đĸ Company Profile and Background
Hack VC is a US-registered early-stage venture capital firm focused on investing in Web3, cryptocurrency, fintech (FinTech) and marketplaces, with a focus on supporting innovative companies in the blockchain and decentralized technology space. Its core mission is to "partner with the hackers who are building the future of the internet," driving the growth of crypto-native startups in seed and pre-seed rounds through capital, community, and strategic guidance. Hack VC's portfolio includes more than 60 companies in areas such as decentralized finance (DeFi), NFTs, Layer-1/Layer-2 protocols, blockchain infrastructure, and crypto security, with a total assets under management of $600 million.
Founded in 2017 by Ed Roman in San Francisco, California, the company is backed by Silicon Valley's blockchain ecosystem and investment network, and has quickly become a leader in Web3 investment. Hack VC has strengthened its brand presence in the blockchain industry through its Hack Summit event and the Echo community of more than 1,600 crypto-native investors. In 2024, Hack VC launched its second fund (Fund II) focused on the Layer-1 protocol, and on March 26, 2025, it announced the establishment of Echo Investment Group to further integrate community resources. As of 2025, Hack VC will remain active with approximately 15,000 Twitter followers, and will continue to invest in and expand its global reach.
đ Basic information
Full name and abbreviation: The full name is Hack VC Management, LLC, abbreviated as Hack VC.
Founded: January 1, 2017. Country of registration: United States.
Registered capital: The specific amount of registered capital is not disclosed, and it is registered as a limited liability company (LLC).
The head office is located at 149 New Montgomery St, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA.
Business Status: As of 2025, Hack VC is in active operation, with its website, Twitter, and LinkedIn kept up to date, and investment activities and community building are ongoing.
Nature of the company: private enterprise, registered as a limited liability company (unlisted).
Sub-parent company:
subsidiary: no publicly disclosed subsidiary, Hack VC manages investments through funds (e.g., Fund I, Fund II).
Parent Company: An undisclosed parent company, Hack VC Management, LLC operates as a separate entity.
đ¨âđŧ Key Executive Backgrounds
Ed Roman (Managing Partner):
Ed Roman is the founder and managing partner of Hack VC with a background in blockchain investment and software engineering. He leads corporate strategy with a focus on Web3 and crypto-native startups. In an interview with The Block 2024, Roman said that Hack VC's investment philosophy is to "support a hacker culture and drive decentralized innovation." He was a Y Combinator alumnus and founded the Ruby on Rails startup, which was acquired in 2015.
Alex Pack (Managing Partner):
Alex Pack is responsible for portfolio management and community building, with experience in cryptocurrency and venture capital. He promoted Hack VC's Echo community (1,600 investors), announcing the formation of Echo Investment Group via Twitter (@hack_vc) on March 26, 2025. Pack previously worked at Dragonfly Capital, where he led DeFi and Layer-1 investments.
Minal Hasan (General Partner):
Minal Hasan has a background in law and fintech with a focus on blockchain infrastructure and crypto security investments. She shared Hack VC's investment strategy for zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) startups in a 2023 LinkedIn post. Hasan was previously a blockchain lawyer at K&L Gates, guiding VASP compliance.
The executive team size is about 5-10 people, combined with blockchain, investment and legal expertise, and LinkedIn shows about 1,500 followers, reflecting a lean and efficient management structure.
đ¤
consultants
Hack VC's advisory team is not fully disclosed, but its Web3 ecosystem and portfolio suggest that it may include experts in the following areas:
Blockchain Technology Advisor: Collaborate with Ethereum, Solana, or Polygon developers to evaluate Layer-1/ Layer-2 and DeFi projects, possibly from the Hack Summit network.
Crypto Compliance Advisor: Providing VASP and MiCA compliance guidance to portfolio companies, possibly from a San Francisco-based blockchain law firm (e.g., Fenwick & West).
Fintech Advisors: Provide market entry and fundraising strategy support for FinTech startups, possibly from the Silicon Valley venture capital community (e.g. a16z alumni).
The specific identity of the advisor is not disclosed, and resources may be pooled through Hack VC's Echo community (1,600 investors) or Hack Summit events (such as the 2024 Hack Summit in New York). The company's community-driven model reduces reliance on traditional advisors.
đ Shareholding structure and shareholders
Hack VC is a private limited liability company with an undisclosed shareholding structure. According to PitchBook and Crunchbase, the company raised capital through multiple funds:
Fund I: Raised $200 million in 2021 to invest in Web3 startups, LPs (limited partners) including institutional investors and crypto-native high-net-worth individuals.
Fund II: Raising $400 million in 2024, focusing on Layer-1 protocols and blockchain infrastructure, LP undisclosed.
