About Winter
Winter is a Technology company based in San Francisco (United States) founded in 2021 by Michael Luo and Laila Chima, and was acquired by Crossmint in February 2024. Non-fungible tokens are traded on an online marketplace by users. It operates in the Technology and Financial Services sectors. Winter has raised $125 thousand across 1 funding round from investors including Crossmint and Y Combinator. Its chief executive, as recorded, is Michael Luo. The company was acqui-hired. Its focus areas include FinTech, Non Fungible Tokens, Marketplaces and Blockchain Technology. Its competitors include Kraken, Rarible and Crossmint; 3 of its 3 listed competitors have raised funding.
Company details
Winter was founded in 2021 in San Francisco, United States, as an online marketplace focused on non-fungible tokens within the blockchain sector. Users are enabled to select NFT projects for minting, complete payments via credit card or bank account, and manage assets through viewing, transferring, or utilizing them. Storage options are provided directly, or NFTs can be transferred to non-custodial wallets. Operations center on facilitating secure NFT transactions.
- Headquarters San Francisco, United States
- Founders Michael Luo, Laila Chima
- Stage Acquired
- SectorsTechnologyFinancial Services
- Emailβ’β’β’β’β’β’β’β’
- Website usewinter.com
- Social LinkedIn X
- Acquired by Crossmint (Feb 2024)
Funding Insights of Winter
Winter has successfully raised a total of $125K through 1 strategic funding round. The most recent funding activity was a Seed round of $125 thousand completed in June 2022. This substantial capital infusion reflects strong investor confidence in the company's business model, growth potential, and market opportunities. The funding enables strategic expansion, product development, market penetration, and operational scaling to drive long-term value creation and competitive advantage.
- Total Funding $125,000
- Total Rounds 1
- Last Round Seed β $125,000
- First Round $125,000
(Jun 2022)
- Investors Count 1
All 1 funding rounds of Winter with amounts and investors; the two latest post-money valuations are shown, the rest are part of the premium plan.
| Date | Amount | Transaction Name | Valuation | Lead Investors | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2022 | $125,000 | Seed | β | Y Combinator | β |
2 investors in total: 2 institutional.
Investors in Winter
Winter has secured backing from 2 investors, including venture fund investors. Prominent investors backing the company include Crossmint and Y Combinator.
| Investor | Description | Founded Year | Domain | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Early-stage startups are accelerated via funding and educational programs. | ycombinator.com | Mountain View, United States | ||
NFTs are created, sold, and distributed via an online platform. | 2022 | crossmint.com | Miami, United States |
Investor details for Winter
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People of Winter
3 people are tracked at Winter (2 in leadership, 1 in team).
| Name | Role | Group |
|---|---|---|
Michael Luo | Co-Founder & CEO | Leadership |
Laila Chima | Co-Founder | Leadership |
Classic Man | Discord Administrator | Team |
Complete people profiles for Winter
Full employee and board profiles, team structure, tenure and professional contact details require an active premium plan.
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Timeline of Winter
3 dated milestones of Winter across 3 years, from founding to its latest funding, stage changes and deals.
- Founded Winter is founded.
- Funding First funding round of $125K.
- Exit Acquired by Crossmint.
Competitors of Winter
Winter has 3 listed competitors in our database, 3 of them funded. They include Kraken, Rarible and Crossmint.
| Company Name | Domain | Founded | HQ Location | Total funding | Employees | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| kraken.com | 2011 | San Francisco, United States | $866.01M | 4 | Provider of an app-based trading and exchange platform for cryptocurrency | |
| rarible.com | 2019 | Wilmington, United States | $15.95M | Blockchain-based digital art is traded via an online marketplace. | ||
| crossmint.com | 2022 | Miami, United States | $23.6M | NFTs are created, sold, and distributed via an online platform. |
Detailed competitors of Winter
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- Full competitor set
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Top companies in Investment & Financial Technology
3 companies that operate in the same segment as Winter (Investment & Financial Technology) in United States, ranked by their profile score on The Company Check.
| Company | Description | Founded | Location | Total funding | Revenue | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Commission-free trading and investment services are provided by Robinhood. | 2013 | Menlo Park, California, United States | USD 5.58 B | USD 2.98 B | 4,841 | |
Financial data and investment advisory tools are offered online. | 1984 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | USD 91 M | USD 351.25 K | 6 | |
App-based platform for spare change investment | 2012 | Irvine, California, United States | USD 587.84 M | 602 |
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Related news about Winter
Complete news archive for Winter
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Frequently Asked Questions about Winter
Winter was founded in 2021 and raised its 1st funding round 1 year after it was founded.
Winter is headquartered in San Francisco, United States. It is registered at San Francisco, California, United States.
Michael Luo is the CEO of Winter, as recorded in our data. They have also founded this company.
Winter is a funded company, having raised a total of $125K across 1 funding round to date. The company's 1st funding round was a Seed of $125K, raised on Jun 2022.
Winter was founded in 2021 in San Francisco, United States, as an online marketplace focused on non-fungible tokens within the blockchain sector. Users are enabled to select NFT projects for minting, complete payments via credit card or bank account, and manage assets through viewing, transferring, or utilizing them. Storage options are provided directly, or NFTs can be transferred to non-custodial wallets. Operations center on facilitating secure NFT transactions.
Winter has 2 investors. Key investors include Crossmint, and Y Combinator.
Yes. Winter was acquired by Crossmint in February 2024.

