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Makara provides an automated investment platform for diversified cryptocurrency access through thematic baskets. This crypto robo-advisor enables individuals to invest in digital assets via curated portfolios tailored to various risk tolerances. It simplifies entry into the complex cryptocurrency market, emphasizing user experience and regulatory compliance.
Founded in 2021 by Jesse Proudman and Sadie Raney, Makara identified a need for structured, regulated crypto investment. Proudman, leveraging his trading technology background, developed a compliant, user-friendly platform. This positioned Makara as the first SEC-registered crypto robo-advisor, democratizing digital asset management.
Makara serves individual investors seeking passive, managed exposure to digital assets. Its vision centers on making sophisticated cryptocurrency strategies accessible and understandable. Makara empowers users to confidently integrate crypto into their financial planning, ensuring participation with clarity and regulatory confidence.
Makara has raised $8.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Makara has raised $8.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Makara is a technology company that built an intuitive mobile app and platform for cryptocurrency investing, offering "thematic baskets" of diversified crypto assets to make digital investments accessible to everyday users.[1][3] Founded as a spinout from Strix Leviathan, it targeted the problem of opaque and risky crypto trading by providing SEC-registered advisory services focused on education, transparency, and thematic exposure, serving retail investors excluded from high-net-worth platforms.[1][3] Betterment, a leader in digital investing, acquired Makara to integrate crypto solutions for its 730,000+ customers, accelerating its growth momentum post-launch.[1]
Makara emerged in 2021 from Strix Leviathan, a comprehensive software suite for trading volatile crypto markets co-founded by CEO Jesse Proudman and his team, which initially served only high-net-worth investors.[1][3] Dissatisfied with excluding the broader public from diversified crypto opportunities, Proudman and team pivoted over seven months to create Makara as a digitally native platform resembling crypto mutual funds, becoming one of the first SEC-registered investment advisors in the space.[1][3] Partnering with design studio Z1, they refined the app's user interface for education and trust amid the shady crypto context of the time, leading to a successful launch and subsequent acquisition by Betterment.[1]
(Note: A separate entity, Makara Digital Corporation, operates as a private equity firm investing in cryptocurrency and information sectors, but lacks detailed public differentiation.[2])
Makara rode the 2021 crypto boom by democratizing access amid rising retail interest, timing its launch when traditional investors sought regulated alternatives to volatile exchanges.[1][3] Market forces like increasing crypto adoption and demand for diversification favored its model, influencing the ecosystem by paving the way for incumbents like Betterment to enter crypto via acquisition, blending robo-advisors with digital assets.[1] This bridged institutional tools (from Strix) to mass markets, accelerating fintech's convergence with blockchain.
Post-acquisition, Makara's tech now powers Betterment's crypto offerings, positioning it to scale with mainstream adoption as regulations mature and thematic investing evolves.[1] Trends like ETF approvals and AI-driven portfolios will shape its path, potentially expanding beyond crypto into broader digital assets. Its influence may grow by setting standards for accessible, compliant investing, fulfilling the original vision of inclusive crypto participation started with Jesse Proudman's spinout.
Makara has raised $8.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Makara's investors include Baird Capital, Baseline Ventures, BoxGroup, Converge Venture Partners, Founder Collective, G20 Ventures, Kain Capital, Propeller VC, Trajectory Ventures, WGI Group, Y Combinator, David Chang.
Makara has raised $8.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $2.0M Makara Digital - Seed in May 2021.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 2021 | $2.0M Makara Digital - Seed | Baird Capital, Baseline Ventures, BoxGroup, Converge Venture Partners, Founder Collective, G20 Ventures, Kain Capital, Propeller VC, Trajectory Ventures, WGI Group, Y Combinator, David Chang, Dharmesh Shah, Eric Ries, Jennifer Lum, Mike Volpe, Othman Laraki, Scott Belsky | |
| Jan 1, 2009 | $6.0M Series A | Sierra Ventures |