HomeBlog
20 Best Blockchain Accelerators and Incubators – Founders Go Here
20 Best Blockchain Accelerators and Incubators – Founders Go Here
06 Sep, 2023

At the early stage, it is important for a startup to find the needed funding and mentorship to accelerate its growth and achieve success.

This is why picking a good incubator or accelerator program is crucial not only to ensure sustainable and consistent growth but also to get access to an important network of investors and supporters.

What Is a Blockchain Technology Startup Accelerator?

A startup accelerator is a mentor-based program or organization that provides a startup with guidance, mentorship, and even resources for a specific period of time which can usually range from 2 to 3 months.

Accelerator programs culminate in a so-called "Demo Day," when the startups supported by them present their pitches to investors.

This is one of the main reasons why accelerators assist startups supported by them in preparing such pitches.

The Best Blockchain Accelerators and Incubators

NameKey FeaturesContributions
BullPerksDecentralized venture capital and multichain launchpad.Enables investing in cryptocurrency and blockchain projects on VC terms.
GBV CapitalLaunched in 2020, Cayman Islands-based.Provides funding and mentoring for seed-stage and early-stage startups.
Blockchain Founders FundInvests in early-stage startups.Provides mentoring, capital, and institutional connections.
Ethereum Classic LabsFocuses on the Ethereum Classic ecosystem.Promotes economic inclusion and social impact.
Tribe AcceleratorGlobal focus on blockchain industries.Provides mentorship and resources for stable growth.
Draper Goren HolmGlobal blockchain venture studio.Incubating and accelerating seed stage startups.
Startupbootcamp Smart City DubaiSupports projects in AI, IoT, Blockchain, etc.Provides mentorship, seed funding, and office space in Dubai.
Founders Factory AfricaPan-African company.Invests in promising ventures at early stages.
dlab Programmatic Venture CapitalProvides capital and mentoring.Focuses on Web3, blockchain, and decentralization.
Tokyo XR StartupsFocuses on early-stage Japanese projects in virtual reality.Invests from $5,000 to $15,000 in exchange for equity.
IOSG VenturesEarly-stage venture firm.Invests in Layer 1 and Layer 2 solutions, DeFi, GameFi, SocialFi.
Exnetwork CapitalInvestment fund focused on decentralization.Invests in standard and radical projects.
Open Network LabLaunched in 2010 as a seed accelerator program.Focuses on blockchain technology.
Stacks AcceleratorInvests and supports early-stage projects.Builds new use cases for Bitcoin.
Startup Growth AdvisorsGlobal tech ecosystem.Offers scientific approaches to accelerate projects.
Orevon PartnersFlagship VC fund and comprehensive ecosystem.Provides resources for ongoing viability.
Crypto SABlockchain and investment advisory firm.Offers services like fundraising, consulting, market making, etc.
Block by Block CapitalPrivate fund launched in 2017.Assists startups in blockchain and crypto technology.
DeFi Alliance Web3 AcceleratorLeading company for startup founders.Provides educational programs, lectures, mentorship.
Outliers FundLaunched in 2016.Helped many Web3 projects to raise over $100 million.

To succeed in the financial world, an owner of a budding business shall understand clearly how to pick the best incubator or accelerator. To facilitate the choice, we've compiled a comprehensive list of the best blockchain accelerators and incubators.

BullPerks

BullPerks is the world's leading decentralized venture capital and multichain launchpad. Its task is to bring together like-minded individuals to enable investing in the best cryptocurrency and blockchain projects on the same terms as VCs do and to generate significant returns for both BullPerks investors and partners.

GBV Capital

GBV Capital is a venture capital firm launched in 2020 in the Cayman Islands. The company provides funding and mentoring for seed-stage and early-stage startups and helps later-stage companies grow by providing the required resources.

Blockchain Founders Fund

Blockchain Founders Fund is a venture capital firm that provides investing for early-stage startups. The company provides promising blockchain startups with mentoring and capital and gives access to its extensive network of institutional connections to drive their success in the blockchain space.

Ethereum Classic Labs

Ethereum Classic Labs (ETC Labs) develops solutions for the Ethereum Classic ecosystem. Economic inclusion and social impact are the main highlights promoted by this accelerator program.

ETC Labs collaborates with other companies, incubators and accelerator programs to handle the challenges that the industry faces and fund research in blockchain through its extensive grant program.

Tribe Accelerator

Tribe Accelerator is an accelerator with a focus on blockchain industries all around the world. It picks the most promising startups that work on solving the major problems that blockchain technology faces and provides the required mentorship and resources to ensure their stable growth.

The Tribe Accelerator team works with the companies to enable them to benefit from the collaboration with governments, leading tech companies, and the VC network of the fund to develop their solutions and drive their mass adoption.

The company constantly works on developing its corporate and government networks to enable its portfolio companies to access unparalleled opportunities and create a pipeline to a steady capital influx for successful businesses.

Draper Goren Holm

Draper Goren Holm is a global blockchain venture studio and a fund that focuses on incubating and accelerating seed stage startups.

