Genopets is a technology company.
Genopets has raised $8.0M across 1 funding round.
Genopets has raised $8.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Genopets is a blockchain-based mobile gaming company that builds a free-to-play, move-to-earn (M2E) game on the Solana blockchain, where players raise and evolve digital pets called Genopets by tracking real-world physical activity like steps from mobile devices or wearables.[1][2][3] It serves fitness enthusiasts, gamers, and crypto users by solving the problem of sedentary lifestyles through gamified incentives, rewarding players with cryptocurrency (like KI and GENE tokens) and NFTs for activity, battles, crafting, and trading on an in-game marketplace.[2][3][4] The platform integrates health data from apps like Google Fit, Apple Health, Fitbit, and Oura to prevent cheating and drive engagement, fostering a healthy lifestyle while enabling play-to-earn mechanics.[3][5]
Launched in alpha in 2022 after raising $8.3 million in a 2021 seed round led by Konvoy Ventures and Pantera Capital, plus funding from Samsung Next, Genopets has built momentum through iterative updates like the Age of Discovery feature, emphasizing community feedback and seamless onboarding for non-crypto users via app stores and wallets like Phantom.[5][6]
Genopets was founded in 2021 by co-founders Albert Chen and Benjamin Tse, with the company headquartered in Tortola, Virgin Islands (British).[1][3] Chen, a serial entrepreneur with expertise in engineering, economics, and marketing, paired with Tse, a blockchain veteran since 2016 with 16+ years in product design, UI/UX, and SaaS (including advising a multi-chain NFT marketplace), to pioneer the move-to-earn model as an evolution of play-to-earn gaming.[3]
The idea emerged from blending Pokémon-style pet nurturing with real-world fitness tracking, inspired by apps like Strava and Fitbit, to address blockchain gaming's issues like high barriers and lack of sustainability by tying rewards to verifiable physical activity via smartphone pedometers and wearables.[4][5] Early traction came from its 2021 seed funding and alpha launch in 2022, focusing on step tracking, which quickly differentiated it in the Solana ecosystem.[5][6]
Genopets rides the move-to-earn and Web3 gaming trends, evolving play-to-earn by merging fitness tech with blockchain to combat global inactivity, at a time when Solana's scalability enables mass adoption amid Ethereum's high costs.[3][4][5] Timing aligns with post-Stepn hype (2022 crypto winter recovery) and rising wearable adoption, with market forces like low Solana fees and NFT liquidity favoring sustainable models over speculative ones.[4][6]
It influences the ecosystem by proving M2E viability—pioneering "walk-to-earn" with verifiable data— inspiring hybrids like Pokémon x fitness apps, while boosting Solana's gaming niche through player-owned economies and health-blockchain bridges.[1][5]
Genopets is poised to expand beyond steps into full biometric tracking (e.g., heart rate, sleep) and multiplayer battles, with trends like AI-driven pets and metaverse integrations shaping its path amid growing Web3 fitness demand.[3][5] Its influence may evolve by onboarding mainstream users via polished mobile UX, potentially scaling via partnerships with wearables, though success hinges on retaining players post-bear market.
This positions Genopets as a leader in gamified health, turning everyday movement into enduring blockchain value.[7]
Genopets has raised $8.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Genopets's investors include 305 Ventures, CrunchFund, Dreamers VC, Goat Capital, Gumi Cryptos Capital, Hyperplane, Pantera Capital, Pioneer Fund, U.S. Department Of Defense, Y Combinator, David Chang, Do Kwon.
Genopets has raised $8.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $8.0M Seed in October 2021.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2021 | $8.0M Seed | 305 Ventures, CrunchFund, Dreamers VC, Goat Capital, Gumi Cryptos Capital, Hyperplane, Pantera Capital, Pioneer Fund, U.S. Department Of Defense, Y Combinator, David Chang, Do Kwon, Ed Baker, Manish Chandra, Mona El Isa, Ron Suber, Stani Kulechov, Stanley Tang, Steve Chen |