As we kick off this year's Launchpool Web3 Techstars Accelerator, I'm thrilled to introduce the ten exceptional startups that have joined our Dublin-based program. This milestone marks not only the first-ever chain-agnostic blockchain accelerator from Techstars but also a significant step forward in shaping the decentralized future of mobile game development.

The journey began when I took on the role as Managing Director of the Launchpool Web3 Techstars Accelerator, partnering with Alphabit Fund and Launchpool. What ensued was an intense preparation process, involving over 150 founder interviews, hundreds of project reviews, conference panels, virtual fireside chats, podcasts, and AMA sessions to ensure the best possible outcomes for our selected startups.

As a mentorship-led program, we assembled a pool of over 100 incredible mentors, comprising web3 experts, serial entrepreneurs, ecosystem connectors, and advisors. Our team consisted of Hugh McGirr, Hannah Dobson, Saar Yazdi, Paula Palermo, Leslie Winston, Tim Bos (CTO), Dave Cunningham (entrepreneur in residence), Paul Smyth (coach in residence), and Andrew Tzialli (counselor in residence).

In partnering with Alphabit Fund and Launchpool, we gained unparalleled access to the wider Alphabit ecosystem. Shane McQuillan (VP Strategy) and Laura Walsh (CEO, Gamifi) have been invaluable partners, confidantes, and close advisors throughout this process.

Our Web3 Investment Thesis, written in 2021, has become a reality with our selected startups reflecting its core principles almost to a "T". We crowdsourced insights from leaders in web3 to paint a picture of our conviction, anchored by Packy McCormick's definition of web3 – the internet owned by the builders and users, orchestrated by tokens.

Beyond just showcasing innovative projects, we aimed to make web3 accessible to a wider audience. We doubled down on founding teams whose projects enable the growth of web3 beyond crypto natives and into the broader society. Ambitious? Absolutely! But as web3 is such a massive opportunity, we set the bar high.

Now it's time for our selected startups to shine! This week, we're putting ten web3 startups in a position to achieve 2 years of work in just 13 weeks. Here they are:

  • Barterchain: A peer-to-peer barterplace where members can swap or tokenize their skills and services
  • BigFan: Reinventing sports collectibles with officially licensed NFTs that provide access to Metaverse-driven fan experiences
  • CrowdClass: A web3 protocol for online teachers to better monetize their courses and reward student engagement
  • Eczodex: The next generation of financial products powered by tokenised data assets for institutions and individuals
  • LiveDuel: DeFi-powered digital sports markets and live fan engagement
  • MegaFans: Mobile esports platform bridging web2 to web3 for gamers and enabling game developers to increase their player lifetime value
  • Securo Finance: A secured, compliant, and easy-to-use DeFi platform for crypto investors
  • Staxe: Enabling music and creative productions' economies in web3
  • Vyper Protocol: Risk management for DeFi applications on Solana
  • Your Diamonds: Enabling the diamond industry to solve old-world problems through digital technologies and web3

You can listen to all of the founding teams introduce themselves on this week's episode of the MoneyNeverSleeps podcast.

With our kickoff now behind us, including our April 5th launch party at our HQ at Huckletree D2 in Dublin, it's time to rock and roll! See you at Demo Day in Dublin on June 30th!

About Techstars

The Techstars worldwide network helps entrepreneurs succeed. Founded in 2006, Techstars began with three simple ideas – entrepreneurs create a better future for everyone, collaboration drives innovation, and great ideas can come from anywhere. Now we are on a mission to enable every person on the planet to contribute to, and benefit from, the success of entrepreneurs. In addition to operating accelerator programs and venture capital funds, we do this by connecting startups, investors, corporations, and cities to help build thriving startup communities. Techstars has invested in more than 2,500 companies with a combined market cap of more than $200B. www.techstars.com

About Alphabit

One of the first regulated crypto asset funds, Alphabit has forged a reputation for investing in companies at the cutting edge of the blockchain revolution. Alphabit believes, supports, and invests in the decentralised economy of the future, with a generous portfolio of startups, protocols, and DeFi solutions that address an alternative to the traditional financial systems. www.alphabit.fund

About Launchpool

LaunchPool is a regulatory compliant initiative which was started in 2020, by the Alphabit Digital Currency Fund with the aim of providing fair guaranteed access to early stages of project raises to the retail community. With the ethos “Egalitarian Investment”, Launchpool counts over 35,000 investors across the world who believe in the idea of being your own VC, while supporting the startups ecosystem with a minimum viable community, resources, access to funding opportunities, and enabling partnerships across the blockchain ecosystem. www.launchpool.xyz