The accelerator program was launched Tim Draper, Joseph Holm, and Alon Goren. They are known for creating successful and managing such famous blockchain conferences as the Global DeFi Summit, the LA Blockchain Summit, and the Security Token Summit.

Now, they are focused on their next-generation fintech venture studio and fund to help promising early-stage crypto projects to find their place in the cryptocurrency industry.

Startupbootcamp Smart City Dubai

Startupbootcamp Smart City Dubai is one of the leading accelerators supporting projects in such sectors as:

Artificial intelligence

IoT and connectivity

Blockchain

Smart government

Sustainable cities and living

Smart retail industry, among others.

The company provides mentorship from the best industry experts, seed funding, office space in Dubai, and access to its extensive angel investor network and corporate partners.

Founders Factory Africa

Founders Factory Africa is a pan-African company that invests in promising ventures at the early stages of their development. The company focuses on crypto projects with innovative ideas.

Pre-seed and seed-stage startups can count on assistance with equity capital, along with catalytic capital , which means to provide the ambitious founders with additional options to pursue their success in the blockchain ecosystem.

dlab Programmatic Venture Capital

dlab provides capital and mentoring to champion startups exploring the world of Web3, blockchain, and decentralization. dlab Programmatic Venture Capital was launched in 2017 by Digital Currency Group, and since then, the company has been working on developing long-term relationships with well-known entrepreneurs.

Tokyo XR Startups

Tokyo XR Startups was established in 2015 in Toky, Japan. The accelerator focuses on early-stage Japanese projects operating in the sector of virtual reality. The company typically invests from $5,000 to $15,000 in exchange for equity in the portfolio company.

IOSG Ventures

IOSG Ventures is an early-stage venture firm that relies on community management. The company invests in Layer 1 and Layer 2 solutions, Decentralized Finance, GameFi, SocialFi, and other early-stage startups in the blockchain industry.

This Hong Kong-based venture studio is research- and tech-driven, therefore, it knows how to pick the best project working on emerging technologies that may change the world.

Exnetwork Capital

Exnetwork Capital is an investment fund focused on financing projects that power decentralization. Exnetwork Capital is a hyperconnected fund, an incubator, and an idea lab. The fund was launched in 2018, and since then, it has been a key component in the success of many early-stage projects.

The main distinguishing feature of this fund is that it invests not only in standard but also in radical projects such as those that have anonymous or distributed teams.

Open Network Lab

Open Network Lab was launched in 2010 as a seed accelerator program with the aim of incubating startups that focus on blockchain technology and can successfully compete in the evolving market. Since its launch, Open Network Lab has helped hundreds of companies build and develop their businesses and achieve success.

The accelerator offers portfolio companies mentorship, places for working online and offline, funding depending on the company's performance and situation, numerous tools and resources provided by the partner companies, and an extensive community and network of specialists and investors.

Stacks Accelerator

Stacks Ventures invests and supports early-stage projects that build new use cases for Bitcoin. The accelerator offers startups a three-month program that helps them to grow their user base and helps in fundraising.

The program culminates with a Demo day where companies can pitch to over 300 investors and venture capitalists.

Businesses in the development stage or beyond stage A can count on extensive assistance and mentorship.

Startup Growth Advisors

Startup Growth Advisors is a global tech ecosystem, a cross-sectoral innovation ecosystem that offers customized scientific approaches to accelerate projects working on improving the blockchain ecosystem.

The accelerator is about mitigating risks and maximizing the potential of each project to move the innovation forward.

Startup Growth Advisors offers custom venture and accelerator programs and resources to help early-stage companies and businesses in the development stage to find the right fellow founders, liquidity providers, and team members to ensure consistent business growth.

Orevon Partners

Orevon Partners represents a flagship VC fund and a comprehensive ecosystem that provides promising startups with all the required resources to ensure their ongoing viability.

Startups can count on the complementary skills of experienced team members. The company is comprised of two sectoral funds that work to ensure the ongoing viability of each supported startup.

Crypto SA

Crypto SA is a blockchain and investment advisory firm that facilitates blockchain and decentralized finance to grow their scale. Crypto SA offers all types of services and resources to new and developing startups such as fundraising, consulting on legal and financial compliance matters, market making, and ecosystem development, among others.

Block by Block Capital

Block by Block Capital, or BXB Capital, was launched in 2017 as a private fund to assist startups in blockchain and crypto technology and empower their growth by providing them resources needed for stable and continuous growth.

BXB Capital started with crypto arbitrage and prop trading in the Korean and American markets but since then, it has developed into a collaborative cross-border company that has diversified its portfolio across various regional and investment opportunities.

Outliers Fund

Outliers Fund was launched in 2016 by a team consisting of scientists, angel investors, and VC investors.

Since its launch, Outliers Fund has helped many Web3 projects to raise a cumulative of over $100 mln, with three startups being acquired and two going public.

The company works with the Ethereum blockchain, where it operates as a venture DAO. This accelerator is known for its elaborate investment strategies that rely on scientific research and input from its community.

