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.

Startup profile · funding coverage

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 · a16z.com 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)

Acquisition

unknown
  • Gemini (lead)

Source: Read source · a16z.com

Investors in our directory

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

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

Market / IPO context

Editorial / static context — not a live quote.

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.

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.