London - 02 February 2021 - Algorand Europe Accelerator announced today that it has launched its accelerator program for blockchain startups with the introduction of eleven high-growth startups. Powered by Algorand Foundation and global blockchain funds, Eterna Capital and Borderless Capital, the program will drive long-term adoption and growth of the Algorand ecosystem and accelerate the trajectory of startups creating valuable solutions spanning Payment, Lending, Infrastructure, IoT and Network-driven Platforms.
Massimo Morini, Chief Economist at The Algorand Foundation, commented, "Following the success of our Asia Accelerator Program, I’m excited about the launch of the Algorand Europe Accelerator. Europe is crucial for Algorand’s growth, and London is an important startup hub and a crucial financial center.”
The 12-week accelerator program, which starts on 1st February 2021 and runs until late April 2021, features the following eleven startups:
Payment:
- ZTLment, a payments infrastructure solution that helps SMEs streamline and overcome barriers related to cross-border trade;
- Payscript, a payment orchestration framework simplifying digital payment acceptance and crypto spending to remove barriers to crypto adoption;
- Smart-Chain, a research and innovation center that develops 360° projects around blockchain technology including facilitating traceability, security and transparency of charity donations;
Lending:
- Blockchain Italia, a software house aiming to develop the DeFi ecosystem by creating lending protocol on Algorand;
Infrastructure:
- STOKR, a primary issuance marketplace for security tokens, tokenizes alternative investment assets and traditional financial assets on the Algorand platform;
- Blockswap Network, is bringing Universal Basic Savings to Proof of Stake networks, providing a financial fallback for everyday users;
- Ockams, building a cross-chain NFT publishing platform to showcase the features that a developer can build into their NFT and highlight the differences between the platforms to which the user is publishing their NFT;
Network-Driven Platforms:
- Cortex, an integrated Crypto mobile app facilitating interaction, information flow and transactions on a single Platform;
- Kontinuous, a blockchain asset manager built on Algorand, Kontinuous helps established UK brands continuously raise capital from their community via an ‘Invest Now’ button on their website;
- ArtSquare.io, a fine Art & Collectibles tokenization platform relying on the Blockchain to allow users to buy and trade art like stocks on the financial market;
IoT:
- NetObjex, a Data Marketplace Platform for Smart Cities and Connected Enterprises that enables tracking, tracing and monitoring of digital assets through the use of IoT, AI and Blockchain technologies;
“We’ve been very impressed with the interest from projects and the quality of the 200 applications received, and even more so with the eleven projects selected to join the program. Algorand technology enables frictionless finance and each project in this cohort has something innovative and incredible to catalyze Finance 3.0 integration in our day-to-day lives.” Nassim Olive, Partner at Eterna Capital, added.
“We are very excited for the launch of Algorand Europe Accelerator as a continuation of our prior experience in the Algorand Asia Accelerator. We are impressed by the quality of teams and startups joining the program and with the hundreds of applications we have received. We can’t wait to see the amazing products and services these high caliber entrepreneurs will build on top of the Algorand tech,” David Garcia, Managing Partner at Borderless Capital, added.
As part of the Algorand Europe Accelerator program, selected projects will receive €15,000 in seed funding from Borderless Capital, end-to-end support across the spectrum of strategy formulation, go-to-market execution, and subject matter guidance across technological mentorship, token economics, marketing and fundraising. Notable mentors include senior team members from IBM, BBVA, Generali, Coinbase, Securitize, Winklevoss Capital, MarketAcross and Playground Global. Participants of Algorand Europe Accelerator’s 2020 pilot cohort included STASIS, PlanetWatch, Stonize, and Monerium.
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About The Algorand Foundation
The Algorand Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that has a vision of a borderless, frictionless economy built on public, decentralized blockchain technology. The Foundation envisions a wide breadth of applications being built on the Algorand protocol by a new, broader community of blockchain and mainstream developers. The Foundation is committed to facilitating this innovation in a sustainable and eco-friendly manner. For more information, visit https://algorand.foundation.
About Borderless Capital
Borderless Capital is a modern financial institution investing capital and co-building financial products that accelerate access, bootstrap adoption, and create value globally through the Algorand Borderless Economy. We do not stop with just investment. We also provide guidance and mentorship to grow our portfolio companies into successful and category leading businesses. As a thought leader in blockchain with deep expertise in the Algorand ecosystem, we advise our portfolio companies on go-to-market strategies to effectively build their network effect. In short, we leverage the synergy of our portfolio, partner network, and domain expertise to create value for everyone. For more information, visit https://www.borderlesscapital.io.
About Eterna Capital
Eterna Capital is a London-based investment company focused on blockchain technology. Eterna Capital supports entrepreneurs that envision bold innovative ideas, and have the plan in place to make them happen. Eterna Capital is committed to help them reach their ambitious goals by providing unique insights and support. For more information, visit www.eternacapital.com.
