, the fintech investment firm with more than $400 million in assets under management.

The $20 million in fundraising is a “first close” for the fund, according to Zhang, who is a founding partner at LIF. It is ultimately targeting $30 million. A key focus for LIF will be “enabling web2 elites with web3 expertise,” according to Zhang.  

Zhang was previously an executive director at Binance Labs, the venture arm of the giant crypto exchange operator. She left the company after a two-year stint in May.

LIF has already made 10 investments — half of them co-investing with Zhang’s former colleagues at Binance Labs. Its bets include ApolloX, ZetaChain and Ultiverse.

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The fund is focused on early-stage projects, from pre-seed to Series A stages, with a broad geographical scope.

Lingfeng Capital’s founding partners, Ning Ma and Ming Shu, are also founding partners at LIF, alongside Zhang, who leads fundraising and due diligence on deals. Through the Lingfeng Capital connection, LIF holds a Capital Markets Services Licence in Singapore.

Although the two funds share some personnel and permissions, LIF has a distinct set of limited partners (LPs), Zhang said, which include well-known entrepreneurs and leading listed tech companies. She gave CertiK, the crypto security firm, and Singapore-based family office Kamet Capital Partners as two examples.


© 2023 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

About Author

Ryan Weeks is deals editor at the The Block, focused on fundraising, M&A and institutional trends in the crypto space, among other things. He is particularly interested in investigative work — so please send tips! Ryan previously worked at Financial News, Dow Jones as a fintech correspondent in London. Prior to that, he wrote for several different publications, including Sifted, AltFi and Wired. Beyond journalism, Ryan is a keen reader and writer. He enjoys all things active, especially running, rugby, climbing and tennis.

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