Blockchain, a buzzword in the tech realm, often sends shivers down the spine of the uninitiated with its labyrinthine jargon and intricate concepts. It's an intimidating world that many wish to explore but hesitate due to its perceived complexity. However, breaking down these barriers and infusing playfulness into the cryptoverse is the French startup Bubblemaps, making blockchain data transparent, accessible, and engaging. In doing so, it ushers in a new era of transparency in the realm of on-chain data.
In a remarkable development, Bubblemaps has secured €3 million in seed funding in an oversubscribed round that witnessed the participation of prominent venture capitalists like INCE Capital, Stake Capital, Momentum 6, Lbank Labs, and V3ntures. Notable angel investors, including Nicolas Bacca (former CTO of Ledger), Dyma Budorin (CEO of Hacken), and Owen Simonin (known as Hasheur), also joined the funding initiative.
These funds are poised to bolster Bubblemaps' mission to facilitate the transition to Web3 for individuals and institutions alike. With this initial funding, the startup is poised to further expand its already impressive growth trajectory. In 2022, Bubblemaps saw an explosive surge in users, attracting over 100,000 monthly users to its platform. Since then, it has become a trusted source for on-chain intelligence, amassing a dedicated following of over 70,000 on Twitter and beyond.
The story of Bubblemaps begins in 2022 when Nicolas Vaiman and Léo Pons, both engineers hailing from CentraleSupélec and seasoned entrepreneurs in the crypto space, joined forces with Arnaud Droz, an accomplished international entrepreneur from ECE Paris, and Cameron McIntosh, a three-year crypto advocate and seasoned marketing expert.
The startup's unique selling point is its innovative use of visuals to demystify blockchain data, making it accessible and user-friendly. By representing wallets as vibrant bubbles, Bubblemaps empowers users to unearth concealed relationships, spot wash trading activities, and reveal compromised Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs). Bubblemaps aspires to become the Google Analytics of Web3, offering brands straightforward and precise data analysis.
In their pursuit of advancing on-chain data accessibility, Bubblemaps has forged partnerships with several blockchain networks that share their vision. Notable collaborators include Arbitrum, Polygon, Avalanche, and BNB Chain, some of whom actively participated in the recent funding round. Bubblemaps' visuals are seamlessly integrated into leading DeFi platforms such as OpenSea, DEX Screener, and DEXTools, with more platforms in the pipeline.
Bubblemaps' unwavering commitment to driving innovation in blockchain data earned them an invitation to join Google's Web3 Startup Program. Additionally, they were selected by L'Oréal and HEC for participation in their highly selective incubation program at Station F in April 2023.