Startup profile for Swell: latest funding, latest known valuation, total disclosed funding, investors, status, sources, and why the company is interesting. Part of the Venture Capital Tracker startup directory.
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Swell funding, valuation and investors

Consumer crypto wallet for buying and holding digital assets (historical).

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Funding, valuation & investors

Answer-first snapshot

Latest funding

Seed

Amount not disclosed · 2018

Latest known valuation

Not publicly disclosed

Total disclosed equity funding

Not publicly disclosed

Excludes debt, grants, acquisitions, secondaries, and IPO proceeds.

Current status

acquired

acquired · San Francisco, California

Investors in latest funding

Lead: Andreessen Horowitz

Sources: latest funding Last verified: 2026-07-25

Overview

Swell was a mobile crypto wallet simplifying buying and holding digital assets for mainstream consumers. The a16z crypto-backed company focused on friendly UX for crypto onboarding during the 2018-2019 bear market recovery. Gemini acquired Swell to integrate consumer wallet capabilities into its exchange ecosystem; terms not fully disclosed publicly.

Why Swell is interesting

Mobile crypto onboarding play — a16z crypto-era consumer bet before Gemini acquisition.

Product & use cases

Swell mobile app let users buy, hold, and track crypto portfolios with simplified onboarding — targeting crypto-curious users intimidated by exchange interfaces.

  • Mobile crypto portfolio tracking
  • Simple buy-and-hold onboarding
  • Consumer wallet before Gemini integration

Key facts

  • Acquired by Gemini — terms not fully public
  • Seed led by a16z crypto
  • Consumer mobile crypto wallet
  • Pre-2021 bull market consumer crypto bet

Funding history (newest first)

Seed

2018

Source: https://a16z.com/portfolio/

Acquisition

unknown
  • Gemini (lead)

Source: https://a16z.com/portfolio/

Investors in our directory

Funds linked from Swell's profile — open a fund page for stage focus and related deal articles.

Andreessen Horowitz

Competitive landscape

Edge: UX-first mobile wallet during early consumer crypto adoption wave.

Consumer crypto wallets consolidated into exchange apps. Swell's Gemini exit reflects difficulty standalone wallet vs integrated exchange UX.

  • Coinbase app direct

    Dominant consumer crypto app at time.

  • Gemini app direct

    Acquirer; integrated Swell capabilities.

  • Robinhood crypto adjacent

    Stock app adding crypto trading.

Notable stories

  • Swell bet on mobile-first crypto UX when most trading happened on desktop exchanges — Gemini bought team/capability for consumer growth.
  • a16z crypto seed during 2018 bear market reflected long-cycle consumer crypto conviction.

Industries

Crypto & Web3 Consumer Fintech

Related funding articles

Venture Capital Tracker pieces that cover Swell's financing or category context.

FAQs about Swell

Practical answers founders, operators, and investors typically search for.

Swell was a mobile crypto wallet for buying and holding digital assets with simplified consumer UX.
Gemini acquired Swell; acquisition terms not fully disclosed in public sources reviewed.
Andreessen Horowitz (/fund/andreessen-horowitz) led seed via a16z crypto.
No — integrated into Gemini ecosystem post-acquisition.
Exact date not verified in sources reviewed; occurred after 2018 seed.
Both targeted consumer crypto. Coinbase scaled independently; Swell exited via Gemini.
Likely consumer UX and mobile wallet talent; specific rationale not fully public.
Yes — seed led by a16z crypto per portfolio listings.
Founding team details limited in public sources reviewed.
We track a16z crypto consumer exits.
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By Venture Capital Tracker

Last updated:

Editorial note: AI tools assisted with research, structure, or drafting. Venture Capital Tracker retains human editorial responsibility for factual accuracy, relevance, and source quality before publication.