Quick Take
Saga, a Layer-1 protocol in web3, has raised an additional $5 million in a seed extension round led by Placeholder, marking a significant stride in its development. This funding boosts Saga’s total to $13.5 million, underlining investor confidence in its innovative ‘chainlets’ technology and its potential to transform blockchain and web3 infrastructure.
Saga, a promising Layer-1 protocol in the rapidly evolving web3 landscape, today announced a significant milestone in its journey — a $5 million seed extension round led by Placeholder, a leading venture capital firm. This investment, the largest pre-Layer-1 launch stake in Placeholder’s history, catapults Saga’s total fundraising to an impressive $13.5 million. This move reflects the growing confidence of investors in Saga’s potential to redefine web3’s infrastructure.
Understanding the significance of this development requires a look back at Saga’s journey. Last year, Saga raised $6.5 million at a $130 million valuation, attracting major players like Polygon Studios and Longhash Ventures. This round followed a $2 million pre-seed funding led by Ignite Inc., formerly Tendermint, as part of an incubation program in late 2021. This rapid accumulation of capital underlines Saga’s strong market position and its potential as a groundbreaking web3 protocol.
“Saga’s vision is to unblock developers from the high barriers to successfully building in web3,” states Saga Co-founder and CEO, Rebecca Liao.
Saga’s core innovation lies in its use of “chainlets,” which are custom blockchains tailored for specific applications. These chainlets enable developers to rapidly deploy decentralized applications (dApps), a cornerstone of the decentralized web. This approach addresses a key challenge in the web3 domain — the development and scaling of dApps.
Further accentuating its commitment to innovation, Saga initiated an Innovator Program following its earlier fundraise. This program aims to attract new web3 developers to build on Saga’s AlphaNet, a private test network, signifying Saga’s focus on community and developer engagement. Such initiatives are critical for fostering a vibrant ecosystem and ensuring the protocol’s relevance and utility.
Saga’s strategic focus has been on decentralized gaming and entertainment applications, a sector where scalability is a crucial need. The high transaction fees and slow speeds in current systems hamper user experience, a gap Saga aims to bridge. By offering a platform for scalable and efficient dApps, Saga is positioned to significantly impact the gaming and metaverse spaces, areas experiencing substantial growth and demand.
With the new seed extension, Saga is poised to further its ambitions. The funding will bolster its team, expand community and ecosystem engagements, and grow its Saga Innovator Program. As the Saga Mainnet launch approaches in early 2024, the protocol anticipates hosting over 300 Innovator projects, underlining its rapid growth and industry impact.
Chris Burniske, Partner at Placeholder, highlights Saga’s potential in reshaping blockchain architectures to resemble cloud architectures, emphasizing its on-demand blockspace provisioning and advanced validator orchestration. This vision aligns with the growing demand for scalable, efficient, and user-friendly web3 solutions.
Saga’s recent accomplishments, such as the successful launch of its Incentivized Testnet (ITN) named Pegasus, further demonstrate its robustness and appeal. Pegasus achieved significant engagement within a short period, indicating the protocol’s operational effectiveness and community interest.
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