As an active member of the Celo ecosystem from the early days, we have been privileged to collaborate with many of the greatest products and founding teams in Web3, ranging from p2p marketplaces to DeFi protocols to NFTs.
Today we are excited to announce that we’ll be turbo-charging those efforts with a new program called bld.ai Web3 Studio, which we hope can accelerate 1,000s of amazing new products to launch and make an impact in the world. The first cohort, with up to 20 participating startups will be launching this month.
Web3 Studio Details
- Typically four months in length, rolling admissions through December 2022.
- bld.ai provides a dedicated team (product manager, designers, engineers) to work alongside founder(s), in return for common stock equity / token grant (YC SAFE with 1M cap).
- Access to mentor network from the Celo ecosystem.
Requirements
- The organization is set up / incorporated.
- At least one full-time founder.
- Building on Celo.
Let’s build world-class products together - all you need to bring is your idea and passion to make change in the world. Join us and together we can create a financial system that creates conditions for prosperity for everyone.
Apply NowAbout Us
bld.ai is a rapidly growing design and development team with over 100 engineers, designers, and product managers. We work with amazing organizations, from stealth startups to global multinationals.
You can learn more here: https://www.bld.ai/
Celo is a carbon-negative, open-source, EVM-compatible L1 blockchain optimized for mobile with a rich ecosystem of decentralized finance (DeFi) applications and a goal to make Web3 apps and digital assets easily accessible to everyone with a phone.
Learn more at https://celo.org/ and https://docs.celo.org/
FAQs
Will Web3 Studio take tokens/equity out of my startup?
Yes! We want to be fully aligned with you. Depending on your needs and stage bld.ai Web3 Studio will take a small common stock and/or token grant.
What does bld.ai get out of this beyond small participation in my business?
bld.ai is a trusted partner of many organizations in the Celo ecosystem and also of many clients globally. We get to be part of your success story and help you get to market faster whilst ensuring high quality and resilient products are deployed to your users. Web3 Studio is partly funded by the Celo Foundation.
How does this compare to other incubators (e.g., Y‑Combinator)?
We are generally seen as a complement to existing incubators and/or aim to help at the earliest stage ahead of joining accelerator programs. Unlike other programs, we are hands-on from crafting your designs in Figma to coding your smart contracts in Solidity.
I’m building a Web3 DeFi startup but not on Celo, do I still qualify?
No, sorry. bld.ai is still available as a design studio and development shop, but for now, we want to keep Web3 Studio focused and for Celo projects only, to maximize synergies and collaboration.
What have you built before?
Our blockchain portfolio includes mobile wallets, web tools for payment, disbursements, tracking, NFT platforms, and many more.