Yesterday someone asked me: "Is Kindred reliable?" I didn't answer directly, but instead looked up their list of investors. After reading it, I was silent for three seconds. Because this lineup is really hardcore. Techstars: the accelerator that creates unicorns The first investor is Techstars. If you don't know this name, let me give you a statistic: companies that come out of Techstars have a total market value of over $100 billion. SendGrid, ClassPass, DigitalOcean... these are products you might have used, all incubated by Techstars. Being selected by Techstars is in itself a form of endorsement. Because they don't just provide money; more importantly, they provide resources: a network of mentors, follow-up financing channels, and industry connections. These things are worth more than money. Acequia: the veteran that accompanied Twitter and Airbnb The second investor is Acequia Capital. This institution has a particularly interesting style: long-termism. They have invested in world-changing companies like Twitter, Airbnb, and Pinterest, and they don't just invest and run; they accompany the founders for the long haul, helping them grow. I once met a founder who was invested in by Acequia, and he told me: "Acequia is not betting on the project, but on the people." Getting support from Acequia indicates that Kindred's team is not here to exploit, but genuinely wants to make something happen. BlueYard: the believer betting on a decentralized future The third investor is BlueYard Capital. This European fund has a characteristic: it only invests in open protocols and decentralized infrastructure. Filecoin, Protocol Labs, Parity... behind these Web3 infrastructure giants, you can find BlueYard's presence. What does their investment in Kindred mean? It means that Kindred is not just an "AI pet" project, but has the potential to become part of the Web3 AI infrastructure. This opens up a whole new realm of possibilities. Protocol Labs: the giant defining Web3 storage The fourth investor is Protocol Labs. The parent company of IPFS and Filecoin, no need for further introduction, right? Their investment in Kindred excites me for this reason: Kindred may deeply integrate with Web3 data storage and decentralized identity in the future. Imagine this: your AI companion doesn't just live on some centralized server, but truly belongs to you, with data existing on a decentralized network, and your identity under your control. This is how Web3 AI should look! What does this lineup mean? After looking at these four investors, I suddenly realized one thing: Kindred is not just making a "virtual pet" project, but is building a long-term infrastructure of AI × IP × Web3. Techstars provides resources and networks Acequia offers long-term companionship and strategic vision BlueYard brings decentralized genes Protocol Labs provides technical support for Web3 storage This is a combination that has both traditional tech endorsements and the backing of Web3 native forces. This configuration is not here to play around; they genuinely want to create a ten-year project. My judgment To be honest, after looking at the list of investors, my confidence in Kindred has increased several notches. Because after being in this industry for a long time, you will find: investors are more honest than white papers. No matter how good a project sounds, if the investors are unknown small funds, they are mostly here to exploit. But if the investors are of the caliber of Techstars, Acequia, BlueYard, Protocol Labs, it means at least a group of smart people are willing to bet real money on its future. And I am willing to bet alongside these smart people. After finishing this article, I suddenly really want to try Kindred's product. Because I realize that this might not just be an "AI pet," but the next generation of AI × Web3 entry point. Sometimes, the list of investors can explain things better than a white paper. @Kindred_AI