First CV Labs Incubation Program Kicks Off With 12 Startups
A new milestone for the Crypto Valley as multiple international projects relocate to Zug
This week, the first edition of the CV Labs Incubation Program has started in the heart of the Crypto Valley in Zug, Switzerland. Out of 500 applications, 12 startups were selected and have relocated to Zug for the ten-week program. The blockchain projects receive up to $125k in funding, work with more than 70 experienced mentors/experts and get valuable access to the globally respected Crypto Valley ecosystem. The second edition of the CV Labs Incubation Program starts in fall 2019. Applications can be submitted here.
“With the CV Labs Incubation Program, we are leveraging Switzerland’s pole position in the blockchain industry to bring the next generation of blockchain startups to this unique ecosystem. Blockchain, AI and IoT are all heralding a paradigm shift in technology. They are designed to enable machines to communicate among themselves and to perform a wide variety of tasks in a largely automated manner. These technologies will impact our lifes deeply and place increased demands on transparency and security”, says Mathias Ruch, CEO and Founder of CV VC. And continues: “We believe blockchain will act as the catalyst tying all these technologies together.”
Smart Money: Funding combined with expert education and mentoring
CV VC invests up to $125k in seed funding into the 12 participating early stage blockchain companies in return for 10% equity. Participants in the program benefit from an extensive curriculum, education and coaching, the CV Labs network, workspace and a series of events.
The program is based on five pillars:
- Strategy & Team
- Pitch Deck & Pitch Training
- Blockchain & Tokenomics
- Agile Business Excellence
- Investor-Room Ready
The startups receive coaching on topics such as finalizing business plans, recruiting the right team, fundraising, marketing and communication strategies and much more.
The list of the over 70 mentors/experts includes some of the most renowned blockchain pioneers, crypto finance specialists, crypto lawyers and investors, such as Mona El Isa (Melonport), Lili Zhao (Neo Global), Morgan Pierce (Seba Crypto AG), Guenther Dobrauz (PwC Legal) and Sara Simeone (Digital Oracles). All mentors are dedicating time for in-person sessions, workshops and other activities with the incubatees.
Sara Simeone, CEO of Digital Oracle with 15 years’ experience in data-driven digital marketing strategies, is looking forward to her role as a mentor in the program: “Being an entrepreneur in a new emerging industry, using ever-changing technology, can be hard at times. I have been where these startups are now and know the challenges they’re facing. I’m excited to be working with them, to share my experience and ultimately see them grow and hopefully succeed.”
The participating startups
Out of over 500 applications from all around the world, 12 were selected. The program will finish on July 5th.
“Over the course of 4 months we evaluated all projects throughout up to seven stages with a final investment committee consisting of blockchain, investment and business experts. I’m amazed by the vast range of ideas across a broad range of industry verticals, strong entrepreneurial vision and dedication that we see amongst the selected startups”, says Olaf Hannemann, CIO and Co-Founder of CV VC.
- AdHash, Bulgaria. The AdHash Protocol cuts out the middlemen from the digital ad supply chain to bring efficiency, trust, and control. AdHash rebuilds the real-time bidding framework from the ground up, introducing direct ad serving and first-party data to advertisers and publishers while giving users control over their privacy and browsing experience.
- Assembl, USA. Democratizing Science — solving problems that inhibit the advancement of scientific research. Assembl is improving quality and accessibility of scientific data by interconnecting disparate data sources and positively incentivizing data interchange with simple and scalablesoftware solutions.
- Sprinter, USA. Sprinter is a decentralized platform connecting a distributed network with the solutions and resources needed to build, grow, and scale technology businesses and accelerate innovation.
- Trustsearch, Latvia. A community-based reputation and scam identification platform. We are creating a new way, how internet users will check websites, companies and people for their reputation and how people will report about bad reputation and scam. We are gathering data from around the web to check existing digital footprint of the Trustsearched object and on top of that adding crowdsourced reports and reviews from our community. Trustsearch is going to be the main tool for online companies for gathering reviews and building their reputation.
- Orvium, Estonia. Social Network for scientific collaboration, funding and publication management. Orvium aligns goals and incentives for all stakeholders in the process.
- BHander, Ukraine. Wireless, stand-alone usable multicurrency crypto wallet with payment capabilities combines both wallet and payment solutions, thereby helping to drive adoption of fast and instantly-settled crypto payments in daily life.
- Tezsure, USA. Insurance marketplace, where users can create new insurance policies & products as a group. Tezsure simplifies and aligns goals for participants in the insurance market with the use of AI and smart contracts.
- BitFreezer, Ukraine. Worry less, protect your crypto with BitFreezer. BitFreezer makes your smart phone the most secure tool out there to secure your crypto. You can turn your smart fridge into a storage device for keys.
- PocketJam, South Africa. A platform that incentivizes children to solve (math) problems to earn pocket money. It improves critical thinking, pattern recognition, and problem-solving skills, which were identified by the WEF as the most important skills for kidsto develop.
- Ptolemy, USA. Crowdsourced encyclopedia that rewards contributors. Crowdsourced encyclopedia platform based on innovative fractional page ownership with revenue share.
- Kimeo, India. A video platform where everyone gets rewarded.
- Bytes, Switzerland. Blockchain based last mile Internet connectivity. A platform that enables machines to trade internet access with one another in a distributed fashion.
With diversity comes strength
At CV VC, we believe in the power of a diverse and inclusive industry and teams. That’s why we work actively on increasing diversity in the blockchain industry. We want to create an inclusive incubation environment in which everyone can thrive, progress and grow together, while mutually benefiting of expertise from different backgrounds, gender-perspectives and cultures. Out of 70+ mentors and experts, 40% are female. Over the next year, the intention is to increase this number to around 50%. Female and international founders are encouraged to apply for the second edition of the CV Labs Incubation Program, which starts in fall 2019 (apply here).
Help us spread the word by sharing the CV Labs Incubation Program with your female and international fellow blockchain enthusiasts.
Experienced team
CV VC was founded in September 2018 by the three Lakeside Partners founders Mathias Ruch (CEO, Board Member), Marco Bumbacher (Chairman) and Ralf Glabischnig (Board Member). Co-Founder is Olaf Hannemann, a corporate finance veteran with 20 years of experience from JPMorgan, is leading the investment business. Responsible for the CV Labs Incubation Program is Pavel Jakovlev (Lead Incubation & Ecosystem), an experienced marketer and entrepreneur, who joined CV VC late 2018.
“Incubators exist all around the world. What has been missing so far, is a blockchain focused incubation program that offers much more than funding and knowledge — a direct access to the experience and expertise of blockchain and crypto pioneers, who have been the driving force of the Crypto Valley ecosystem”, says Pavel Jakovlev (Lead Incubation).
Watch the 10min interview with Pavel Jakovlev on CNN Money Switzerland.
