Icebreaker, an open-source professional network founded by Coinbase and Google alumni Dan Stone and Jack Dillé, has raised $5 million in seed funding, valuing the company at $21 million.
The latest investment will enable the six-member team to expand and develop a blockchain-based alternative to LinkedIn. CoinFund led the funding, with contributions from Accomplice, Anagram, and Legion Capital.
Icebreaker aspires to be the “world’s first open professional network,” contrasting with LinkedIn’s centralized control over digital identities. The platform uses blockchain technology to unify users’ professional profiles into a single channel, allowing for instant credential verification and secure endorsements.
CoinFund CEO Alex Felix highlighted crypto’s potential in developing foundational social graphs for various applications. He expressed support for Icebreaker’s mission to provide true ownership of professional identities online. The founders aim to create an “open graph of reputation and identity,” promoting shared context and trust.
Addressing the issue of AI-driven noise and fake personas in digital networking, Dillé humorously listed himself as “CEO of Google” on LinkedIn to show how easily misinformation can mislead job seekers and recruiters.
Icebreaker has previously tested early versions of its platform with web3 companies such as Coinbase, Opensea, and Polygon Labs.
Interestingly, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong had earlier floated the idea of developing a decentralized LinkedIn.
Last month, Bondex, also a web3 contender against LinkedIn, disclosed raising over $10 million. Bondex is designed to be an engaging professional networking platform. It leverages its native BDXN token to facilitate various functionalities.
