Applications are now open for this pre-accelerator program for early-stage web3 and blockchain founders beginning in October 2025. Visit our program page here.

NEW YORK, June 23, 2025 - Techstars, a pre-seed investor backing startups building a better future for everyone, and the Cardano Foundation have launched the Techstars + Cardano Founder Catalyst program, a ten-week, pre-accelerator for early-stage web3 founders building startups in the Cardano ecosystem.

The program will select 15-20 companies, providing access to Techstars’ fundamental startup education on customer discovery, product market fit, pitch coaching, introduction to venture, and other critical business concepts. Founders in the program will gain access to Techstars Founder Catalyst mentors with expertise in sales, marketing, business development, operations, fintech, web3, and venture capital, while working collaboratively with fellow founders.

Techstars + Cardano Founder Catalyst will run from October through December 2025, culminating in a final pitch showcase where founders will present their startups.

Who Should Apply

The program is seeking founders building:

• Web3/blockchain/crypto companies on the Cardano blockchain

• Cross-chain compatible or chain-agnostic solutions relevant to Cardano

• Companies driving advancement and adoption for the Cardano ecosystem

“Something powerful can happen when leaders from different areas of expertise work together for advancement in innovation,” shared Audra Gibson, Startup Communities Program Lead for Techstars. “Techstars is a trusted leader in the acceleration and support of founders, while Cardano is a top-ten leader in the blockchain space. I’m excited to see how this collaborative effort between Techstars, the Cardano Foundation, and Project Catalyst will cultivate the next generation of founders in this area of emerging technology.”

The Techstars + Cardano Founder Catalyst program will be delivered in a part-time and virtual format, encouraging the global nature of web3 and blockchain. The Cardano community of founders is building all over the world in places like Tokyo, Nairobi, New York, Chennai, Sydney, Boston, Dubai, Austin, and San Francisco. Techstars began with three simple ideas: entrepreneurs create a better future for everyone, collaboration drives innovation, and great ideas can come from anywhere. In that spirit, early-stage founders across the world are encouraged to apply for the program.

Applications are now open until August 15, 2025. For more information on the Techstars + Cardano Founder Catalyst program, please visit our program information page.

About Techstars

Techstars helps founders succeed. Through our global accelerators, we invest in early-stage startups led by founders building a better future for everyone. We leverage our vast network of alumni, mentors, partners and investors to support entrepreneurs and build thriving startup communities. Since 2006, we have invested in industry-defining companies including Chainalysis, Zipline, DataRobot, Alloy and many, many more. www.techstars.com

About the Cardano Foundation

The Cardano Foundation is an independent, Swiss-based not-for-profit organization tasked with advancing Cardano as a public digital infrastructure across a wide range of industries. In order to achieve economic escape velocity for Cardano, on-chain activities must include a balanced mix of legacy and blockchain-native use cases. Scaling the diversity, quality, and quantity of activities on Cardano is therefore core to the Foundation’s mission. This goal faces a number of hurdles, from the cost and complexity of implementation and ownership to lack of comfort with blockchain. The Cardano Foundation addresses such gaps with targeted initiatives on operational resilience, education, and adoption. www.cardanofoundation.org

Media Contact for Techstars:

Amalia Lytle, Director of Corporate Communications amalia.lytle@techstars.com

Media Contact for the Cardano Foundation:

Renagh Mooney, Global Communications Director renagh.mooney@cardanofoundation.org

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