​TON's first Asia-focused Accelerator Program welcomes 12 projects

In November 2023, TON Foundation partnered with Future3 Campus, powered by Wanxiang Blockchain Labs and HashKey Capital, to launch its first Acceleration Program in Asia. This initiative aims to introduce builders to Telegram's TON-based Web3 ecosystem and boost Mini App development. Read more here.

From nearly 200 applications, 12 projects have been chosen for a 10-week curriculum focused on product development on TON Blockchain, compliant Web3 applications, go-to-market strategies, leveraging @Wallet in Telegram, and more. They will gain insights from industry experts and mentorship from leaders such as Dr. Xiao, Chairman & CEO of HashKey Group, Deng Chao, President & CEO of Hashkey Capital, and Dr. Zou, Chief Economist at HashKey Group.

Meet the selected teams:

▪️ Tradoor: A next-generation decentralized platform for trading derivatives, leveraging TON's scalability for an enhanced user experience.
▪️ NFBT Ticketing: A TON-based Telegram Mini App enabling movie theaters to sell tickets directly to users with TON wallets.
▪️ WowFish: The first social fishing TON-based game on Telegram.
▪️ Xircus: A pioneering no-code platform for building, deploying, and managing cross-chain dApps and Mini Apps on Telegram.
▪️ Bounty Bay: A​​ TON-native social commerce platform designed for creators and brands to distribute products effectively.
▪️ BOOM UP: A dynamic GameFi Mini App, offering a blend of social engagement and reward opportunities through building, defending, and enhancing personalized towers with NFT buffs built on TON.
▪️ Anome: An issuance and lending protocol for value-based, fully on-chain gaming NFT assets.
▪️ Telemetree: The first tailored analytics service for TON-based Telegram Mini Apps.
▪️ TonStash: Simplifies micro-investing using spare change to engage users with DeFi.
▪️ HypeSaints: An NFT-gated mobile playing console.
▪️ DaoBot: A decentralized community management bot on Telegram.
▪️ TonsofFriends: A dynamic directory where users can effortlessly buy and sell access to premium Telegram communities, streamlining group discovery in an enjoyable and rewarding manner.

At the end of the program, projects will showcase their products to industry leaders and investors at the 2024 Hong Kong Web3 Festival Demo Day. Top-performing teams may receive up to $500,000 in funding from the Future3 Campus Eco Fund.

For more information, read this blog post.

TON Accelerator Program

Since its inception in early 2023, the TON Accelerator Program has been at the forefront of empowering entrepreneurs to seamlessly integrate into the TON-based Web3 ecosystem in Telegram. Its mission is to provide a frictionless path for Web3 builders, enabling them to develop TON-based products that reach Telegram's 800 million monthly active users.

To date, three successful acceleration cohorts have supported a total of 20 innovative projects. This includes a notable collaboration with Future3 Campus, powered by Wanxiang Blockchain Labs and HashKey Capital. The upcoming cohort, scheduled to begin in late February, will be conducted online.

Why join the TON Acceleration Program?

▪️ 10-week curriculum: Delivered by TON Foundation and featuring experts from the @Wallet team, @community_bot platform, TonTech team, Telegram, and more.
▪️ Focused modules: Topics include “Best Practices for Go-to-Market in Telegram,” “Developing on TON,” and “Advanced Telegram Mini App Strategy.”
▪️ Exclusive marketing tools: Access to Telegram ads and campaigns through the @community_bot.
▪️ Support from the TonTech team to ensure seamless integration and robust project audits.

Funding opportunities

Top projects may secure funding from a $2,000,000 pool provided by TON Ventures, along with additional investment opportunities from TON Foundation’s network.

To apply, fill out this form before February 25, 2024. For more details, visit this page and join this channel to stay updated with the latest developments.

​Introducing Early - Web3 growth hacking on TON

In the rapidly evolving TON Ecosystem, Early emerges as a beacon of innovation. It’s a growth hacking platform developed through a collaboration between the TON Foundation Accelerator and Open Builders, designed to propel early-stage Web3 projects from concept to reality. Early aims to become the go-to-market strategy for projects on TON, fostering sustainable growth and community-driven success.

Why Early?
Early leverages the @community_bot’s infrastructure to connect new TON projects with an audience of over 7.5 million users of the @community_bot platform. Its mission is to facilitate project launches and attract early users through incentives, setting it apart as a unique growth hacking tool.

The solution to Web3's challenges
Launching a Web3 project comes with its set of hurdles: lack of resources, audience, and strategic guidance. Early addresses these issues by fostering community engagement, rewarding task completion, and ensuring a fair system of token distribution which values tangible contribution over financial input.

It's a platform where enthusiasts find projects they're passionate about supporting, and founders meet their first wave of contributors. Early's model of exchanging effort for equity introduces a new era of growth, where early adopters take no risk, investing only their time.

