KuCoin Ventures Invests in Catapult's Solana Gamified Launch Pivot
KuCoin Ventures made an undisclosed investment in Catapult as the company shifts to Solana-based gamified token launches, showing continued investor interest in Solana infrastructure.
CatapultTL;DR:
- The investment validates Catapult's move from DAO tooling to Solana-focused gamified token launches.
- Investors are still betting on Solana infrastructure and DeFi gamification.
- Turbo beta activity suggests user growth is picking up, though round details weren't disclosed.
- Having exchange-backed capital could speed up new features like Catapult Futures and token migrations.
- The funding amount remains unknown, but the strategic direction and ecosystem fit matter more here.
KuCoin Ventures Invests in Catapult
London-based Catapult, a Web3 infrastructure provider that started with DAO coordination tools, received new funding from KuCoin Ventures in an undisclosed round. The project announced the investment on Twitter on March 23, 2026, noting it would help accelerate growth as Catapult shifts toward gamified token launches on Solana. Rav Singh Sandhu and Greg Wilsenach founded the company in 2021 through the Entrepreneur First program. They originally built tools for DAO onboarding and member profiling to help pseudonymous teams work together. The platform has since expanded to include Turbo, a gamified trading mode with algorithmically generated prices for quick discovery without needing deep liquidity. Catapult Futures, with leverage and shorting, is coming soon.
This round follows earlier fundraising, though specifics are limited. Catapult raised $5 million in a seed round in November 2022, led by Blockchain Capital, with Eden Block, Orange DAO, Aave founder Stani Kulechov, and Teller's Ryan Berkun also participating. That round mixed equity and token warrants and funded DAO tool development, including Ethereum and Polygon integrations for sign-ins and profiles. With KuCoin Ventures now involved, Catapult is focusing on Solana features like lootbox rewards tied to trading volume and automatic token migrations to Solana when projects hit $50,000 market caps. The new round's amount, valuation, and lead investors weren't disclosed.
| Fact | Details | |------|---------| | Project | Catapult | | Sector/Category | Web3 Infrastructure / DAO Tools / Gamified Token Launches on Solana | | Funding Round | Undisclosed (Announced March 23, 2026) | | Amount Raised | Undisclosed | | Valuation | Undisclosed | | Lead Investor(s) | Undisclosed (Prior Seed Led by Blockchain Capital) | | Notable Participants | KuCoin Ventures (New); Blockchain Capital, Eden Block, Orange DAO, Stani Kulechov, Ryan Berkun (Prior) | | Disclosure Gaps | Amount, valuation, round structure, and investor count not specified for 2026 round |
KuCoin Ventures is a crypto exchange-affiliated fund, and its involvement suggests support for Catapult's move into high-volatility, low-friction token environments. Beta testing of Turbo has already generated millions in daily volume, according to project updates, which could attract both new and experienced traders. This builds on alpha work with DAOs like Index Coop and Aragon, where Catapult helped with onboarding and member coordination. The 2022 funding went toward tech improvements using Node.js and Next.js, with Firebase for data privacy. The team says they're watching decentralized database options for the future.
Solana Ecosystem Interest Continues
Catapult's funding comes as Solana's DeFi and memecoin sectors see growing attention, with quick token launches being a major draw. The platform's migration path—from Turbo to Hyper to Solana mainnet—tries to make launching easier for projects that want fast price action. KuCoin Ventures' involvement could open doors to exchange partnerships, since the fund backs other infrastructure projects in payments and AI. The announcement didn't specify how the funds will be used, but it's tied to expanding gamified features, with Catapult Futures launching soon.
- Investors: KuCoin Ventures joins after Blockchain Capital led the 2022 seed. Angels from Aave and Teller bring DeFi experience.
- What the funding enables: Faster Solana integrations, including lootbox rewards and automated migrations, making it easier for Web3 projects to launch.
- Why it matters now: There's growing demand for DAO tools that combine coordination with trading gamification. Catapult has worked with groups like Krause House and Bankless DAO.
- Note on naming: This is different from Digital Catapult (a 2017 non-crypto UK organization) and Catapult Group (which had a 2025 debt round).
Though details on the round's size remain unclear, the timing shows Catapult moving from pure DAO infrastructure toward Solana-focused trading tools. Early alpha results have been promising. Total disclosed funding stands at $5 million from the 2022 round, plus this new undisclosed investment.
Bottom line: Investors are still putting money into Solana infrastructure as DeFi gamification gains traction.