Thunderstruck 9.24.2024

It’s heating up! Can you dig it? We’ve got a few live deals, portfolio updates, news, jobs, and all that jazz.

TLDR? Who dis? Lightning Ventures is on a mission to democratize access to the most exciting innovations in the Bitcoin space. Period. No more gatekeeping by suits. We're empowering accredited and non-accredited investors to shape the future of finance and technology.

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Lightning Ventures has been in the trenches of Bitcoin VC since 2021. We've deployed over $8 million into 40+ Bitcoin companies. This experience has positioned us to launch Thunder Funder and address the critical gaps in early-stage Bitcoin investing. That’s right! We’re doing a Roll-up-vehicle. What’s that all about? Well, it’s like a syndicate, but there are absolutely zero investor fees. We’ve covered all the costs. This is an opportunity to invest in Lightning Ventures, the parent company of Thunder Funder, and other wholly-owned entities. This is a great way to get our awesome network some skin in the game. Hit us up with any questions.

Hey! Have you signed up for Thunder Funder yet? Our new RegCF Funding Portal is dedicated to funding Bitcoin and open-source startups. Investments are coming soon. We’re about to release profile pages, messaging, and all sorts of cool stuff.

LondonLink, a premium Bitcoin brokerage founded in 2013, offers a secure and simplified investment experience for traditional investors looking to allocate wealth to Bitcoin. LondonLink is currently profitable. With impressive 140% year-over-year revenue growth, a $2.3 million annual run rate, and a seasoned team boasting successful exits. LondonLink has only raised $1.5 million since 2013.

• 140% year-over-year revenue growth with a $2.3M annual run rate

• Profitable core business achieved with only $1.5M raised to date.

• An experienced team and board with multiple successful exits, including a $4.5B transaction.

• Significant growth drivers are anticipated in the next 6–12 months, including a self-serve custody platform and EU market expansion.

Traction and Financial Performance
Demonstrating a strong product-market fit, the company achieved $47 million in trading volume TTM to 30 June 2024, a 98% year-over-year increase. Key performance indicators show impressive growth:

• Trading Volume: $47 million (+98% YoY)

• Q2 2024 Revenue: £548,085 (65% above forecast)

• 8,149 verified users (+47% YoY)

• $712 annual revenue per user (+399% YoY)

• 76% compliance pass rate (+18% YoY)

• 2,504 monthly unique web visitors (+110% YoY)

• £250k cash reserves maintained while reinvesting profits into growth initiatives

If you’re in South Florida, we’ll be attending this event. It’s Free. A complimentary registration link for family offices, capital allocators, and accredited investors.

Hey! If you’ve invested through Lightning Ventures, you receive confidential company updates as they come in. Below are some public updates from our beloved portfolio darlings. Please let us know if you are an investor and are not receiving company updates.

⚡️ Geyser stops serving conflicting regions.  Geyser, a Bitcoin crowdfunding platform, announced it has stopped serving conflicting regions. The platform stated that "it wasn't an easy decision," adding that "the movement of funds is increasingly a point of scrutiny."

⚡️ Unchained launched donor-advised funds (DAF) in partnership with University Impact. A donor-advised fund is a Bitcoin-native charitable giving vehicle that enables one to contribute, receive an immediate tax deduction, and then recommend grants to charitable organizations over time.

⚡️ Blockstream Green Android v4.0.34 updates several dependencies and includes various bug fixes.

⚡️ Orange Pill App introduced The Explorer feature. Search any city in the world to discover members and connect. Check it out

⚡️ Strike launched Smash Buy Target Orders and Outgoing Wires.

⚡️ PlebLab's Startup Day in Mexico City was an amazing event. Did you miss it? Watch StartupDay2024 on PlebTV, a platform dedicated to showcasing the Builders of Bitcoin Innovation. Get some popcorn and watch it here.

⚡️ Breez released SDK Liquid 0.3.2. What’s new? Lowball fees, send all funds now supported in pay_onchain, updated Electrum URLs, and other optimizations and fixes. Check it out here.

⚡️ Satsback.com added over 1,800 new stores! You're missing out if you’re not getting satsback when you shop online. Sign up for Satsback.

⚡️ Wavlake is pushing new releases. 1.1.0 (42) is ready to test on iOS. Wallet integration is live. Download the TestFlight and start jamming some tunes.

⚡️ Slice’s New Tab just leveled up. Boost your earnings X2! You can now double your rewards and explore the revamped experience. More slices, more features, more control over your browsing. Stack sats with Slice.

⚡️ Foundation Devices Tor Project library is now MIT-licenses, making Tor integration into Flutter wallets easier and more flexible than ever.

For the complete list of amazing companies and jobs in Bitcoin, be sure to keep an eye on Bitcoiner Jobs.