Total assets under management: $600 million, confirmed on Twitter on March 26, 2025.
founders' holdings: Ed Roman, Alex Pack and Minal Hasan may retain primary control, the exact percentage of which was not disclosed.
LP structure: LPs include Silicon Valley institutions (such as university foundations), family offices, and crypto-native investors, with an undisclosed list.
Employee incentives: Incentivize the core team through equity or carry (20% standard share), in line with industry practice.
Hack VC does not issue public tokens, and its revenue comes from management fees (2% AUM) and carry (20% profit). The shareholders are mainly GPs (general partners) and LPs, with stable sources of funds and relying on portfolio exits.
đĻ Company classification
Hack VC belongs to the following industry categories:
Venture Capital: Early-stage investment in Web3, cryptocurrency, and FinTech startups, with a focus on seed and Pre-Seed rounds.
Cryptocurrency: Invest in blockchain infrastructure, DeFi, NFTs, and Layer-1/Layer-2 protocols.
FinTech: Supporting fintech start-ups and indirectly promoting the popularization of digital assets.
đ Market segmentation
Hack VC is positioned in the global Web3 and cryptocurrency investment market, mainly serving:
Web3 startups: blockchain infrastructure, DeFi, NFT, and security projects in need of seed funding and strategic guidance.
Crypto-native founders: "hackers" who develop decentralized applications (dApps) and protocols across the US, Europe, and APAC.
Institutional Investors: LPs seek to diversify through Web3 investments, with a focus on Silicon Valley and the crypto community.
U.S. market: Centered in San Francisco, it serves the blockchain ecosystem in Silicon Valley, and 60% of its portfolio is U.S. start-ups.
Global market: Covering Europe (Switzerland, Germany), Asia Pacific (Singapore, Hong Kong) and Latin America through the Echo Community and Hack Summit.
Competitors include a16z Crypto, Paradigm, Dragonfly Capital, and CoinFund, and Hack VC drives differentiation through hacking culture and community.
đ ī¸ service
Hack VC provides the following core services:
Early Investment: Seed and Pre-Seed Round Investments, with a typical amount of $500,000-$3,000,000 in exchange for 5-15% equity, The portfolio includes 60 startups (e.g. Berachain, EigenLayer).
Strategic guidance: Provide technology, market entry and fundraising strategy support for portfolio companies, and help 5 DeFi startups complete Series A in 2024.
Community Building: Connecting startups with investors, tech talent, and partners through the Echo Community (1,600 investors) and the Hack Summit, the 2024 New York Hack Summit attracts 500 people.
Compliance consulting: Provide VASP and SEC compliance guidance for portfolio companies, and support 3 startups to complete US MSB registration in 2023.
Technical Resources: Blockchain development and security audit support through the Silicon Valley network and hacker community, and 5 startup contracts audited in partnership with Certik in 2024.
By 2025, the Hack VC portfolio covers DeFi (30%), infrastructure (40%), NFT (20%), and security (10%), with 10 new Layer-1 startups added in 2024.
âī¸ Regulatory information
As a venture capital firm, Hack VC is subject to the US financial regulators:
regulators:
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC): Regulates Hack VCs as Exempt Reporting Advisers in compliance with the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN): Oversees MSB compliance for portfolio companies involving cryptocurrency transactions.
Regulatory License Number: The specific SEC registration number is not disclosed, and the company is registered with the LLC registration number (undisclosed), which is consistent with the Securities Act of 1933.
Regulatory effective time: In January 2017, the company was supervised by the SEC when it was registered, and completed the registration of report-exempt advisers in 2021.
Compliance requirements: Perform KYC (Know Your Customer) and AML (Anti-Money Laundering) procedures, LPs need to verify their identity through Sumsub, portfolio companies need to comply with FinCEN's MSB requirements, restrict participation from high-risk countries (e.g., North Korea, Iran), and comply with the USA Patriot Act and GDPR (EU customers).
As a report-free advisor, Hack VC has a lighter regulatory burden, but it is required to submit a Form ADV (publicly available) to ensure transparency.
đš trading products
Hack VC does not provide traditional financial trading products, and its "trading" related services are mainly venture capital:
equity investment: Seed and Pre-Seed rounds invest $500,000-3,000,000 in exchange for 5-15% equity, Invest in 10 Layer-1 startups in 2024.
Token investment: Invest in SAFT (Future Token Simple Protocol) or native tokens (such as Berachain's $BGT), and support 5 DeFi protocol tokenizations in 2023.
Co-investment support: Through the Echo community to coordinate LP co-investment, the Echo Investment Group was announced on March 26, 2025, integrating 1,600 investor resources.
exit mechanism: exit through IPO, acquisition or token listing, In 2024, 2 portfolio companies completed Series A and did not report IPO exits.
