Next Big Thing Radar — June 11, 2025

Your curated scout sheet for early-stage startups worth watching.

🪙 Chain Without Borders — GVNR

Sector: Fintech / Blockchain
Platform: Republic
Stage: Live Campaign | Minimum Investment: $500

What They Do
GVNR Protocol is a cross-chain Layer 1 blockchain built to support multi-chain economies, NFTs, and gaming without the typical fragmentation.

Why It Might Be the Next Big Thing
As blockchain apps scale, users and developers are hitting walls with cross-chain complexity. GVNR aims to unify fragmented ecosystems with a protocol designed from the ground up for interoperability.

Snapshot

  • Positioned as a next-gen Layer 1 chain

  • Targets games, creators, and NFT projects

  • Emphasizes cross-chain capability and composability

  • Early traction among web3 developers and gaming use cases

My Take
It’s still early for chains that claim to "fix" interoperability—but GVNR’s protocol-first approach is the right instinct. If they can build dev trust, they might carve out real utility.

⚽ The Fan-Owned Football Club — HASHTAG UNITED

Sector: Sports / Leisure
Platform: Seedrs
Stage: Live Campaign | Minimum Investment: £25,000

What They Do
Hashtag United is a semi-pro football club that began as a YouTube channel and evolved into a real-world team competing in the English football system.

Why It Might Be the Next Big Thing
They’ve cracked fan engagement by flipping the traditional club model. Built on social-first content, Hashtag is creating a football brand from the ground up—by and for digital natives.

Snapshot

  • 1.5M+ YouTube subscribers, 270M+ views

  • Men’s and women’s teams in competitive leagues

  • Seeking funds to secure permanent home ground

  • Revenue via sponsorships, merch, media rights

My Take
Where most clubs are media-shy, they’re media-born. The next-generation sports brand may not come from the Premier League—it might come from YouTube.

🥃 Every Damn Drop — THE BLOCK DISTILLING CO.

Sector: Beverage / Alcohol
Platform: Wefunder
Stage: Raising | Minimum Investment: $500

What They Do
The Block is a Denver-based distillery that crafts small-batch spirits with a sharp focus on authenticity and community storytelling.

Why It Might Be the Next Big Thing
Craft spirits are gaining ground, but the market lacks independent brands that blend high-quality distilling with a strong cultural and local identity. The Block is betting on that intersection.

Snapshot

  • Located in Denver’s River North Art District (RiNo)

  • Emphasizes local grain sourcing and handmade production

  • Strong brand presence in the Colorado craft scene

  • Known for its social media campaigns and storytelling

My Take
Not just booze. This is a brand play—emotional, local, real. The kind of founder-led distillery that builds cult followings.

🧢 Wear Your Story — CANVVS

Sector: Apparel / Creator Economy
Platform: Seedrs
Stage: Live Campaign

What They Do
CANVVS is a streetwear brand and platform built around artist collaborations and storytelling, with digital drops and limited editions.

Why It Might Be the Next Big Thing
More than clothes—it’s identity and ownership. As youth culture shifts toward creator-aligned fashion, CANVVS is building a Shopify-meets-Hypebeast layer for wearable art.

Snapshot

  • Targets Gen Z with NFT-like scarcity in fashion

  • Built-in creator partnerships for each drop

  • Focus on limited-run, digitally native collections

  • Brand values tied to inclusion, art, and individuality

My Take
This isn’t fast fashion. It’s fast meaning. If they nail logistics and community, they could be to Gen Z what Obey was to millennials.

🔋 Power to the People — OVANOVA

Sector: Hardware / Renewable Energy
Platform: Wefunder
Stage: Raising | Minimum Investment: $100

What They Do
OVANOVA makes solar-powered trailers—portable energy hubs for remote power generation, off-grid living, or emergency relief.

Why It Might Be the Next Big Thing
The demand for mobile, clean energy is rising—van life, disaster zones, remote work. Ovanova is a modular, flexible solution where traditional infrastructure doesn’t reach.

Snapshot

  • Trailer-based solar power stations

  • Portable and scalable for multiple uses

  • Positioned for sustainability and grid-independence trends

  • Eyeing both consumer and institutional markets

My Take
A pick-and-shovel play in the off-grid movement. May not go mainstream fast, but niche adoption could signal something bigger.

🧭 Final Thought

This week’s radar highlights founders rewriting the script: a blockchain born for bridges, a YouTube football club breaking ground, spirits with a soul, wearables that speak, and solar that rolls.

Early-stage isn’t about scale. It’s about signal. And these five are lighting up the map.

📖 Disclaimer: This newsletter is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice or investment solicitation.