DeFi Alliance Web3 Accelerator

DeFi Alliance Web3 Accelerator is a leading company for startup founders. Along with investment opportunities, the company provides educational programs, lectures, mentorship, and whatever is needed to turn an innovative idea into reality.

What Accelerators and Incubators Can Offer Early-Stage Startups in Blockchain and Crypto

By addressing their needs to accelerators and incubators, startups in blockchain and crypto can count on the following assistance.

Mentorship

Accelerators provide blockchain startups with valuable mentorship of industry experts who have extensive knowledge of blockchain technology and industry and understand the startup landscape.

Funding

Many accelerators and incubators assist early-stage blockchain startups with seed funding or by providing access to investors' networks:

Venture capital firms

Venture capital funds

Angel investors and similar.

Legal and regulatory support

Blockchain startups often have to tackle complex regulatory challenges because the blockchain industry is still new, and often, the required regulatory frameworks are absent.

A good accelerator program connects blockchain startups with experts who can assist in ensuring regulatory compliance, navigating regulatory requirements, and managing intellectual property issues.

Marketing

An accelerator program assists blockchain projects in creating an effective marketing strategy and developing a business plan. Blockchain accelerator programs also can provide resources for marketing activities and enable the project to showcase its ideas to a wider audience and potential investors.

Workspace and Infrastructure

Accelerators offer physical and virtual workspace, office amenities, and the needed technology infrastructure to create the environment needed for a startup to develop its business.

Education and Training

Educational resources, workshops, seminars, all types of training sessions are the resources that an inaugural accelerator program offers along with funding and contacts.

Why Should a Blockchain Startup Join an Accelerator or Incubator?

In the rapidly evolving world of blockchain technology, startups often face fierce competition and an array of challenges. Joining a blockchain startup incubator or one of the best web3 accelerators can provide these nascent businesses with the competitive edge they need. Here's why:

1. Access to an Extensive Network: These platforms connect startups to a broad network of top venture capital firms, potential partners, and industry leaders. This network can become instrumental when seeking investments, collaborations, or even clientele in later stages.

2. Knowledge Exchange: Being a part of a renowned accelerator or incubator facilitates knowledge exchange. Startups can learn from experts in the field, gain insights from seasoned entrepreneurs, and share experiences with peer startups, enriching their overall learning curve.

3. Comprehensive Support: Beyond just financial backing, the best web3 accelerators offer a range of support services. These can include mentorship, technical guidance, marketing strategies, and operational expertise — all tailored for the unique needs of blockchain businesses.

4. Credibility Boost: Affiliation with a reputable blockchain startup incubator or accelerator can enhance a startup's credibility in the market, making it more attractive to investors, partners, and customers alike.

5. Rapid Growth: With the concentrated resources and expertise provided by these platforms, startups often experience accelerated growth, helping them achieve milestones faster than they might have on their own.

In conclusion, for blockchain startups looking to make a mark in the industry, joining an accelerator or incubator isn't just an option; it's a strategic move that can shape their trajectory towards success

What Is an Incubator for Blockchain Startups? And What's the Difference Between an Incubator and an Accelerator?

Incubators and accelerators help businesses grow but they aren't the same. Incubators help very early-stage blockchain businesses to develop until they can sustain themselves. In other words, incubators incubate new ideas and assist business owners in converting their innovative ideas into working business models.

Accelerators help blockchain businesses grow by providing mentorship, guidance, access to a venture capital fund network, and helping them in other ways. They also provide emerging projects with financial assistance to help them kickstart their growth.

Why Should a Blockchain Startup Join an Accelerator or Incubator?

Accelerators and incubators help founders to grow their businesses and access the extensive network of top venture capital firms that can invest in a startup at a later stage, facilitate knowledge exchange between experts and startups, and provide other assistance types.

How to Choose Whether a Business Needs an Accelerator or Incubator?

While accelerators focus on scaling business development, and incubator programs focus on innovation.

Both program types became popular in such a global hub as Silicon Valley. Now, the idea spread beyond Silicon Valley and can be found all around the world.

For a startup, getting assistance from a reputable accelerator or incubator company with a proven track record of success means not only access to successful investments but valuable mentorship and guidance all along the road.

How do Accelerators and Incubators Work in the Blockchain Industry?

Accelerators and incubators that focus on blockchain technology help early stage blockchain startups to kick off their business development and receive operational support, liquidity support, mentorship, and other resources such as office space or funding.

In other words, joining a holistic incubator with a proven track record of helping startups in becoming successful companies can be instrumental to the success of blockchain business.

Would you like to start investing in the most promising crypto projects? Learn how to invest with BullPerks, the fairest and most community-oriented decentralized VC and multichain launchpad!

Disclaimer. This material should not be construed as a basis for making investment decisions or as a recommendation to participate in investment transactions. Trading digital assets may involve significant risks and can result in the loss of invested capital. Therefore, you must ensure that you fully understand the risk involved, consider your level of experience, investment objectives, and seek independent financial advice if necessary.

More articles on this topic