NEAR Foundation, the non-profit organization that supports the continuous growth and development of the Near Protocol, has joined forces with Outlier Ventures, a global Web3 investor and accelerator, to launch the NEAR Base Camp accelerator program.
As the first dedicated accelerator program by NEAR Foundation, it aims to nurture a cohort of promising early-stage startups that focus on building sustainable Web3 solutions, ultimately facilitating the onboarding of the next billion users into the Web3 space.
Benefiting from Outlier Ventures’ extensive expertise, the program offers unparalleled access to subject matter experts and mentorship from leading industry professionals. Startups accepted into the program will receive up to $100,000 in funding, with the option to receive an additional $20,000 in service credits provided by NEAR Horizon, the NEAR Foundation’s Web3 startup support platform.
Applications for the NEAR Base Camp accelerator program will open on May 11th, and the program itself will commence in mid-July, lasting for a duration of 12 weeks.
Founders interested in participating can apply for the NEAR Base Camp accelerator program through Outlier Ventures’ website on the dedicated application page, as well as through the NEAR Horizon platform.
Selected participants of the NEAR Base Camp accelerator program will also gain access to the NEAR Horizon platform, which offers the opportunity to apply for $20,000 in credits to cover the costs of service providers in areas such as marketing, legal, back-office finance, product development, and infrastructure. NEAR Horizon facilitates interaction with a supportive community through a double-sided marketplace application built on the NEAR Blockchain Operating System.
The marketplace connects founders with individuals and organizations that can accelerate their growth, including over fifteen service providers, forty mentors, and more than three hundred backers.
Jamie Burke, the Founder and CEO of Outlier Ventures, expressed their commitment to supporting top teams that are developing products to onboard one billion people into Web3. Recognizing the importance of assisting founders and enabling business scalability, Burke enthusiastically announced the partnership with NEAR Base Camp accelerator program. With NEAR’s remarkable developer momentum and emphasis on user-friendly and seamless applications, the collaboration aims to provide founders with a distinctive experience. Outlier Ventures brings unparalleled knowledge and expertise through their team and network, further enhancing the program’s potential to support and guide founders on their entrepreneurial journey.
The NEAR Base Camp accelerator program is focused on advancing solutions for creating a more open web by introducing the next billion users through user-friendly onboarding and a simple user experience.
This program offers tailored support to exceptionally talented early-stage teams that are developing projects with practical, utility-driven applications capable of attracting Web2 users and companies. These projects also leverage Web3 technology in innovative ways to enhance the overall web experience.
NEAR blockchain is an open-source, decentralized protocol specifically designed for scalability, developer-friendliness, and the seamless support of a wide range of decentralized applications (dApps) and smart contracts.
NEAR has developed the Blockchain Operating System (BOS), which serves as a Web3 stack, integrating experiences from various aspects of the Open Web. The goal is to streamline the discovery and onboarding process for both users and developers, facilitating their interaction with the NEAR ecosystem.
Marieke Flament, the CEO of the NEAR Foundation, expressed excitement about the partnership with Outlier Ventures, a pioneering investor in the emerging crypto ecosystem and a prominent Web3 accelerator worldwide. She stated that their collaboration aims to provide comprehensive support to the most exceptional talent in the ecosystem, equipping them with the necessary resources to effectively scale their startups in a sustainable manner. Additionally, the partnership seeks to contribute to the advancement of Web3 innovation in an inclusive, diverse, and socially impactful manner, setting a progressive example for the industry.
Teams that achieve success in the NEAR Base Camp accelerator program will receive extensive support from the in-house experts of Outlier Ventures and the NEAR Ecosystem. These experts will assist them in various areas such as product roadmap development, community building, token economy and launches, fundraising and pitching, governance, and legal support. Additionally, the teams will have the opportunity to benefit from the guidance of industry-leading mentors.
Outlier Ventures, renowned as the global leading Web3 accelerator, has been running successful programs that accelerate Web3 startups since 2019. Their portfolio boasts more than 220 startups from all corners of the world. Notable alumni include DIAData, Boson Protocol, Auroboros, Fetch.AI, Ocean Protocol, and many others. Collectively, these alumni have raised over US$350 million in seed capital, demonstrating the effectiveness of Outlier Ventures’ support.
Applications for the NEAR Base Camp accelerator program will open on May 11, 2023, and the 12-week program is scheduled to begin in mid-July 2023. Founders interested in participating in the NEAR Base Camp program can find more information about Outlier Ventures’ Base Camp program and register their interest ahead of the application opening by visiting the provided link.