If you are seeking Hack VC funding, you are pitching one of crypto's most founder-embedded firms. Hack VC describes itself as a thesis-driven venture firm that partners at the earliest stages with founders building the future of the internet across crypto, AI and other frontier technologies. This guide explains how to get funding from Hack VC, the sectors it prioritises, and the community and engineering support that set it apart from a conventional cheque-writer.

Investment thesis

Hack VC is research-driven and infrastructure-first. For its $150 million Venture Fund I, it set out three core categories: web3 infrastructure, financial infrastructure built on smart contracts and blockchain technology, especially decentralised finance, and the intersection of web3 and generative AI. The firm aims to be the earliest investor, first user and foundational community member in the projects it backs.

Sectors, stages and cheque size

The firm invests at the earliest stages, from seed onwards, in blockchain infrastructure and web3-native companies, with a growing interest in AI-adjacent infrastructure. Its $200 million Crypto Seed Fund, launched in 2022, was backed by Sequoia Capital, Fidelity and individuals including Marc Andreessen and Chris Dixon. A standard cheque size is not publicly disclosed, so founders should pitch the round rather than assume a fixed ticket.

Notable portfolio

Hack VC reports investments across more than 100 companies and protocols. Names linked to its funds include EigenLayer, Berachain, AltLayer, Mysten Labs, Goldfinch Finance, Element.fi and Yat. The pattern is consistent: foundational protocols, developer tooling and financial infrastructure, often backed before the technology is widely understood.

Partners and team

Hack VC is led by veteran crypto investors Alex Pack and Ed Roman, who have invested in web3 since 2014. The team pairs investors with blockchain engineers and quantitative researchers, a combination the firm presents as central to its value: it does not only underwrite a protocol, it can use it, test it and help secure it.

Programmes run

Hack VC runs hack.labs(), an in-house technology platform through which its engineers and researchers provide liquidity, stake assets, contribute open-source code and support networks at an institutional standard. It also created and hosts hack.summit(), a global developer community and blockchain programmer event that reports more than 130,000 attendees from over 150 countries across its events, plus the hackjobs.org job board. These are community and engineering platforms, not a fixed-cohort accelerator.

How to apply for funding from Hack VC

The firm directs founders to its official website, hack.vc, to learn more and make contact; it does not publish a public application form with set deadlines. The strongest approach is a short, technical pitch that shows working product or protocol design, evidence of developer traction, and a clear explanation of the infrastructure problem being solved. Engaging with the hack.summit() community and demonstrating genuine builder credibility can also put a team on the firm's radar.

Why it matters for founders

Hack VC is best suited to deeply technical crypto and AI-infrastructure founders at the earliest stage. Come with a working protocol or a sharp technical thesis, not just a market narrative — this is a firm that wants to be a user of what it funds.