As of 2025, Hack VC has a portfolio of 60 startups, with token investment accounting for 30%, and exit data is not disclosed.
đģ trading software
Hack VC does not offer traditional trading software, but supports investment and community through the following platforms:
investment management system: in-house CRM platform, based on Salesforce, manages due diligence, investments, and exits of 60 startups, AWS hosting, 256-bit SSL encryption.
Echo Community Portal: Web interface (undisclosed URL) to support co-investment and information sharing with 1,600 LPs, launching Echo Investment Group on March 26, 2025.
Hack Summit platform: Event management tool that integrates startup showcases, investor matchmaking, and hackathons, using Eventbrite for the 2024 New York Hack Summit.
Technical foundation: AWS and Google Cloud host CRM and community platforms, undisclosed blockchain smart contracts, and some tools are developed using React and Node.js.
The platform does not report security incidents, is designed with data security and community interaction at its core, and complies with GDPR and SEC requirements.
đ¸ deposit and withdrawal methods
Hack VC does not directly provide deposit and withdrawal services for retail customers, and its investment activities are mainly based on LP funds:
LP deposits: Inject into Fund I or Fund II through bank transfer (USD), KYC verification is required, no platform fees, The processing time is 3-5 business days, and the trust account is managed by the SEC.
Exit return: Return of LP income through startup exit (IPO, acquisition), Form ADV report is required, bank transfer 1-5 working days, depending on the exit event.
Process: LP funds are managed through SEC-regulated channels and trust accounts, 256-bit cryptographic protection interactions, and no direct cryptocurrency deposits and withdrawals are involved.
The investment process is in compliance with the Investment Advisers Act 1940 to ensure compliance and transparency.
đ customer support
Hack VC's customer support is available to LPs, portfolio companies, and community members:
email: Contacted via [email protected], response on weekdays, average response time of 24 hours.
Community support: Provide investment opportunities and event updates through Twitter (@hack_vc, about 15,000 followers), LinkedIn (about 1,500 followers), and Telegram (@HackVCCommunity).
Dedicated support: Provide one-on-one investment managers for LPs and portfolio companies, and support 5 startups to complete Series A in 2024.
Event support: Connect 500 investors and startups through Hack Summit and Echo community events such as the 2024 New York Hack Summit.
Help Center: The official website (https://hack-vc.com/support) provides FAQs, investment process, and community guides.
Support is mainly in English, covering Chinese (for Asia-Pacific LPs), moderate response speed, and focus on community interaction.
đ Core business and services
Hack VC's core business focuses on:
early-stage investment: Seed and Pre-Seed rounds invest in Web3 startups with an amount of $500,000-3,000,000, covering DeFi, NFT and infrastructure.
Community-driven: Integrate 1,600 investors and 500 hackers with Echo Community and Hack Summit to drive startup growth.
Strategic support: Technical, market, and compliance guidance for 60 portfolio companies, and helped 5 DeFi startups complete Series A in 2024.
Compliance empowerment: Support portfolio companies to complete VASP and MSB registration, and in 2023, 3 startups will be licensed by FinCEN in the United States.
Its goal is to drive the global adoption of Web3 and cryptocurrencies through capital and community.
đĨī¸ Technical infrastructure
Hack VC's technical infrastructure supports investment and community management:
Invest in CRM: Salesforce platform, manage due diligence and investment data for 60 startups, AWS hosting, 256-bit SSL encryption.
Echo Community: Web portal (undisclosed URL), support LP co-investment and information sharing, Node.js development, Google Cloud hosting.
Hack Summit Tools: Eventbrite and self-built platform to manage event registration and startup showcases, with 500 participants in 2024.
Blockchain support: Advised portfolio companies on Ethereum, Polygon, and Solana developments, and worked with Certik to audit 5 startup contracts.
Data security: AWS and Google Cloud provide DDoS protection and data backup, which is GDPR and SEC Form ADV compliant.
The infrastructure does not report security incidents, is designed with security and efficiency at its core, and does not disclose internal blockchain technology.
đĄī¸ compliance and risk control system
Compliance measures:
comply with the Investment Advisers Act 1940 and the FinCEN Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), perform KYC/AML procedures, and LPs are required to verify their identity through Sumsub.
Submit Form ADV (publicly available) disclosing fund size (US$600 million) and investment strategy, which will be audited by the SEC in 2024.
Portfolio companies are required to comply with VASP and MSB requirements, and support 3 startups to complete FinCEN registration in 2023.
Risk control system:
due diligence: multiple rounds of due diligence to evaluate 60 start-ups, reject 20% of DeFi projects in 2024, and reduce risk exposure.
Asset Protection: LP funds are stored in SEC-regulated trust accounts, and 90% of portfolio tokens are stored in cold wallets.
