ReFi DAO
ReFi DAO is a non-profit network society coordinating the global regenerative finance ecosystem through place-based Local Nodes, Gitcoin Grants quadratic funding rounds, and an onchain reputation system (Prosperity Pass) on Celo.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersLisbon, Portugal
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What ReFi DAO does
ReFi DAO is a decentralized network society founded around 2021–2022, structured as a global coordination layer for the regenerative finance (ReFi) ecosystem. It operates through three interconnected layers: ReFi DAO Global (operational, governance, and treasury coordination), Local Nodes (place-based regenerative finance communities in countries including Spain, France, Italy, Colombia, Costa Rica, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, and others), and Network Initiatives (autonomous working groups such as the Event Organizer Guild, Regen Coordination, ReFi Mediterranean, ReFi EBF, and Founders Circle). The organization is community-led with no commercial pricing; its participants are individual contributors, local node leaders, and regenerative projects rather than paying customers.
The platform's core technology comprises the Prosperity Pass — an onchain reputation and rewards system developed by Kolektivo Labs, powered by the Safe smart account stack on Celo, with badges, wallet linking, and governance gating — and the ReFi DAO Contribution Points System, which recognizes stewarding, donating, creating, and coordinating activities. Regen Coordination runs quadratic funding rounds through Gitcoin Grants (GG18, GG21, GG22, GG23), coordinating matching pools that have scaled from $25K (April 2023) to $96K (March 2025). Content assets include the ReFi Podcast (Season 4: The Regeneration Nexus), the ReFi Blog, the annual State of ReFi Report, and a Resources Hub with toolkits for local nodes, governance, and funding.
The business model is grant- and donation-based rather than commercial. Documented inbound capital includes contributions from Celo Public Goods ($50K to GG21), GreenPill Network ($5K), Celo Foundation (125,000 CELO distributed to Pass holders), and Gitcoin Grants matching pools. There is no SaaS pricing, no API, no app product, and no paying enterprise customer base; 125,000 CELO tokens were distributed via the Prosperity Pass seasonal governance model, and roughly 600 wallets have been recognized via the Contribution Points system. The organization has 11–50 distributed contributors, no parent company, no equity investors, and is headquartered nominally in Lisbon, Portugal, with the Lead Coordinator (Monty Merlin) based in Bristol, UK.
ReFi DAO firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ReFi DAO
- Legal name
- ReFi DAO
- Website
- https://refidao.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- ReFi DAO is a non-profit network society coordinating the global regenerative finance ecosystem through place-based Local Nodes, Gitcoin Grants quadratic funding rounds, and an onchain reputation system (Prosperity Pass) on Celo.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ReFi DAO industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Regenerative Finance Network Coordination
- NAICS
- Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525)
- SIC
- Finance Services (6199)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Coordination & Contributor Management (tasks, bounties, roles) (FSAPAHAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- DAO Treasury, Governance & On-Chain Finance Tools (FSADAMAL), Grants, Funding & Budget Allocation Platforms (FSAPAHAE)
Keywords
Where ReFi DAO is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lisbon
- HQ country
- Portugal
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
ReFi DAO business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Gitcoin Grants Funding: Participates in Gitcoin quadratic funding rounds (GG21, GG22, GG23) with matching pools. Has received $50K matching for GG21 Genesis Round, $96K matching pool for GG23.
- Grants and Donations: Receives grants and donations from partners including Celo Public Goods ($50K), GreenPill Network ($5K), and Gitcoin for Regen Coordination rounds.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
ReFi DAO product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ReFi DAO operates a global network society that coordinates place-based regenerative finance communities (Local Nodes) and autonomous working groups (Network Initiatives) to advance the regenerative finance ecosystem. It delivers the Prosperity Pass onchain reputation system on Celo and runs Regen Coordination funding rounds through Gitcoin Grants quadratic funding, alongside educational resources and toolkits for community builders.
