African startups have been invited to apply for the Bulgaria-based blockchain accelerator run by æternity Ventures, which offers funding of up to US$100,000 in AE tokens.
æternity Ventures, the investment arm of decentralised smart contracts platform æternity, runs the Starfleet Accelerator programme each year, with Kenyan startups UTU Technologies and RideSafe among those to secure funding from last year’s edition.
The Starfleet Accelerator supports seed-stage projects utilising blockchain technology, with participating startups given access to mentorship and support from leading blockchain and business experts. As part of the program, æternity Ventures will provide selected teams with funding of up to US$100,000 in AE tokens or services.
Applications are open until February 17 for the programme, which commences on March 11 in Sofia. Selected startups will undergo mentoring in areas such as business models, token economics, æternity apps architecture, blockchain infrastructure and tooling, pitching to investors, and media relations from recognised experts.
The most promising startups will be invited to proceed to the Acceleration Stage, a four-week programme of mentorship and further rigorous training. At the culmination of the programme, on Starfleet Demo Day, selected teams will have the opportunity to present their projects to an audience of investors, thought leaders, media, and the global community of æternity, and compete for the funding and the opportunity to build their products on the æternity blockchain.
“Last year, we were delighted to select nine cutting-edge projects for investment, who we believe have the potential to revolutionise a variety of sectors. As these projects continue to flourish this year, Starfleet Accelerator welcomes a new wave of participants from all over the world that share our vision for a future built on powerful, user-friendly decentralised applications,” said Nikola Stojanow, æternity Ventures’ chief executive officer (CEO).
“The blockchain sector is still in its infancy and ripe for development but, without the right support, brilliant ideas may never come to life. By opening the application process for Starfleet Accelerator 2019, we’re calling on the next-generation of blockchain innovators to step forward.”
