If you’re interested in the future of the crypto market and the creator economy Horowitz, I’d highly recommend checking out A16Z, the newest crypto startup from Peter Wennmachers and Reessen Horowitz. This company is focused on investing in the crypto market, but also looks to promote a new way of thinking about money and finance. The team behind the project is led by two of the brightest minds in the industry: Maggie Leung and Xiang Xiang.
Peter Wennmachers
Andreessen Horowitz has recently bolstered its media efforts. The firm has hired Maggie Leung, former executive editor of NerdWallet, as the head of its media division. Previously, she worked at the Wall Street Journal, CNN, and Zocdoc.
A16z, the firm’s new media venture, will focus on publishing editorial content that outlines the intricacies of nascent technologies. Content will come from a variety of sources, including a16z employees, investors, and partners. It may include advertisements, but users will agree to apriori marketing and privacy policies.
In addition to the media arm, a16z has been making investments in crypto. This has led to rewards. a16z has been able to make early investments in several promising startups. For example, it has invested in a company called Levels, which has a consumer-facing biotech footprint.
Maggie Leung
As Silicon Valley’s top venture capital firm, Andreessen Horowitz has been on the leading edge of media efforts. They have made a number of high-profile investments, including Slack, Airbnb, and Facebook. But the firm’s recent moves suggest they’re resetting their media strategy.
The firm is building a new media operation that will speak directly to investors and entrepreneurs. It will feature content that speaks to the future of technology, with a focus on ‘rational optimism’.
A16z has hired several media experts for its editorial operation. These include former journalists and public relations professionals. They will build the website and produce a variety of content. Initially, the site will feature the firm’s investment sectors, but will expand with the help of staff and industry insiders.
Investing in crypto
A16z is one of the biggest investors in crypto. The venture capital firm has made more than 27 publicly disclosed crypto investments, including the likes of Coinbase, Twitter, and Golden.
But some of a16z’s biggest bets are already looking bust. The firm has lost a huge amount of money in the cryptocurrency market. After the fall of stablecoin TerraUSD, the value of its cryptocurrency fund dropped to a staggering $56 billion.
Andreessen Horowitz is known for making concentrated technology bets. In fact, its flagship cryptocurrency fund has lost 40% of its value in the first six months of this year. However, its firm continues to believe that the technology is a big part of most businesses.
Andreessen Horowitz’s crypto unit will invest up to $3 billion in traditional startups, while the firm also plans to allocate $1.5 billion to Web3 investments. Unlike many other venture firms, a16z’s focus is not on public blockchains. Instead, it has built an infrastructure for companies that are looking for dedicated investment capital.
Creator-economy
A16z has done a great job in building a content and content marketing ecosystem. For the past year, it has been contemplating whether or not it would be worth its while to create a separate brand for its own content. As a result, it has decided that a new name is the least of its problems.
Conclusion
The big question is, will Future be able to stomp the competition? It’s a tall order. However, a16z has not only put its money where its mouth is, it has also invested in the nascent technology community. That said, it’s clear that they’re putting a lot of their resources into the project, and they have a number of editorial execs who are putting the effort into Future’s best efforts.