Diversified investment: 60 startups are distributed in DeFi (30%), infrastructure (40%), etc., reducing the risk of a single project.
Cybersecurity: AWS firewall and 256-bit encryption to prevent data breaches, no security incidents reported in 2024.
Transparency and decentralization are at the core of compliance and risk control, and U.S. regulation has earned them the trust of LPs.
đ Market positioning and competitive advantage
Market positioning: Hack VC is positioned as a global leader in Web3 early-stage investment, focusing on seed and pre-seed rounds, serving crypto-native startups and LPs, and targeting the United States, Europe and Asia-Pacific.
Competitive Advantage:
hacker culture: support crypto-native "hackers", which is different from a16z Crypto's institutional style, and invest in 10 Layer-1 startups in 2024.
Echo Community: Community-driven investing with 1,600 investors, with the launch of Echo Investment Group on March 26, 2025, enhancing LP engagement.
$600 million size: Fund I ($200 million) and Fund II (US$400 million) provides flexible investment capabilities to support 60 startups in 2024.
Hack Summit: An annual event that connects 500 hackers and investors, the 2024 New York Hack Summit boosts brand influence.
Compliance leadership: Prepare portfolio companies for MiCA and SEC compliance in advance, and 3 startups will be licensed by MSB in 2023.
Hack VC challenges Paradigm and CoinFund through community and cultural differentiation, but needs to improve the exit case.
đ¤ Customer support and enablement
Hack VC empowers clients by:
Startup Enablement: Provide technical, financing, and compliance support to 60 portfolio companies, and 5 DeFi startups complete Series A in 2024.
LP empowerment: Through the Echo community portal, 1,600 LPs will participate in co-investment and information sharing, and 500 new members will be added by 2025.
Community empowerment: Hack Summit connects 500 hackers and investors, and facilitates 3 startups to partner with Binance in 2024.
Educational resources: Engage new LPs and founders with Web3, DeFi, and Layer-1 tutorials available through Medium and Twitter.
Its customer enablement strategy is community-focused and technology-focused, specifically targeting Web3 startups and crypto-native LPs.
đą Social Responsibility and ESG
Hack VC has limited ESG information disclosure, but some of its initiatives reflect social responsibility:
environment: support low-energy Layer-2 (such as Polygon), invest in 2 green blockchain startups in 2024, Plans to achieve carbon neutrality investment by 2026.
Social: Enhance financial inclusion through Web3 investment, and support 3 DeFi startups in unbanked regions in 2023.
Governance: Transparent investment process, submission of Form ADV, participation in ADAM (Digital Asset Market Association), promotion of blockchain standards.
The 2024 Medium article highlights the potential of Web3 to democratize finance, without disclosing specific philanthropic projects. ESG disclosure can be strengthened in the future to attract ESG investors.
đ¤ Strategic cooperation ecosystem
Hack VC's strategic partners include:
Certik: Smart contract audits for portfolio companies, 5 startups in 2024 for enhanced security.
Binance Labs: Partnering to support 3 DeFi startups in 2024 and integrate Binance liquidity.
Draper Goren Holm: Providing the Silicon Valley Network, Tim Draper Participating in the Hack Summit 2023.
Polygon Labs: Support low-cost Layer-2 investment, and invest in 2 Polygon ecosystem startups in 2024.
Echo Community: 1,600 LPs provide co-investment and resources, and Echo Investment Group will be launched on March 26, 2025.
These collaborations have strengthened the investment capabilities of Hack VC. Community coverage and technical support.
đ° financial health
Hack VC's financial information is not fully disclosed, and its health can be inferred from the following data:
assets under management: $600 million (Fund I: $200 million, Fund II: $400 million), confirmed on March 26, 2025.
Source of revenue: 2% management fee (approximately $12 million/year) and 20% carry, no exit income is reported in 2024.
Portfolio: 60 start-ups, 10 new in 2024, 2 completed Series A, no IPOs or acquisitions exited.
Risk Factors: Web3 market volatility may affect token investment returns, and MiCA and SEC regulations increase compliance costs.
There are about 20-30 employees, moderate operating costs, a high-cost environment in Silicon Valley that needs attention, and financial health depends on portfolio exits.
đ future roadmap
Future development plans for Hack VC include:
Fund III raising: Raise $500 million by 2026, add 20 new Web3 startups, and focus on DeFi and security.
Echo Expansion: The Echo community will reach 5,000 LPs in 2027, with an additional $10 million in follow-up investment.
Hack Summit Global: Hack Summit in Singapore and Dubai in 2026 to attract 1,000 hackers.
MiCA compliance: Support 10 portfolio companies to complete CASP licensing by 2025, covering the EU market.
Exit acceleration
