Some years ago, in fact 14 years ago in May, I wrote a piece for another tech publication - Which startup is cleared for launch as Europe’s next €100+ million exit?
At that time I picked five companies and they all did rather well. One sold for $550 million, another for $200 million, two of them were SoundCloud and Spotify and another ‘washed its face’. That was in the days when €100 million was a lot of money and now seems almost quaint as a number when it comes to a startup’s value.
These were essential Web 2.0 companies, so, I thought it wise to update my predictions for 2025 with Web3 companies and choose another five companies that I think will be as successful as the ones I picked in 2011. Today an exit of €100 million sounds like small change, but perhaps one or more of them will reach the much-vaunted unicorn status.
Kodelab
KodeLab works in the regulatory, structural, development and process on all aspects of digital assets solutions and blockchain technology. The company says it has worked out how to take the ownership right in a single property and put it into a single NFT. So if that NFT is sold, the purchaser now owns that physical house.
Kodelab works with the current UK land registry system and has created a safe and secure environment for such real world assets to be bought and sold; the company also reports huge interest from Hong Kong investors.
The company has worked for two years with global law company DLA Piper to make the solution legally sound and have already tokenised four London properties worth more than £20 million (€24.2 million).
It is also creating a marketplace where these NFTs of entire properties can be traded as easily as Bitcoin. The company is experienced at navigating global operational, resilience-based, regulatory, and financial crime risks in order to deliver client solutions.
Pixelpai
Copenhagen-based PixelPai says it is revolutionising Web3 and blockchain infrastructure by solving the industry's most critical challenge: making digital assets compliant and accessible across all chains and traditional systems.
As the first AI-powered cross-chain compliance layer, it is building the essential infrastructure that will enable mainstream adoption of digital assets. Its platform uses autonomous AI agents to handle complex regulatory requirements across multiple jurisdictions in real-time.
Instead of struggling with manual compliance processes, its AI systems automatically adapt to regulatory changes, monitor transactions, and manage risk across multiple blockchain networks simultaneously.
Its platform combines AI-driven compliance, cross-chain identity management and advanced data intelligence into a unified layer. This allows any company, from financial institutions to enterprise companies, to seamlessly integrate compliant digital asset operations through its API gateway.
Pixelpai says that the future of blockchain ‘depends on solving the compliance and interoperability challenge’ and creating the fundamental layer that will power the next generation of digital asset innovation while ensuring regulatory compliance remains at the forefront of blockchain evolution.
Reality+
Reality+ entered the Web3 space in 2018 with a mission to "push boundaries and redefine the future of interactive entertainment"—and its time may have arrived. After launching hit games on PC and mobile, the company became a pioneer in metaverse content creation and was among the first to recognize the potential of bridging Web2 and Web3.
Reality+ is now expanding its platform into a SaaS business. With major global IPs already onboard, it has the potential to become the ‘Unity of Web3’ - a powerhouse akin to the wildly successful real-time 3D game engine that enables developers to build games for mobile, desktop, consoles, and more.
The platform is live, offering an all-in-one suite of tools and services that simplify Web3 development and navigate the toughest challenges of new technology adoption. This allows creators to focus on delivering innovative gameplay, immersive experiences, and instant revenue generation through their communities.
The Reality+ platform has already enabled major brands such as BBC Studios, FIFA, and ITV Studios to successfully integrate Web3 experiences into their games. As the demand for new revenue streams grows and player behaviours continue to evolve, adapting to these shifts will become increasingly important for IP owners in the second half of the decade.
With the Web3 gaming market projected to surpass $600 billion by 2030, Reality+ is in a good position to capitalise on blockchain’s transformative potential for Web2 gaming.
Degen Distillery
Recent winner of the Google Web3 Demo Day last month, Degen Distillery is pioneering ‘Social Distribution’, a new distribution solution, built on their Tokenised Affiliate Protocol (TAP) that allows companies to reach global markets whilst giving their communities access to new asset classes.
On the back of its Web3 innovation, Degen is co-creating the ‘world’s fastest growing spirits business as a proof of concept’ and in 2025 has started rolling out the model. Fifteen months ago, we reported on Degen Distillery’s partnerships with Google and its initial partner Brewdog as well as the (now successful) launch of its first NFT collection.
Unlike other companies in the Web3 space, Degen Distillery is running a real world drinks business with branded vodka, while harnessing all of the Web3 technology tools to bring both worlds together.
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