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Zokyo
Founded by Hartej Sawhney and Shadi Paterson, Zokyo operates as a hybrid venture investor and cybersecurity firm purpose-built for the Web3 ecosystem.
Zokyo
Founded by Hartej Sawhney and Shadi Paterson, Zokyo operates as a hybrid venture investor and cybersecurity firm purpose-built for the Web3 ecosystem. The firm runs an investment arm focused on early-stage seed rounds in blockchain-based gaming and decentralized finance, while its parallel security division provides smart-contract auditing and penetration testing for protocols and startups. This structure reportedly generates a proprietary deal-sourcing funnel, as security engagements often provide early technical visibility into emerging projects before they seek external capital. Zokyo's investment strategy targets the seed stage, concentrating on Web3 gaming and infrastructure projects with token-economic models that the firm believes benefit from strong security postures. Confirmed ecosystem partners include Animoca Brands, a frequent co-investor in blockchain gaming, and Brinc, with whom Zokyo participates in accelerator programs aimed at Web3 and gaming founders. The firm also maintains a strategic security alliance with Rising Capital and serves as a security partner for the Linea ecosystem. Zokyo deploys capital across North America and Southeast Asia, with dedicated regional heads in both markets. The firm's operational footprint spans Las Vegas and Southeast Asia, with Tristan Lee heading the Southeast Asia practice and Facundo Werning leading coverage of the Americas. While specific AUM and total deployment figures remain undisclosed, Zokyo's model resembles that of other Web3-native hybrid firms that blend technical services with venture capital to access allocations in competitive seed rounds. Sawhney also acts as a mentor within the Techstars Web3 network, maintaining a direct line to early-stage developer talent. Zokyo's structural differentiator lies in its dual revenue model: a fee-for-service security audit business that operates alongside a venture investment arm. This allows the firm to diligence deals from inside a project's codebase rather than relying solely on pitch decks, while audit fees provide a non-dilutive income stream that can stabilize operations during crypto market downturns when venture funding cycles typically contract.
General information
Firm type
Generalist
Year founded
—
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Las Vegas
Corporate office
Las Vegas, NV, United States
Principals
Hartej Sawhney
Founder and CEO
Shadi Paterson
Co-founder
Tristan Lee
Head of Southeast Asia
Facundo Werning
Head of Americas
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Zokyo?
Founder and CEO Hartej Sawhney leads the firm's strategy and likely retains final authority on investment decisions, supported by Co-founder Shadi Paterson. Regional deal sourcing is managed by Tristan Lee, Head of Southeast Asia, and Facundo Werning, Head of Americas. The firm's partnership structure suggests investment committee decisions are made by the core founding team rather than a large, distributed committee.
How does Zokyo source proprietary deal flow?
Zokyo's smart-contract auditing division functions as a proprietary deal-sourcing engine. By reviewing a project's codebase and security architecture before the project seeks venture funding, the firm gains early technical and operational insight that most investors only receive post-investment. This security-first funnel is supplemented by mentorship roles within programs like Techstars Web3 and strategic partnerships with collaborators such as Animoca Brands and Brinc.
Is Zokyo structured as a family office or does it operate more like a venture firm?
Zokyo is structured as an asset manager, not a family office. It functions as a specialized venture capital firm targeting seed-stage Web3 companies, combined with a cybersecurity services business. The firm deploys external LP capital through its investment vehicles and generates service revenue through its audit arm, rather than managing a single family's legacy wealth.
What investment stages does Zokyo typically target?
Zokyo concentrates on early-stage seed rounds, entering at the point where technical architecture and tokenomics are being designed. This matches the firm's technical due diligence advantage, as security audits are most impactful during a project's pre-launch development phase. The firm does not publicly indicate participation in later-stage growth rounds or liquid token markets.
Does Zokyo maintain philanthropic structures, and how are they separated?
There is no public record of a philanthropic foundation or charitable vehicle affiliated with Zokyo. The firm's disclosed activities remain focused on its core for-profit functions of venture investing and Web3 security services.
How is Zokyo related to Animoca Brands and Linea?
Animoca Brands is a frequent co-investor alongside Zokyo in Web3 gaming and metaverse projects, sharing overlapping sector focus and thesis alignment. Zokyo's relationship with Linea, a zkEVM Layer-2 network developed by ConsenSys, is a security partnership: Zokyo provides auditing and security services to help fortify projects building within the Linea ecosystem.
What sectors does Zokyo explicitly avoid?
Zokyo's disclosed focus areas are Web3 gaming and decentralized finance; no explicit sector exclusions have been published. The firm's technical specialization in blockchain-based projects, however, implies a de facto avoidance of traditional Web2 SaaS, hardware, and non-crypto fintech, where smart-contract auditing expertise provides no sourcing or diligence advantage.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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