Crypto Accessibility Company 21.co Raises $25 Million

By Annie Baker • Sep 15, 2022
  • 21.co recently announced it raised $25 million. These are the details.

21.co recently announced it raised $25 million. 

Funding amount: $25 million

Valuation: $2 billion

Investors: Led by Marshall Wace and other investors in the round include Collab+Currency, Quiet Ventures, ETFS Capital, and Valor Equity Partners

What does 21.co do: 21.co is the world’s leader in providing access to crypto through simple and easy-to-use products

What the funding will be used for: With this round of financing, 21.co will continue to drive rapid, targeted growth through first-of-their-kind products, key market expansions and strategic talent acquisitions.

Metrics: The company ended 2021 on a nine-figure revenue run rate and has seen sustained inflows, even during down markets. And year-to-date, from September 2021 to September 2022, 21.co recorded over $650 million in net new assets, and hit its peak AUM at $3 billion in November of 2021. To support this rapid business growth, 21.co grew its headcount 75% during this period.

Founding: Launched in 2018, by Ophelia Snyder and Hany Rashwan, 21.co was founded to build bridges into the crypto world. And since then, 21.co has been on a tremendous journey to stay at the forefront of the market by providing investors with the most innovative crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs), the broadest token solutions, a decentralized software platform to create, list and manage ETPs globally and more forward-thinking solutions – all powered by free institutional-grade research to educate investors about the evolving industry.

Another announcement: In addition to funding, the company also announced its new parent company, 21.co. 21.co is a collection of companies, the largest of which is 21Shares, the world’s largest issuer of cryptocurrency exchange traded products (ETPs) – which is powered by Onyx, a proprietary technology platform used to issue and operate cryptocurrency ETPs for 21Shares and third parties – in addition to Amun, a token provider focused on making the DeFi world more accessible.

KEY QUOTES:

“My co-founder, Ophelia, and I set out with a simple mission to make crypto more accessible. Now, we’re the highest valued and largest tech startup in Switzerland – and we’re still only in the early days. 21.co remains committed to building innovative products that meet investor demand as this asset class continues to gain rapid momentum.”

— Hany Rashwan, CEO and Co-Founder at 21.co

“The success 21.co has experienced over the past four years is truly amazing. We have built an incredibly diverse team, with some of the brightest minds in crypto and brought on best-in class investors. Our drive to revolutionize the world of crypto and build bridges into the asset class is only just getting started.”

— Ophelia Snyder, President and Co-Founder at 21.co

“At Marshall Wace, our culture is built around innovation – and we saw an immediate alignment of values when meeting with the team at 21.co. 21co is a first-mover in the crypto industry: the company is focused on growth, and committed to bringing new and innovative products to investors across markets – in a secure, accessible way. Even in the midst of crypto winter, MW believes that 21.co has the potential to revolutionize the industry globally and we’re looking forward to working alongside the team.”

— Amit Rajpal, Partner and CEO Asia at Marshall Wace

“When I first met the team at 21.co, I understood their long-term vision and truly believed the company would transform the crypto ecosystem. This round is a testament to 21.co’s early success and its ability to thrive in both bull and bear markets. I’m proud to be a part of the 21.co growth story.”

— Cathie Wood, Founder, CEO and CIO of ARK Investment Management LLC, and an independent board member of 21.co