Gate Labs is the venture and incubation arm of Gate.io, one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges by trading volume. Incorporated in the Cayman Islands, Gate Labs backs early-stage blockchain projects across infrastructure, DeFi, gaming, and Web3 tooling – with the added advantage of a direct pathway to listing on the Gate.io platform. The exchange itself was founded in 2013 by Lin Han, making Gate Labs one of the older exchange-backed investment vehicles in the industry.
The incubator model differs from pure financial funds. Gate Labs offers portfolio teams technical support, market-making access, community exposure through Gate.io's user base of tens of millions, and structured token launch support via the Gate Startup launchpad. The combination of capital and distribution is the core value proposition. Public information on total assets under management is limited – Gate Labs has not disclosed a formal AUM figure.
Notable investments
Gate Labs has backed projects across multiple crypto verticals. Based on publicly available incubation and launchpad records, the portfolio spans layer-2 scaling solutions, DeFi protocols, GameFi titles, and cross-chain infrastructure. The portfolio count from available data stands at 9 disclosed investments. However, a complete verified list with individual deal sizes is not publicly disclosed by Gate Labs. Many supported projects received token launch slots on Gate Startup rather than traditional equity rounds, which makes independent verification of the full portfolio difficult.
- Multiple DeFi and yield-protocol projects launched via Gate Startup
- Cross-chain infrastructure tools targeting EVM-compatible ecosystems
- Early-stage GameFi and NFT projects incubated through the Gate.io ecosystem
Public information on specific named portfolio companies beyond launchpad participants is limited. No high-profile failures have been publicly disclosed, though the 2022–2023 bear market affected most exchange-linked funds industrywide.
Team
Gate.io was founded by Lin Han, who serves as CEO of the broader Gate Group. Gate Labs operates under the Gate Group umbrella. Beyond Lin Han's leadership role, the names of specific managing partners or investment directors at Gate Labs are not prominently disclosed in public sources. The incubation decisions appear to be made by an internal team within Gate Group rather than a named external partnership structure.
Recent activity
In 2024 and into 2025, Gate Labs maintained its focus on projects launching via the Gate Startup launchpad, with continued interest in AI-adjacent blockchain applications and modular blockchain infrastructure – categories that attracted broad venture attention during this period. Gate.io as an exchange also expanded its institutional services and derivatives offerings, which indirectly supports the incubator's ability to offer liquidity and market depth to portfolio projects.
Gate Labs also participates in the broader Gate Group initiative to expand into regulated markets. Gate.io secured a Financial Conduct Authority registration in the UK and has pursued additional regulatory approvals in European and Asian jurisdictions – moves that improve the credibility of projects incubated under its brand.
With a reported retail ROI of 2.83x across its disclosed portfolio, Gate Labs sits in a mid-tier range for exchange-backed incubators. Its primary edge remains distribution: any project it backs gains immediate access to one of the highest-liquidity token listing venues in the market. For teams that prioritize exchange presence over prestige-brand venture backing, Gate Labs remains a practical and well-resourced option.
