On November 17th, the Web3 social platform Sleek announced the conclusion of its Seed funding round, raising $5 million from investors, including Binance Labs, Shima Capital, Spartan Group, Symbolic Capital, Genblock Capital, Big Brain Holdings, Market Across, Emirates Consortium, Arkstream, Perridon, GBV, and several other angel investors.
Sleek, which was launched in April 2023, is a consumer technology company operating in the AI and blockchain space. It aims to bridge the physical and digital worlds, allowing users to seamlessly exchange information through cards and Telegram bots.
Originally named ChapterX with a vision to become a Metaverse platform, Sleek later shifted its development focus to a Web3 social platform. Tania Tse, the founder of Sleek, cited the limited adoption of the Metaverse concept as the reason for this shift.
Notably, ChapterX was one of the projects in Binance Labs’ Season 4 Incubation Program, and Chase Guo, a co-founder of Sleek, previously served as the Director of Investments at Binance Labs before founding ChapterX (now Sleek).
Sleek’s primary differentiator from other Web3 social platforms is its unique user acquisition strategy. While most platforms use tokens or financial incentives to attract users, Sleek focuses on building real use cases with its community of enthusiasts.
Sleek has introduced Sleek Cards, designed to empower Web3 experts to connect directly. Each card generates a blockchain wallet and a decentralized identity for users. Sleek Cards utilize NFC technology and their exclusive messaging bot to help users capture and manage data efficiently, creating robust on-chain social graphs.
Currently, the platform offers two types of cards, Prism and Premium, priced at approximately $30 and $35, respectively. Since its launch, Sleek has sold around 15,000 cards, facilitating over 300,000 connections, and partnered with Solana Hacker Houses, Coinfest, Digital Art Fair, and NFTNow.
Additionally, Sleek is developing a knowledge marketplace, allowing experts to share their cryptocurrency-related knowledge and earn money. This marketplace is expected to launch in the first half of 2024.
Sleek currently supports Ethereum, Polygon, Solana, and BNB Chain. However, the default wallet created by Sleek for users is on the Solana blockchain due to its low transaction fees. Tania Tse mentioned that this approach makes it easy for users to participate and receive airdrops/NFTs at events through Sleek’s platform.