Product overview
ReFi DAO is a network society focused on developing strategic services and public goods for the Regenerative Finance ecosystem. The organization operates through a multi-layered structure comprising ReFi DAO Global (the operational and governance layer), Local Nodes (place-based regenerative communities), and Network Initiatives (autonomous working groups). The core offerings include the ReFi Podcast for education and community building, the Prosperity Pass for onchain reputation tracking (built on Celo/Safe), Regen Coordination for collaborative funding through Gitcoin Grants, and a comprehensive Resources Hub with toolkits for local nodes, governance, and funding. The network connects regenerative movements globally, supporting communities through education, fundraising, onboarding, and network building.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Regen Coordination: Collaborative initiative coordinating regenerative funding rounds through Gitcoin Grants, bringing together regenerative projects, DAOs, and communities to amplify impact through quadratic funding.
- Prosperity Pass
- ReFi Podcast
- ReFi Mediterranean
Products and services
- Local Nodes Network A global network of place-based regenerative finance communities that connect local regenerative movements, enabling communities to experiment with and implement ReFi solutions tailored to their local contexts.
- Prosperity Pass An onchain reputation and rewards system developed by Kolektivo Labs, powered by the Safe smart account stack on Celo, enabling regenerative contributors to link wallets, earn badges, level up reputation, and unlock governance access and rewards.
- Regen Coordination A collaborative initiative coordinating regenerative funding rounds through Gitcoin Grants quadratic funding, bringing together regenerative projects, DAOs, and communities to amplify impact through coordinated matching pools.
- Network Initiatives Autonomous working groups aligned with ReFi DAO's mission that tackle specific challenges from education to tooling, operating with independence while contributing to the broader ecosystem.
- Resources Hub Comprehensive documentation, guides, and toolkits including Local Node Toolkit, Governance Framework, and Funding Resources for understanding and participating in the ReFi DAO ecosystem.
Quantifiable outcome
- 600 wallets recognized through Contribution Points system
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use ReFi DAO
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ReFi DAO technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
ReFi DAO partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- GreenPill NetworkcoreCollaboration forming 'The Regen Coordi-Nation' - a pioneering alliance with ReFi DAO and Celo Public Goods. GreenPill Network contributes Local Chapters and regenerative digital infrastructure expertise. Partnership includes co-funding GG21 Genesis Round ($5K contribution from each organization) and roadmap for future retroactive funding rounds.
- Celo Public GoodscoreKey partner in Regen Coordi-Nation alliance, committing $50K to the GG21 Genesis Round matching pool. Co-developer of Prosperity Pass onchain reputation system. Partnership enables Celo Regional DAOs to participate in coordinated funding rounds.
- GitcoincoreGitcoin provides the quadratic funding infrastructure for Regen Coordination rounds. Additional $50K contribution to GG21 matching. Enables distribution of funding to ReFi DAO Local Nodes, GreenPill Chapters, and Celo Regional DAOs.
- Commons StackcorePartnership to run the Event Organizer Guild, applying Founders' Circle learnings to support event organizers. Joint venture on ReFi Commons Prize pilot across three local startup communities in 2023.
- Kolektivo LabscoreDeveloped Prosperity Pass onchain reputation system, powered by Safe smart account stack on Celo. Technology enables wallet linking, badge earning, reputation leveling, and governance access for ReFi DAO community members.
- MetaGovminorSharing insights for Web3 grants research and innovation as part of Regen Coordination program.
- Glo DollarminorPlanning for matching in USDGLO and enabling native Glo donations in Regen Coordination rounds.
- OpenCivicsminorExploring bio-regional coordination and finance facilities for local nodes as part of Regen Coordination program.
- European Blockchain ForumminorReFi EBF initiative - European Blockchain Forum initiative focused on regenerative finance in the European context.
- ReFi BarcelonacoreActive local node coordinating regional initiatives in Catalonia, Spain. Part of ReFi Mediterranean bioregional network.
- ReFi ProvencecoreNewly activated node in France, applying to GG24 Mediterranean round. Part of Mediterranean coordination network.
