Venture Hub by the Cardano Foundation Pilot Announces First Cohort

Participants will receive comprehensive guidance from Cardano Foundation coaches and key ecosystem partners

With the recent launch of Venture Hub by the Cardano Foundation, we are pleased to provide details on the selection process and introduce the pilot's first cohort. Designed to expand growth within the Cardano ecosystem, Venture Hub offers tailored support across technical and business domains.

From traditional businesses to Web 3.0 innovators, these projects demonstrated potential and alignment with the Cardano Foundation’s strategic objectives. The cohort will receive personalized guidance and opportunities for enhanced exposure, supporting their growth within the Cardano community.

Diverse interest and comprehensive assessment

The Venture Hub pilot program received 46 submissions within the three-week open application window, each operating within predefined categories:

• •Web 2.0 Businesses: 3 applications from established companies leveraging blockchain to improve client services.
• •Web 3.0 Ventures: 19 applications from existing projects looking to grow and scale their solutions.
• •Web 3.0 Innovators: 24 applications from new projects launching scalable solutions on Cardano's blockchain platform.

Specific criteria guided a structured selection process, ensuring fair and comprehensive evaluation. With oversight from a Steering Committee and thorough reviews by subject matter experts, the projects were selected based on the following factors:

• •Alignment with Cardano Foundation Strategy: Assessment focused on how well each venture fit the mission and strategic priorities of the Cardano Foundation.
• •Technical and Business Viability: Evaluation examined the technical soundness and potential for long-term business success.
• •Program Impact: Consideration was given to the potential contribution of the program to each venture's growth and development.
• •Innovation and Market Potential: Assessment determined the novelty and attractiveness of each solution to customers and investors.

Extending congratulations to the first cohort

The Cardano Foundation carefully reviewed all 46 applications, advancing 18 to the interview stage for closer evaluation against outlined criteria. From those 18 projects, five were selected as finalists for the pilot program. Recognizing the diverse needs of these ventures, the program established two distinct tracks: Core and Spotlight. The Core track follows a classic accelerator model and will support three ventures, while the Spotlight track caters to two later-stage ventures primarily seeking fundraising assistance. The projects are spotlighted below:

Core Track Finalists

• •LW3: Leverages interoperable blockchains and immutable physical identifiers, like QR codes and NFC chips, to ensure secure and transparent product lifecycles.
• •Socious: Connects skilled professionals with impactful organizations, fostering a community-owned ecosystem for secure and accessible solutions.
• •Andamio: Provides tools for learning, collaboration, and decentralized governance, empowering individuals and organizations to tackle challenges and drive change.

Spotlight Track Finalists

• •zkFold: Develops tools and infrastructure for building zero-knowledge applications, enhancing privacy and security in blockchain and decentralized systems.
• •Iagon: Provides secure, scalable, and cost-efficient storage and processing solutions as a decentralized cloud computing platform.

During the program, commencing 17 March, the first cohort will delve into two modules, gaining access to finance, operations, strategy, fundraising, and pitch preparation expertise. Cardano Foundation staff will deliver the Technical module with in-house experts and coaches, while Storm Partners, Kuble, and Chainolution will provide Business module guidance, including workshops and one-on-one consulting. The program culminates in a Demo Day, where ventures will have the opportunity to showcase their projects.

As the Cardano Foundation launches this first version of the program to empower the Cardano ecosystem, we congratulate the participating ventures and look forward to its progression with great excitement. Learnings from the first cohort will help refine Venture Hub into a powerful tool for blockchain adoption.