Animoca Brands has launched a significant initiative to advance the development of autonomous artificial intelligence, committing up to US$10 million to support projects building on its Minds platform. This investment program aims to accelerate the growth of the "agentic web," a new paradigm where AI agents operate independently on behalf of users. The move signals the company's deepening commitment to AI infrastructure alongside its extensive Web3 portfolio.
Strategic Ecosystem Support
The newly announced investment program is open to early-stage teams developing innovative applications in sectors like gaming, finance, and productivity. To qualify, projects must leverage the Minds platform as a core component and demonstrate a viable path to creating scalable businesses. This quality-driven funding is not bound by a fixed schedule, allowing Animoca Brands to deploy capital to high-potential projects as they emerge.
Beyond financial backing, selected startups will receive comprehensive support to foster their growth and integration into the market. This includes platform compute resources, Cognition Credits, and direct technical assistance from the Minds development team. Furthermore, participants will gain access to Animoca Brands' vast network of over 600 Web3 companies, creating valuable partnership and distribution opportunities.
The Minds AI Agent Platform
Minds is designed as a persistent AI agent platform that simplifies the creation and management of autonomous AI entities. It enables developers and non-technical users alike to deploy "Minds," which are always-on agents, without the complexity of managing local servers or hardware. The platform's goal is to improve AI literacy and make advanced AI tools more accessible to a broader audience.
Key features of the platform include persistent context, allowing agents to remember information across interactions and compound their knowledge over time. These agents can also collaborate with each other, forming a network of specialists to handle complex tasks. Access is streamlined through common tools like email and Telegram, removing technical barriers for deployment and management.
Architecting the Future of the Web
Animoca Brands frames this initiative as a foundational step toward the "agentic web," or Web4, an evolution of the internet where AI agents are primary actors. In this vision, AI will move beyond providing information to executing complex tasks, negotiating, and transacting autonomously for their human stewards. This shift represents a fundamental change in how digital economies will function and create value.
Yat Siu, co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands, emphasized the transformative potential of this new era. He stated that just as blockchain redefined digital ownership, agentic AI will redefine autonomy and unlock new forms of economic participation. The investment program is intended to accelerate this transition by empowering builders who are contributing to this open, agentic future.
A Strategic Expansion for Animoca Brands
This focus on AI infrastructure marks a significant expansion of Animoca Brands' strategy, moving beyond its origins in blockchain gaming and NFTs. The company has steadily evolved into a major investor across the Web3 landscape and is now positioning itself at the intersection of AI and blockchain. This move aligns with its broader ambitions, including a proposed reverse merger for a Nasdaq listing.
The company argues that the convergence of these technologies is critical, as future AI agent ecosystems will require decentralized systems for identity and transactions to operate at scale. By fostering an ecosystem on its Minds platform, Animoca is not just investing in individual companies but is building a foundational layer for the next generation of digital services. The program aims to attract top-tier developers to build out these commercial use cases.
Animoca Brands' US$10 million investment program for the Minds platform is a strategic move to catalyze innovation in the emerging agentic AI economy. By providing capital, technical resources, and ecosystem access, the company aims to solidify its position as a key infrastructure provider at the confluence of Web3 and AI. With applications now open, the initiative is set to attract a new wave of developers dedicated to building the autonomous web of the future.