The makers of an online platform that's looking to help software businesses more easily create Web3 and blockchain-based applications has secured $1.4 million in pre-seed funding.
BlockSpan, based in Pittsburgh, will use the funding to expand the capabilities of its NFT API platform for developers, which allows for quick access to current and historical NFT (non-fungible token) data that is stored on various blockchains, a system of record shared between various computer networks that is most commonly known for its use by cryptocurrencies. This NFT API platform operates on a "free-to-sign-up" model for developers and paid plans can be upgraded or downgraded at any time depending on the number of monthly API requests a firm has on the platform.
"The BlockSpan NFT API platform is the much-needed catalyst for software companies and builders who need to hit the ground running," Jon Pastor, a co-founder of BlockSpan, said in a prepared statement. "Working with blockchain data can be complicated, and we’re seeking to simplify the process by providing free and immediate access to both on-chain, and off-chain, data."
Pastor, who has been an entrepreneur in Pittsburgh for over a decade, founded the company in 2022 alongside Nikhil Venkatesh, who is based in Dallas. BlockSpan also has three other contract workers, one based in Pittsburgh with the others being based internationally, and the company will look to add two to three more contractors in the coming months as a result of the new funding.
In an email statement to Pittsburgh Inno, Pastor said North Side-based Innovation Works Inc. is one of the startup's investors and that an undisclosed local family office led the round.
