The Crescent Newsletter #13
NFTs for the outdoors, a Startup San Diego conference, and venture in the Metaverse
Back at it again
*ICYMI, here's last week’s issue.
Happy April Fools Day! Welcome back to the Crescent Newsletter. This is what we’ve drummed up for the week:
A feature on National Park NFT, an outdoor-themed NFT project
An upcoming startup conference held in San Diego
A venture fund putting their portfolio in the Metaverse and more news
Sincerely,
The Crescent Team
*If you’re a student building something cool, want to join Crescent, or just want to chat, reach out to us at ops@crescentfund.vc.
Crescent Partner Highlights
On the intersection of nature and crypto
Crescent Partner Harry Zhang writes about a new NFT project — National Parks NFT. While many NFT projects are simply looking for a get-rich quick scheme, this project is more interested in genuinely building the outdoor community.
So far, members who have bought into the project get access to gear, outdoor events, and traveling at reduced costs. They also receive perks like bike rental discounts, trip planning services, and opportunities to get involved with Wilderness First Aid courses.
Additionally, the founders of the project are actively hosting related events and educational workshops online and in person to grow the outdoor community further. This is an refreshing approach to the NFT project space, and we here at Crescent are excited to see how National Parks NFT develops moving forward.
Event, meeting, and conference Features
Startup San Diego is hosting a 2-night, in-person conference from 4/13 - 4/14.
More from Startup San Diego:
Convergence is an annual event that cultivates the next generation entrepreneur and tech workforce. Focused on converging and bridging our local student talent and local startup ecosystem to support talent retention, provide a bridge to high-growth career opportunities, and a path for entrepreneurial growth.
This event connects startup/tech industry members, students, first-time entrepreneurs, and aspiring job seekers.
The Southern Californian Tech Landscape
A new digital era of venture may be emerging. Unlock Venture, a Los Angeles and Seattle based venture firm, is among the first to put their portfolio in the Metaverse.
Get ready for an animated NFT series. LA-based Feldspar Studios — branded as Toonstar — is launching a series called “The Gimmicks” in conjunction with Sixth Wall. The show will contain characters based on NFTs that viewers purchase, which will be voiced by real-life WWE stars.
Ordering Asian products and brands just got easier. Yami is an Asian-centric e-commerce company that specializes in Asian cuisine. The Orange County based company recently raised over $40 million in a Series B funding round.
Career Opportunities
*If you want a job or listing featured in this newsletter, please reach out to us at ops@crescentfund.vc.
Startups
Software Dev + Engineering:
Metropolis Technologies (Internship)
Mobilityware (Internship)
Pledge (Full-time)
Marketing + Content:
Media Monks (Internship)
Anduril (Internship)
Pocket Latte (internship)
VC
The Walt Disney Company (Internship)
Riot Ventures (Full-time)
Struck Capital (Full-time)
*If you’re interested in helping out Southern California student founders through advising or becoming an LP feel free to reach out to ops@crescentfund.vc.
Thanks for checking in with us. We’ll see you next time.
Signing off,
Crescent Fund