Holdex
Holdex is a Hong Kong-based venture studio that embeds engineering, design, and product teams with AI, fintech, DeFi, and digital-asset founders, offering AI-integrated applications, AI-driven design systems, compliant digital-asset infrastructure, and blockchain engineering services across a 35+ project portfolio.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersYau Tsim Mong, Hong Kong SAR China
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Holdex does
Holdex is a venture studio and strategic product partner that provides embedded engineering, design, and product services to founders building in AI, fintech, DeFi, and digital assets. Founded in 2016 by Vadim Zolotokrylin and Mark Curchin, the company operates as Holdex Limited from Hong Kong with a distributed team that also works from Bali and remote locations globally. The firm explicitly positions itself as a co-owner-style partner rather than a traditional dev shop, embedding with founding teams from concept through production, and selects partners based on mission alignment rather than working with all prospects.
The company's core offering spans four service lines: Agentic Software (AI-integrated workflow automation applications), AI-Driven Design Systems (AI-accelerated branding and product design), Digital Assets (compliant environments for wholesale digital asset borrowing, lending, and settlement), and Blockchain Infrastructure (nodes, oracles, hosted APIs, and indexing layers for protocols). Its technology stack is centered on multi-chain EVM-compatible blockchain development, Solidity smart contract engineering, AI workflow automation, and DeFi infrastructure. Internal tools include the Holdex Automation GitHub App and Wizard Browser Extension, which run the engineering process on top of GitHub, while open-source contributions include the Thirdweb Svelte SDK. The firm has co-built 35+ projects across its portfolio, with notable outcomes including $650M+ in loans facilitated through Clearpool and $3B+ in aggregate transaction value across products it helped architect.
Commercially, Holdex generates revenue through professional services — primarily development fees combined with equity stakes in portfolio companies — with pricing structured as custom engagement rather than public rate cards. Its go-to-market is introduction-led, relying on referrals from VCs, accelerators, and ecosystem builders (Sui, Aptos, Monad, WalletConnect) rather than outbound sales, supplemented by event presence such as Dutch Blockchain Week 2026 in Amsterdam. Customer segments are primarily AI-focused startups and fintech/DeFi founders, with named customers including Clearpool, Hex Trust (six-year relationship), Truflation, Ithaca Protocol, Zebec, and Canton Network. With only 1–10 employees, Holdex operates as a lean studio whose value proposition rests on deep technical seniority, founder-level relationships, and selective conviction-driven partnership rather than scaled service delivery.
Holdex firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Holdex
- Legal name
- Holdex Limited
- Website
- https://holdex.io
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Holdex is a Hong Kong-based venture studio that embeds engineering, design, and product teams with AI, fintech, DeFi, and digital-asset founders, offering AI-integrated applications, AI-driven design systems, compliant digital-asset infrastructure, and blockchain engineering services across a 35+ project portfolio.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Holdex industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Studio Services
- NAICS
- Management Consulting Services (54161), All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399), Computer Systems Design Services (541512)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Captive CVC Fund (Dedicated corporate fund structure) (FSANAHAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Corporate Fintech / Insurtech CVC (Financial-services-led CVC) (FSANAHAK), Corporate Strategic Partnership & Ecosystem Investment Arms (FSANAHAF)
Keywords
Where Holdex is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Yau Tsim Mong
- HQ country
- Hong Kong SAR China
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices3 records
Markets served
Holdex business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Venture Studio / Development Partnership: Strategic technical partnerships with founders and enterprises building AI and fintech products. Revenue appears to come from development fees and equity stakes in portfolio companies.
- Blockchain Infrastructure Services: Engineering services for nodes, oracles, APIs, and indexing layers for protocols.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Holdex product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Holdex is a venture studio and strategic engineering/design partner that embeds with AI and fintech founders to build, launch, and scale products. The company delivers four core service lines: Agentic Software (AI-integrated workflow automation), AI-Driven Design Systems, Digital Asset environments (permissioned/permissionless borrowing, lending, settlement), and Blockchain Infrastructure (nodes, oracles, hosted APIs, indexing layers). Revenue derives from development partnerships with founders and enterprises, often accompanied by equity stakes in portfolio companies.
Product overview
Holdex is a strategic engineering and design partner (venture studio) for AI and fintech founders. The company offers four core service lines: Agentic Software (AI-integrated workflow automation), AI-Driven Design Systems (AI-accelerated branding and product design), Digital Assets (compliant environments for digital asset lending/borrowing), and Blockchain Infrastructure (nodes, oracles, APIs, indexing). Internally, Holdex has developed operational tools including Holdex Automation (GitHub App) and Wizard Browser Extension for managing engineering processes. The portfolio includes 35+ co-built products across DeFi protocols (Clearpool, Zebec, Pickle Finance), data infrastructure (Truflation, Trufscan, TRUF.network), institutional fintech (Hex Trust, Ithaca Protocol), and emerging Web3 verticals. The company operates as a product partner rather than an agency, embedding with founding teams end-to-end from concept to production.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- $3B+ in transaction value across products helped architect and grow
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Holdex
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Holdex technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature5 records
Holdex partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, notable and minor.
- ClearpoolcoreLong-term product partnership where Holdex spearheaded product development and launch of the Clearpool DeFi institutional credit protocol. Product facilitated over $650M in loans within two years of launch. Holdex team members led product from concept through execution.
