Backed by Newly Established TON Ventures, the program will nurture the next generation of TONbased projects
3rd September 2024, Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Today, TON Accelerator has launched TON:Acc, a brand-new incubation program for promising start-ups building on TON blockchain. The new incubation program will be powered by TON Ventures, a brand-new VC firm that was recently set up by ex-TON Foundation executives. Five projects will be selected as part of the TON: Acc incubation programme’s inaugural cohort, with TON Ventures investing up to $2.5million to accelerate their growth. Over the course of three months, these projects will receive comprehensive support to grow from concept to execution.
TON’s ecosystem has experienced unprecedented growth over the course of 2024, with developers excited to reach Telegram’s 950 million strong audience by building Web3 Mini Apps within the messenger. Since January 2024, TON’s TVL has grown from $13.5m to $566.21m (as of August 16th ). On top of this, there has been an equally impressive growth in the number of users on TON, with the number of daily active TON addresses surpassing Ethereum’s this Summer. TON: Acc aims to empower entrepreneurs to integrate their projects into TON’s growing ecosystem as seamlessly as possible.
Sophia Rusconi, Head of TON Accelerator, said “TON Blockchain’s growth so far this year has only shown a tiny percentage of Telegram’s potential as a distribution channel. Projects building on TON have an audience of 950 million ready and waiting to engage with their product. TON:Acc will help projects find a clear route to market, providing them with the funding, expertise, and support they need to become the next billion-dollar project on TON.”
As part of this initiative, TON Accelerator has also introduced the TON: Acc Portal, a new ecosystem incubation platform. This portal will offer a range of new features designed to provide early-stage projects with better access to support and visibility, while also giving investors a valuable channel to discover promising early-stage ecosystem projects. Projects will be able to apply for verification, granting them access to acceleration programs, mentorship opportunities, and our partners network, providing the essential knowledge, resources, and opportunities to help start-ups take their next steps.
Ian W, Managing Partner of TON Ventures, said “The tap-to-earn craze has opened many people’s eyes to the powerful combination of TON and the Telegram Mini Apps platform. We are deeply convinced that this is simply the first phase of TON ecosystem’s growth, and we are incredibly excited to shepherd in the next evolution of TON-based mini apps that will bring real world utility into Telegram’s Web3 ecosystem.”
Applications for the TON: Acc Incubation Program are now open.