Pump.fun launches ‘Pump Fund’ in strategic shift from memecoins to startup investment

Memecoin launchpad Pump.fun has announced the launch of its new investment arm, Pump Fund, marking a notable strategic pivot away from its memecoin-focused roots toward long-term startup backing.

The company revealed that Pump Fund will debut alongside a $3 million hackathon. Over a 30-day period, up to 12 projects will be selected to receive $250,000 each, based on a $10 million valuation.

According to Pump.fun, the fund will not be limited to crypto-native startups. Instead, it aims to support teams across various sectors and stages, with a focus on long-term alignment. Selected projects will also receive direct mentorship from Pump.fun’s founders, emphasizing rapid product delivery and transparent communication with users.

The hackathon model departs from traditional venture capital processes. Participating teams are required to launch tokens, share ongoing development updates, and allow market participants to determine project success. Pump.fun described this approach as letting users and traders act as early backers, rather than relying on judges or institutional investors.

Pump.fun co-founder Alon Cohen stated that recent crypto trends demonstrate sustained demand for strong founders, regardless of market cycles. He noted that early-stage token launches have attracted users eager to invest in new ideas, citing artificial intelligence projects as examples of how tokenization can unlock early liquidity and participation.

The launch of Pump Fund comes amid declining trading volumes on the Pump.fun platform. Data from Token Terminal shows that monthly trading volume peaked at $11.75 billion in January 2025, before falling steadily to $2.43 billion in December as speculative interest in memecoins cooled across the broader market.

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Pump.fun launches ‘Pump Fund’ in strategic shift from memecoins to startup investment was originally published in The Capital on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.