- Hex TrustcoreSix years of ongoing co-building relationship spanning from custody integration to AI credit intelligence development. Hex Trust CEO Alessio Quaglini expressed pride in the partnership.
- TruflationcoreCo-building the SQL-native data layer for verifiable economics. Holdex built infrastructure that unlocked enterprise client expansion and recurring revenue for Truflation.
- Ithaca ProtocolcoreCo-building institutional-grade options infrastructure on-chain. Holdex built Telegram mini-app and developed user acquisition strategy that benefited the protocol.
- Zebec ProtocolnotableEarly backer of Zebec's streaming payments thesis at seed stage, providing technical partnership for the protocol's development.
- Canton NetworknotableValidator and application development on Wall Street's Canton Network, providing blockchain infrastructure expertise.
- OzeannotablePortfolio company partnership in the digital assets space.
- LumierenotableCo-built smart contracts and dApp for tokenised film and fashion collectibles. Successfully launched Kenzo Takada collection at Cannes Film Festival that sold out in minutes, covered by Rolling Stone and Variety.
- FinoversenotableCo-building the online event platform for Asia's FinTech and Web3 community. Partnership includes Web3 competition support for D3 Bahamas event.
- SynnaxnotableAI-powered credit intelligence partnership. Holdex CEO Vadim Zolotokrylin featured on Synnax AI's site as portfolio founder.
- Sui FoundationnotableEcosystem partnership through Kirill Samoriadov's role at Holdex, connecting founders to Sui blockchain ecosystem including grants and technical integration support.
- Aptos FoundationnotableEcosystem partnership through ecosystem partnerships lead, providing foundation relationships and resources for portfolio founders.
- MonadnotableEcosystem partnership for founders building on Monad blockchain, with access to ecosystem grants and validator infrastructure.
- Pickle FinancenotableEngineering support for one of DeFi's longest-running yield aggregators.
- NaemonminorNeobank in Holdex portfolio where Mark Curchin serves as product and technology advisor.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Holdex competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Alchemy: Leading Web3 infrastructure platform (nodes, APIs, indexing); broader incumbent with overlapping infrastructure capabilities serving many of the same Web3 founders Holdex builds with.
- ConsenSys: Largest Web3 development firm and incubator (MetaMask, Infura, Linea); broader incumbent offering overlapping services (blockchain infrastructure, developer tooling) but at vastly larger scale and not as a focused venture studio.
Direct peers
- Delphi Labs: Research and venture-building arm of Delphi Digital, co-building DeFi and crypto protocols with founders; comparable in technical co-building services and equity-based engagement.
- Cyber.Fund: Web3 venture builder supporting founders across DeFi, infrastructure, and consumer crypto with both technical and capital resources; near-identical target founder profile to Holdex.
- Framework Ventures: Crypto venture studio and fund that provides technical and capital support to early-stage Web3 founders; comparable studio-plus-fund structure and ecosystem focus.
- Outlier Ventures: Web3-focused venture studio that incubates and co-builds protocols with founders; directly comparable in operating model, target customer (Web3 founders), and equity-for-services economics.
- LongHash Ventures: Web3 venture studio and fund with a portfolio of co-built protocols across DeFi and infrastructure; directly overlaps Holdex's venture-studio operating model and target verticals.
- Alliance DAO: Web3 accelerator and venture studio running cohort programs and ongoing founder support; competes for the same AI/Web3 founder pipeline Holdex serves.
- 1kx: Crypto-native venture builder and fund that partners with founders to co-build open-source Web3 infrastructure; similar in embedding with founders across multiple chains.
- Encode Club: Web3 venture builder and education platform that co-builds products alongside founders, very similar venture-studio model to Holdex with comparable founder-training and ecosystem-building emphasis.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Holdex social profiles
Digital presenceHoldex financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Holdex leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Holdex funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Holdex M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Holdex
What does Holdex do?
Holdex is a venture studio and strategic engineering/design partner that embeds with AI and fintech founders to build, launch, and scale products. The company delivers four core service lines: Agentic Software (AI-integrated workflow automation), AI-Driven Design Systems, Digital Asset environments (permissioned/permissionless borrowing, lending, settlement), and Blockchain Infrastructure (nodes, oracles, hosted APIs, indexing layers). Revenue derives from development partnerships with founders and enterprises, often accompanied by equity stakes in portfolio companies.
Is Holdex a public or private company?
Holdex is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Holdex founded?
Holdex was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Holdex based?
Holdex is headquartered in Yau Tsim Mong, Hong Kong SAR China, in the Asia region.
How does Holdex make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Venture Studio / Development Partnership is the primary driver. The others are blockchain Infrastructure Services.
Who are Holdex's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Alchemy and ConsenSys. Direct peers are Delphi Labs, Cyber.Fund, Framework Ventures, Outlier Ventures, LongHash Ventures, Alliance DAO, 1kx and Encode Club.
Does Holdex have an API?
No public API is recorded for Holdex.
What industry is Holdex in?
Holdex's product category is Venture Studio Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAHAB, Captive CVC Fund (Dedicated corporate fund structure), with a secondary code of FSANAHAK, Corporate Fintech / Insurtech CVC (Financial-services-led CVC). Its NAICS code is 54161 and its SIC code is 8742.