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Æ Ventures, a blockchain investment company, has announced that applications are now open for the third edition of its Starfleet Accelerator program, which offers members mentorship and investment opportunities up to $100,000 USD.
Since its launch in 2018, Æ Ventures’ Starfleet Accelerator has reached $1.6 million in investments to blockchain startup companies and launched successful companies including AMPnet and UTU Technologies.
The third edition of the accelerator program will begin in early November 2019 and will take place in Malta. The deadline for submitting the applications is October 20, 2019.
According to a press release, the third edition of the Starfleet Accelerator program will commence with Genesis Week, a period where participating startups receive access to mentorship and support in areas such as business models, token economics, blockchain infrastructure, and æternity apps architecture. It will also be a part of ongoing cooperation with Microsoft Innovation Centre Malta, which will be the host of all Starfleet activities.
Teams from all over the world can participate in the accelerator either on-site in Malta or remotely via a constant live-stream. Upon successful completion, Æ Ventures will provide select teams with funding of up to $100,000.
“We are amazed at the growth of the Starfleet accelerator program from its start to now and we can’t wait to launch the third edition with new companies breaking blockchain barriers,” said Nikola Stojanow, CEO of Æ Ventures. “Hosting the program in Malta and India presents new opportunities to engage the burgeoning blockchain culture in these regions and we’re proud to continue to foster global blockchain growth through these communities.”
Furthermore, Æ Ventures has also announced that India was chosen to be the official location for the first Starfleet acceleration program in 2020. Starfleet India will be organized in partnership with IBC Media, a blockchain-based media company with extensive experience in organizing accelerator programs and conferences in India.
The company noted that India is currently hosting the third-largest number of startup unicorns globally and is home to over 5 million working developers. It is also estimated that over 300 blockchain startups are currently operational in India and several more early-stage startups can directly benefit from the Starfleet acceleration program. Moreover, the government of India is also keen on implementing blockchain solutions to provide efficient public welfare programs.
“The Aeternity Starfleet acceleration program is exactly the catalyst that the Indian startup ecosystem needs,” said Raghu Mohan, CEO of IBC Media. “This kind of initiative will make blockchain startups mainstream in India and we’re proud to work with the AE Ventures team on this inaugural edition of the accelerator in our country.”
