Web3 themed accelerator delivered in London 2023 as Polygon and Techstars partner together

A new partnership has been announced which will see a Web3 theme being applied to Techstars’ London Q1 2023 accelerator programme between Polygon, the leading platform for Ethereum scaling and infrastructure development, and Techstars, a global investment business that provides access to capital, one-on-one mentorship, and customised programming for early-stage entrepreneurs.

Polygon, the leading platform for Ethereum scaling and infrastructure development, and Techstars, a global investment business that provides access to capital, one-on-one mentorship, and customised programming for early-stage entrepreneurs, have announced a partnership together that will see a Web3 theme being applied to Techstars’ London Q1 2023 accelerator programme.

Techstars London Powered by Polygon will combine the strength of the team behind one of the world’s leading blockchain protocols, with Techstars’ proven ability to connect founders to experienced mentors who match their unique needs, provide customised educational programming critical to startup growth and facilitate access to the right sources of capital for each entrepreneur.

Participating founders in the 13-week accelerator will receive personalised programmes aimed at developing their businesses, including one-to-one mentoring from industry experts and investor networking opportunities. The programme will conclude with a demonstration day where founders debut their businesses to the wider techstars community of potential investors, government and other local ecosystem experts, media and others.

The Q1 cohort will focus on ambitious startups that leverage Web3 technologies such as blockchain, crypto and NFTs, offering a unique opportunity for innovative and early stage companies, both from the UK and around the world, to grow, develop and join a supportive community of founders.

Techstars London managing director Saalim Chowdhury will oversee the programme, developing the curriculum, recruiting industry mentors, and delivering critical learning components. Chowdhury is a former start-up veteran and founder, with exits to Cisco and Toptal. He’s also invested early in several advanced technology and Web3 ventures including game focused blockchain firm Sky Mavis, who are behind Axie Infinity.

“As a founder myself and an investor who has supported innovative Web3 projects for several years, I’m incredibly excited about Techstars’s new partnership with Polygon,” Chowdhury says. “Being able to leverage their unparalleled understanding of the Web3 space from adding insight to our selection process to mentoring and advising the cohort, in addition to our proven Techstars programme, it’s an incredible opportunity to supercharge growth for firms innovating in blockchain technology. We want to give founders the most valuable support they can get, and we believe Techstars and Polygon are best placed to do just that.”

Techstars London Powered by Polygon will add to Techstars growing influence in the Web3 space, having already run successful programmes in Dublin and Seattle – with another confirmed in Boston for Q1 2023 – Techstars has over 118 Web3 businesses in its portfolio.

Arjun Krishan Kalsy, Vice-President for Growth at Polygon, added: “To deliver the promise of Web3 it’s imperative to nurture new talent and create a system to fast track ideas into implementation. This collaboration between Techstars and Polygon is a forward-thinking approach to ensure that the most promising and ambitious teams can get all the tools and support they need to be successful as we continue to expand our ecosystem and push the boundaries of innovation”

Applications to participate in the exclusive programme will open on 29 August 2022. Interested founders can discover more information about applying at: https://www.techstars.com/accelerators/london-polygon