Glider, a financial orchestration layer for building automated on-chain investment portfolios, announced a $4 million strategic funding round led by a16z CSX. Participants included Coinbase Ventures, Uniswap Ventures, First Commit, Selini Capital, GSR, Generative Ventures, Pivot Global, and MoonPay Ventures. In connection with this funding, Glider is also announcing its participation in the a16z Crypto Startup Accelerator (CSX) 04 Spring Cohort in San Francisco.
This funding will strategically expand the Glider team and accelerate its mission to democratize access to sophisticated crypto portfolio management for everyone, from first-time users to experienced investors.
Despite crypto’s rapid transformation, the on-chain investment ecosystem remains constrained by fragmented infrastructure and technical complexity. Fundamental processes like token swapping, for instance, have changed little since the early days of Bancor and Uniswap. The spreading of new chains, different native gas tokens, and all of the bridging complexities that accompany them have turned portfolio management into a technical obstacle course.
Even the most experienced investors must manually navigate gas fees, network switching, price impact, and slippage calculations, turning routine operations into complex, time-consuming tasks. And Glider eliminates these barriers with an automation-first platform that enables seamless, precise portfolio execution for all users.
Launched in 2024 by John Johnson and Brian Huang, Glider seamlessly operates across the application and infrastructure layers, providing a consumer-friendly B2C interface and a powerful B2B API unlocking unique B2B2C opportunities. And as the infrastructure layer for DeFi automation, the Glider API is designed to embed portfolios directly into wallets, AI agents, decentralized exchanges, and lending protocols, powering the next evolution of the on-chain economy.
Some of the key features of the Glider platform include:
- Portfolio Construction – Users can utilize intuitive allocation tools or curated templates to customize their investment approach.
- Automated Execution – Glider sources liquidity and manages rebalancing across chains to trigger trades.
- Non-Custodial Integration – Connect any existing wallet (MetaMask, Rainbow, Safe, WalletConnect, etc.) without needing new seed phrases.
- Integrated Lending – Glider optimizes yield by automatically lending through trusted DeFi lending protocols like AAVE.
- Collaborative Investing – Users can share strategies and customize them to continuously refine portfolios.
- Integrated Backtesting – Test strategies on the Glider interface using historical data and compare performance against BTC, ETH, and other benchmarks.
KEY QUOTES:
“Brian and I founded Glider out of frustration with the fragmented infrastructure that has long plagued crypto investment portfolios. Simple tasks like implementing and maintaining cross-chain strategies often result in hours of technical troubleshooting. Glider was built to eliminate that friction entirely, enabling precise, automated execution across networks. We are grateful to our investors for supporting Glider’s vision of making flawless execution the new standard for anyone with a market thesis to implement.”
- John Johnson, Co-Founder of Glider
“Onchain DeFi has plateaued. Many platforms offer the same basic functionality with no meaningful differentiation to users. Glider is DeFi’s next evolution, focused on simplicity and convenience, enabling anyone to trade onchain. We are grateful to be participating in the a16z CSX Spring Cohort, providing us with valuable partners who share our belief that sophisticated portfolios should be accessible to anyone, regardless of technical expertise.”
- Co-Founder Brian Huang
“As the asset class continues to mature, the need for sophisticated yet accessible investment tools has become increasingly critical. Glider’s automation-driven approach addresses a fundamental gap in the market, positioning them to capture significant market share as more investors seek efficient ways to execute their strategies.”
- Hardi Meybaum, Managing Partner at First Commit
“The complexity of managing assets on multiple networks is a real barrier to adoption. Glider’s modern approach makes portfolio management more accessible for all types of users. This will lead to a better investment experience across Web3.”
- Lex Sokolin, Co-Founder at Generative Ventures
“John and Brian are impressive builders who deeply understand both the technical nuances of efficient trade execution and the UX standards required to advance DeFi. Glider’s approach to automated portfolio management is incredibly thoughtful, and we’re excited to support a team creating exceptional consumer trading experiences.”
- Julia Rosenberg, Ventures Lead at Uniswap Ventures
