Quick take:
- Aptos Foundations and Outlier Ventures have launched an Accelerator program for web3 projects.
- The Aptos X Outlier Move Accelerator will support projects building on the Aptos Protocol.
- Applications for the accelerator are currently ongoing and will close in mid-April.
Aptos Foundation has collaborated with web3-focused investment firm Outlier Ventures to launch Aptos X Outlier Move Accelerator. The program will support startups building on the Aptos protocol with a primary focus on gaming, social, DeFi, NFTs and blockchain infrastructure.
The program will take 12 weeks in Palo Alto, CA. Applications for the first cohort of projects are currently ongoing and will close in mid-April. Participants will receive mentorship, education and $100,000 in funding. The first cohort is scheduled will participate in person from May 2023.
The two companies are on a mission to onboard the next billion users into web3. Both companies believe to achieve that goal, web3 startups need the right infrastructure and support system, which is what Aptos X Outlier Move Accelerator will provide. The accelerator will help onboard the next generation of web2 builders onto web3.
Commenting on the partnership, Jamie Burke, Founder and CEO of Outlier Ventures said the collaboration will generate strong synergies, especially in the areas of educating startups about how to improve and run their business, to help onboard one billion people into Web3.
“More than ever, there is a need to enable a new form of secure and efficient blockchain, as more and more companies and users begin to adopt Web3 technology. Partnering with Aptos Foundation on The Aptos x Outlier Move Accelerator, Outlier Ventures brings its unparalleled deep knowledge and network within the industry to provide tailored support for founders building in Web3,” added Burke.
Aptos has developed a web3 developer toolkit called Move, which it says is focused on simple, easy-to-use UI/UX. This can help remove the barriers to entry that have curtailed the rapid adoption of web3 in the mainstream.
The Aptos protocol is a layer 1 blockchain with a high level of scalability. This allows developers to build massive consumer-facing applications like blockchain games and decentralised social networks.
Mo Shaikh, CEO and co-founder of Aptos Labs commented: “We pride ourselves on offering developers one of the most approachable building experiences in Web3, in part due to the Move programming language, and our team’s steadfast commitment to enhancing the user experience at every touchpoint within the Aptos ecosystem.”
According to Shaikh, the Aptos X Outlier Move Accelerator ensures that “everyone from independent developers to early-stage startups is given the opportunity to move this industry forward as part of the Aptos ecosystem.”
This program is launched in a midst of a market downturn. Many venture capital firms have slowed their activity in the web3 space as the market continues to weather the storm.
However, Outlier Ventures’ Chief Product Officer Benjamin Meyer believes that while crypto prices remain in a bear market, the founder market is on an upward trajectory.
“While asset prices have taken a bit of a hit, we believe in a bull market for builders, which can be seen by the number of teams that we have invested in and supported over the last year through our accelerator programs. The quality of founders entering the space continues to be on an upward trajectory. With cutting-edge protocols like Aptos Labs, we see the learning curve flattening, accessibility improving and new use cases being unlocked. Together with Aptos, we are super excited to welcome some of the brightest minds looking to build some of the foundational primitives into The Aptos x Outlier Move Accelerator program,” Meyer told NFTgators in an e-mail.
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