Deal Box announced the launch of Deal Box Ventures, a venture arm that will invest $125M in startups that leverage foundational Web 3 technologies within five key fund areas.

As the financial markets rapidly evolve and transform to include the tokenization of securities, Deal Box has become one of the first vertically integrated digital securities issuance and investment platforms. Its investment arm, Deal Box Ventures, will focus on strategic investments that unlock the full potential of this technology and new ways in which blockchain products will impact and reshape people's everyday lives.

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, who runs the world's largest asset manager, recently said, "The next generation for markets, the next generation for securities, will be tokenization of securities."

A new report from consulting firm BCG predicts that by 2030, digital asset tokenization will be a $16.1 trillion business opportunity.

Tokenization refers to a process where a digital representation of an asset is created on a blockchain, authenticating its transaction and ownership history. This approach enables a different way to trade assets, reducing fees and enabling instant settlement. Deal Box Ventures has already created the infrastructure to enable this tokenization on the blockchain, eliminating much of the friction involved in raising capital.

Deal Box Ventures will focus on five key marketplaces - emerging growth, real estate, fintech, funtech and social impact - with plans to invest in startups in each core growth area.

• Emerging Growth - Deal Box Ventures will lead rounds in early-stage companies developing unique, leading-edge products with the potential for rapid growth.
  

• Real Estate - Deal Box Ventures will focus on sourcing and packaging high-alpha commercial and residential real estate in this $8.9 trillion market. These focus areas will enable investors to participate in the growth and prosperity of cities and neighborhoods they know and love.
  

• FinTech - Deal Box Ventures will lead investments in software, mobile applications, and other technologies created to improve and automate traditional forms of finance for businesses and consumers alike.
  

• FunTech - A fresh and unique category, Deal Box Ventures will lead investments in action sports, innovative leisure, and experiential consumer products changing the way we rest and play.
  

• Social Impact - Deal Box ventures will actively source and package research-driven investments supporting founders in building world-changing companies with measurable impact.
  

"We created Deal Box to give companies and entrepreneurs better access to the capital markets, providing everything they need from due diligence to analytics, to valuation analysis, to get a deal funded - all in a box," said Thomas Carter, founder and Chairman of Deal Box. "Deal Box Ventures is an important milestone in our journey to invest in the most promising and disruptive blockchain startups, providing them with the tools and funding ecosystem they need to be successful by simplifying and reimagining traditional financing models."

As part of its Web 3 investment thesis, Deal Box has completed initial strategic investments in Total Network Services, Rypplzz and Forward-Edge AI, all of which are focused on introducing a standard-first approach to solving the problem of device identity. Rypplzz uses blockchain to connect the digital and physical objects, creating futuristic location-based experiences that transform physical spaces. Forward Edge-AI leverages AI technologies to improve the human condition. TNS' product, the UCID (Universal Communication Identifier) is the world's first blockchain-enabled service for supply chain security, device management, software licensing, and equipment tracking.