For more details, check out this blog post and be Early.

​TON Accelerator Participants

TL;DR: The TON Accelerator Program unveils a new cohort of 11 projects set to innovate within TON’s Web3 ecosystem in Telegram through a comprehensive 9-week curriculum.

Since its launch in early 2023, the TON Accelerator Program has been pivotal in fueling entrepreneurs to integrate into the thriving TON-based Web3 ecosystem in Telegram. Dedicated to crafting a seamless journey for Web3 innovators, the program aims to forge TON-based products that reach Telegram’s 900 million monthly active users.

From nearly 170 submissions, 11 projects were selected to partake in the intensive 9-week curriculum. Nexton, United Finance, Gatto, Maincard.io, Moons.so, MuggleLink, vSelf, Bion, EdChess, FireHeadz, and Kit 42 will delve into:

▪️ Product development: Crafting scalable Telegram MiniApps, with a spotlight on UI/UX and best practices for Telegram Mini Apps.
▪️ Go-to-market: Leveraging viral mechanics, Telegram Ads, case studies, and more.
▪️ Technical knowledge: Smart contract programming insights.
▪️ Tokenomics and listing strategies: Exchanges' listing requirements, negotiation tactics with market makers, sustainable tokenomics design, and crafting compelling pitches.
▪️ Founder sessions: Exclusive AMAs with the founders of top TON Ecosystem projects.

Exclusive benefits for participants:

▪️ Personalized mentorship from top experts and grants.
▪️ Free Telegram Ads credits, $5,000 cloud credits from AWS, Tencent Cloud, and Alibaba Cloud upon approval.
▪️ Access to the @community_bot team and Early for initial user engagement.
▪️ ​​Top projects may secure funding from a $2,000,000 pool provided by TON Ventures, along with additional investment opportunities from TON Foundation’s network.

For more details, read this blog post.

🚀 1/ Big news! ton:acc, a brand-new incubation program, has launched to support the next wave of innovative projects on the TON blockchain. Powered by TON Ventures, it’s the perfect opportunity for startups to scale their ideas.

💰 2/ ton:acc will select 5 promising projects for its inaugural cohort, offering up to $2.5 million in investment from TON Ventures. Over three months, these startups will receive hands-on support to grow from concept to reality.

📈 3/ The launch comes at a perfect time—TON's ecosystem has seen explosive growth in 2024, with TVL surging from $10M in January to $500M in August. Projects on TON can now tap into Telegram's 1B strong user base.

🌐 4/ ton:acc is all about seamless integration. The program provides expert mentorship, strategic guidance, and critical resources to help startups leverage the vast potential of Telegram’s Web3 Mini Apps platform.

🔍 5/ ton:acc also introduces a new portal, offering early-stage projects better visibility and access to resources. This platform is a game-changer, connecting emerging TON projects with investors and opportunities.

📢 6/ Applications for ton:acc’s Incubation Program are now open! Don’t miss out on the chance to be part of TON’s next big wave. Apply today and start transforming your idea into a game-changing product. Partners are welcome to reach out for potential collaboration.

For more details, visit: https://tonacc.org

Introducing TON: Acc Incubator and Portal

TON Accelerator, backed by the newly established TON Ventures, has launched TON: Acc, a $2.5M incubation program to support start-ups building on the TON blockchain.

Over the next three months, five selected projects will receive comprehensive support to grow from concept to execution, integrating seamlessly into TON’s rapidly expanding ecosystem. The TON: Acc Portal will also provide early-stage projects with enhanced visibility, access to resources, and a network of partners.

Learn more and apply here.

TON Accelerator Spotlight: Exploring Growth and Innovation in the Ecosystem 💎

Join us tomorrow and discover the programs we offer for new projects on $TON.

Set the 🔔 on!

https://x.com/ton_society/status/1834207242393919611?s=46

We just posted some of our thinking on the most value additive verticals in TON💎

Feel free to take a read, and reach out to us if you have ideas that you would like to build or simply to discuss your research or thoughts!
https://x.com/accelerator_ton/status/1834560146002891162

Telegram Mini-Apps are going to be the biggest onboarding mechanism our industry has ever seen!

Read about how TMA’s are changing the game on TON💎
https://x.com/accelerator_ton/status/1838118308127875124

Submissions to Cohort 0.1 are quickly coming to a close!

Submit your project idea before September 27th to be eligible for consideration.

Application link:
https://www.tonacc.org/programs/cohort_0.1

💎Cohort 0.1 Application Submissions have ended!

We received >800 applications, which provide a massive insight into the current state of the TON ecosystem.

Lets dive in together⬇️
https://x.com/accelerator_ton/status/1840981377820582331