- Rifai SiciliaminorEmerging node in Sicily, Italy participating in Mediterranean regional coordination.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
ReFi DAO competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Regen Network: Blockchain-based platform for ecological assets and regenerative finance, with a registry, token (REGEN), and validator community that overlaps with ReFi DAO's regenerative Web3 audience and tooling.
- KlimaDAO: DAO focused on regenerative finance via onchain carbon markets; shares ReFi DAO's regenerative Web3 thesis and competes for the same pool of regenerative contributors, builders, and impact-aligned capital.
- GreenPill Network: Community-led Web3 network building local chapters focused on regenerative outcomes; co-leads the Regen Coordi-Nation alliance with ReFi DAO and runs a near-identical 'local chapter' operating model that competes and partners simultaneously.
- Commons Stack: Builds DAO tooling for contributor rewards, conviction voting, and public-goods funding; runs the Event Organizer Guild alongside ReFi DAO and competes in the same 'DAO operating system' category.
- Kolektivo Labs: Developed the Prosperity Pass onchain reputation system used by ReFi DAO on Celo/Safe; both operate in the regenerative Web3 coordination space and Kolektivo's technology is core to ReFi DAO's contributor recognition product.
Emerging players
- Toucan Protocol: Web3 carbon credit infrastructure bridging tokenized carbon markets with regenerative finance; targets a similar builder and contributor community to ReFi DAO and operates within the same Celo-adjacent ecosystem.
- Glo Dollar: Stablecoin that funds public goods with its yield; ReFi DAO partners with Glo for native donations and matching in Regen Coordination rounds, making it a closely aligned but more narrowly scoped peer in regenerative finance.
- OpenCivics: Explores bio-regional coordination and civic finance facilities for local nodes; listed as a ReFi DAO partner in Regen Coordination and represents a thematically aligned emerging peer in local regenerative governance.
Broad incumbents
- Gitcoin: Operates the quadratic funding infrastructure (Gitcoin Grants) that underpins ReFi DAO's Regen Coordination rounds; both curate funding for public-goods ecosystems and share many of the same partner DAOs, making Gitcoin a direct incumbent in the regenerative funding stack.
- Celo Public Goods: Celo ecosystem funding program that co-funds regenerative rounds, distributes 125,000 CELO to Prosperity Pass holders, and operates Regional DAOs that parallel ReFi DAO's Local Nodes; functions as both a core partner and a broader ecosystem competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
ReFi DAO social profiles
Digital presenceReFi DAO financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ReFi DAO leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
ReFi DAO subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
ReFi DAO funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ReFi DAO 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 ReFi DAO
What does ReFi DAO do?
ReFi DAO operates a global network society that coordinates place-based regenerative finance communities (Local Nodes) and autonomous working groups (Network Initiatives) to advance the regenerative finance ecosystem. It delivers the Prosperity Pass onchain reputation system on Celo and runs Regen Coordination funding rounds through Gitcoin Grants quadratic funding, alongside educational resources and toolkits for community builders.
Is ReFi DAO a public or private company?
ReFi DAO is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was ReFi DAO founded?
ReFi DAO was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ReFi DAO based?
ReFi DAO is headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal, in the Europe region.
How does ReFi DAO make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Gitcoin Grants Funding is the primary driver. The others are grants and Donations.
Who are ReFi DAO's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Regen Network, KlimaDAO, GreenPill Network, Commons Stack and Kolektivo Labs. Emerging players are Toucan Protocol, Glo Dollar and OpenCivics. Broad incumbents are Gitcoin and Celo Public Goods.
Does ReFi DAO have an API?
No public API is recorded for ReFi DAO.
What industry is ReFi DAO in?
ReFi DAO's product category is Regenerative Finance Network Coordination. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAPAHAD, Coordination & Contributor Management (tasks, bounties, roles), with a secondary code of FSADAMAL, DAO Treasury, Governance & On-Chain Finance Tools. Its NAICS code is 525 and its SIC code is 6199.