Bluwhale, an AI-based Web3 startup, recently disclosed a $7 million seed funding round spearheaded by SBI, which includes Ven Capital and the SBI Decima Fund. Noteworthy contributors to this funding round are Cardano, Momentum6, Primal Capital, NxGen, Ghaf Capital Partners, Spyre Capital, Baselayer Capital, Haseeb Qureshi (Managing Partner at Dragonfly), Charles Huang (renowned as the creator of Guitar Hero), Jack McCauley (founder of Oculus), as well as the collaborative funds of Animoca (Japan), Gumi, MZ Crypto, and Sygnum Bank, and Azimut Investment Management.

Bluwhale, co-founded by Adam Rowell and Han Jin, leverages AI to facilitate connections between companies and Web3 wallet holders who have opted in. This innovative approach enables decentralized applications (dApps) to effectively target their desired audiences and potential new users, thereby optimizing their marketing strategies.

With 180 companies already onboarded to utilize its AI platform, Bluwhale has indexed over 270 million wallets. Web3 enterprises seeking to engage with wallet owners can seamlessly do so through secure, on-chain, and dynamically priced messages. This process essentially transforms digital communication into a market-driven incentive system, where wallet holders are rewarded based on their popularity. By linking one of their wallets and authenticating their identity via social media, individuals can claim rewards on public on-chain profiles.

The pricing structure for initial messages starts at low rates but escalates based on factors such as increased wallet value, heightened demand, enhanced profile attractiveness, greater liquidity, and other metrics valued by companies.

A key advantage of Bluwhale is the empowerment it provides users in controlling the extent of their digital footprint shared with selected enterprises for potential profit. Users concerned about privacy can opt to remove inbound messengers from their queue or conceal their personal information at any time. Additionally, messengers can avail discounts per message by securing early spots, potentially reselling them at a premium when wallet demand rises.

KEY QUOTES:

“It’s a new paradigm for a new era. For nearly two decades, online platforms have profiled and targeted users without their consent. Companies have poured billions of dollars into Google, Facebook, TikTok, and similar platforms to target and mass-advertise to consumers. At Bluwhale, wallet holders can take control of their digital profile and decide if they want to receive communications, while at the same time taking a majority share of the outreach spending.”

“In the future, individuals could turn their digital footprint into their most profitable asset, increasing the lifetime value of their online presence. This is a far cry from the value today’s social media profiles have for individuals. On top of the passive income consumers can generate, they’d also be served by AI with personalized and highly engaging content, assets, products, and services wherever they go in the digital world.”

– Han Jin, CEO of Bluwhale

“The Bluwhale team brings together an impressive blend of consumer plus enterprise industry veterans and pioneering AI Web3 researchers. Their innovative approach is poised to elevate Web3 user analytics like an AI-powered Salesforce for the Web3 space.”

– Investor Haseeb Qureshi

“Bluwhale pioneers a transformative shift in the data landscape, democratizing user data and endowing users with unprecedented control over their digital profiles through the integration of AI and Blockchain technology. We’re excited to partner with Bluwhale’s team of AI and industry experts, leading the charge in revolutionizing digital engagement and championing data ownership while fostering enhanced business connectivity.”

– Kevin Low, SVP at SBI Ven Capital.