Update (May 16, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. UTC): This article was updated to add comments from a PI network representative.
Mobile-First Blockchain Pi Network launched a 100 million dollars fund to invest in initiatives based on its infrastructure.
According to an announcement on May 14, the PI Foundation launches Pi Network Ventures with an initial investment of $ 100 million in Pi tokens (PI) and US dollars. The fund will invest in startups and companies that rely on PI Network or will contribute to its wider ecosystem.
“This strategic program intends to invest in high -quality startups and companies in sectors, stimulating innovation and growth of ecosystems,” said Pi Network in an X Post.
The PI Foundation, the organization behind the PI network, is described as a “owner -free” entity focused on supporting long -term ecosystems development. The Foundation said that the new venture capital fund will go to 10% of the Pi tokens reserved for ecosystem initiatives.
A representative of the PI network told Cintelelegraph that “investments will generally be denominated in terms of US dollars”. However, “Pi Network Ventures will seek to make the majority of its investments directly in the form of a PI”. They added:
“This means that companies that join the ecosystem will receive investments in even money that their businesses will help strengthen and grow.”
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What is Pi Network Ventures?
Pi Network Ventures is responsible for increasing the usefulness of PI by investing in startups and companies that integrate them into products and services. The new organization will try to provide more applications, transactions and businesses in the network while developing new use cases:
“By aligning the incentives and providing resources to the founders, startups and high potential companies, this initiative aims to create a feedback loop of innovation and adoption.”
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Network Ventures PI strategy
According to the announcement, Pi Network Ventures plans to invest in startups of the first stages with the financing sleeves of the B and beyond. Hope is that such an approach provides access to high potential innovators while also helping proven companies.
A spokesperson for the PI network told Cointtelegraph that complete investment criteria will be published later. However, “the initial factor to consider is whether a startup or a company is innovative and creates a value for the world or not, and if there is a solid team to get there.”
Pi Network Ventures claims to differ from other cryptographic ecosystem programs in its goal and processes. The announcement indicated that the company aims not to limit itself to cryptography investments, but also to finance the general technology sectors, including generating AI and AI applications, fintech, integrated payments, electronic commercial platforms, markets, social networks and consumer and real consumer business applications.
Another claimed difference is that the investment fund aims to act as traditional capital venture companies in Silicon Valley. This would be mainly observed in the supply, selection and verification process, which aims to “identify and support startups and businesses with high impact and disruptive”.
The announcement comes in the middle of continuous criticism of the PI network, including accusations of exploitation of a pyramid program and concerns about transparency. The skeptics highlighted the sparse white paper of the project and limited public disclosure concerning its sources of funding.
The user reference model of the platform, which rewards participants to invite others, made comparisons with marketing structures on several levels.
In addition, the native Network Pi token, PI, has been faced with volatility, lowering more than 65% since its main launch at the end of February and currently negotiating at around 25% below its top of all time.
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