In addition to our other support activities ZKValidator makes direct investments into projects that are aligned with our mission. We believe that privacy and zero-knowledge proof technology will be transformational for blockchains and the wider world. We therefore support several high quality early-stage companies, DAOs, and blockchain networks that are working on these areas and that we believe share our vision. Aurora Aurora Aurora is an Ethereum Virtual Machine with a bridge that enables the trustless transfer of ERC-20 tokens and ETH between Ethereum and Aurora. It creates interoperability between NEAR and Ethereum and was developed by team members of NEAR protocol. Aztec Aztec Aztec is an open source layer 2 network championing scalability and privacy in the Ethereum network. Built on PLONK, a superfast SNARK technology, Aztec acts as a privacy shield for financial transactions protecting users and business identity and balance data. **Axelar Axelar** Axelar stack provides a decentralized network, protocols, tools, and APIs that allow simple cross-chain communication. A decentralized open network of validators powers the network; anyone can join, use it, and participate. Byzantine consensus, cryptography, and incentive mechanisms are designed to achieve high safety and liveness requirements unique for cross-chain requests. **Osmosis Osmosis** Osmosis is an independent blockchain network within the Cosmos ecosystem. It is an automated market maker (AMM) and decentralised exchange (DEX) built using the Cosmos SDK as a chain from the Cosmos Hub. **Penumbra Penumbra** Penumbra is a shielded, cross-chain network allowing anyone to securely transact, stake, swap, or marketmake without broadcasting their personal information to the world. This enables private trading in any cryptoasset including fungible and non-funglible tokens. **Ironfish Ironfish** Iron Fish is a Layer 1 blockchain that provides the strongest privacy guarantees on every single transaction. Leveraging zero-knowledge proofs (zk-SNARKs), and the highest industry standards for encryption, Iron Fish gives you complete control over who sees transaction details via account view keys or transaction decryption keys. **Anoma Anoma** Anoma is a proof-of-stake blockchain protocol that enables private transactions and private bartering with any number of parties to increase the chance of finding suitable trading partners. Transaction data is kept anonymous for all traded assets which includes currency, NFTs and other goods and services. **zkSync zkSync** zkSync, is a user-centric zk rollup platform developed by Matter Labs It is a scaling solution for Ethereum that is already live on the mainnet. The main feature of zkSync are extremely low transaction fees, trustless protocol, cryptographic security, full user control of funds and no requirement for operational activity to secure funds. **Aleo Aleo** Aleo provides tools to build private and zero knowledge applications with ease. It is the world’s first IDE built intentionally for zero knowledge proofs. Developers create their app using Leo, a language that requires no cryptography, apps are compiled on the platform and deployed to the blockchain within a short timeframe. **Deversifi Deversifi** Deversifi is a layer 2 exchange facilitating fast, private and gas free transactions. The zkrollup technology StarkWare (zkSTARKS) is a cryptographic proof that permits thousands of transactions to be settled on the Ethereum blockchain in a single batch transaction, the enabling technology behind Deversifi’s exchange. **Moonbeam Moonbeam** Moonbeam provides smart contract functionality across different blockchains that is fully Ethereum-compatible. The cross-chain functionality, enabled through a parachain of the Polkadot network, allows DApp developers to extend their reach to new users and assets. Moonbeam is decentralized and permissionless, contains a full EVM implementation and extends Ethereum features to include on-chain governance and staking.