TZ APAC, the leading Asia-based blockchain adoption entity supporting the Tezos ecosystem, has announced the second cohort of Fortify Labs, a startup studio empowering talented builders building on Tezos or Etherlink. Fortify Labs offers a bespoke Web3 startup studio experience with small cohort sizes and high-quality, personalized support for entrepreneurs. The projects inducted into the cohort are Bluwhale, Facial DN(A+I) Network IDRX, Lilypad and Predictwise.
The inaugural 2024 cohort produced several notable success stories. Questflow achieved a 156x increase in monthly active users and 500%+ revenue growth. OCV Labs transformed from zero to five-figure revenue and 1.3k peak onchain daily active users. The close guidance provided by the Fortify Labs team has also helped startups navigate challenges and move in the right direction. akaSwap is a solid example, having pivoted from a web3 game platform to a creative Web3 activation agency. OCV Labs and akaSwap also secured Tezos Foundation funding after meeting key criteria, including growth in metrics like revenue, weekly active users, volume, and community.
This year’s selected projects will receive comprehensive support over a 7-month remote program with three in-person sessions hosted in TZ APAC’s Singapore headquarters. Each startup will have in its corner a mentor with decades of entrepreneurship experience who can provide help in areas such as go-to-market, fundraising, and strategy. The Fortify Labs team will also provide marketing support to amplify the startups’ visibility in front of a vibrant community, and technical expertise to help founders refine their product for market readiness and user adoption. Startups will also have access to partnership support which curates introductions to VCs for fundraising and advisors for growth.
Additionally, each project will receive a $10,000 grant upon milestone completion and stand to receive a potential investment of up to $200,000 more based on revenue growth, weekly active users, volume, and community engagement.
“Fortify Labs represents our commitment to roll up our sleeves and help the next generation of Web3 innovators succeed,” said David Tng, Managing Director at TZ APAC. “We’ve designed this program to provide bespoke mentorship and strategic guidance in the areas early-stage founders need most. We’re excited to see this new group of visionaries transform their ambitious ideas into sustainable, profitable businesses on Tezos and Etherlink.”
This year’s program attracted applicants from diverse sectors including decentralized personalization protocols, online esports platforms, AI rendering networks, and fully collateralized stablecoins. Following a rigorous selection process, the top teams will receive comprehensive support toward profitability.
Fortify Labs complements TZ APAC’s recent ecosystem milestones, which include Quantix Capital’s recent $1M investment partnership for Tezos gaming projects. Web3 enthusiasts will have the chance to discover Fortify Labs projects and get incentivized in the process through TZ Apex, a community rewards program designed to bolster engagement with projects built on Tezos and Etherlink.
For more information visit the Fortify Labs website.
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