DFINITY Foundation Launches Quarter-Billion Dollar Developer Ecosystem Program for the Internet Computer
- The Internet Computer Developer Ecosystem Program is now open and accepting applications at dfinity.org/grants
- The CHF 200 million Internet Computer Developer Ecosystem Program focuses on developer grants, accelerator programs, etc, as well as complements the $14.5 million Beacon Fund — led by Polychain Capital, which is actively investing in crypto startups building on the Internet Computer
- DFINITY Foundation already published the Internet Computer Interface Specification and source code — necessary for entrepreneurs and developers to start building crypto startups
- Adding to the enormous momentum of elite entrepreneurs already building open internet services, DeFi and pan-industry platforms on the Internet Computer
The DFINITY Foundation has today announced the Internet Computer Developer Ecosystem Program to support building on the Internet Computer. A total of CHF 200 million is waiting to be deployed to crypto entrepreneurs and developer teams. The program is now open and accepting applications at dfinity.org/grants.
The Internet Computer launched on May 10, 2021. Coupled with the recent release of the Internet Computer Interface Specification and source code, entrepreneurs and developers have already started building crypto startups on the Internet Computer.
Dominic Williams, Founder and Chief Scientist of the DFINITY Foundation, says: “The Internet Computer redefines public blockchain as a platform that can now run smart contracts at web speed, that can serve web directly to users, that can increase its capacity with demand as needed, that is efficient, that governs itself, and that can provide better usability than those systems built on traditional technology. Our aim is to support the reimagination of all systems and services in new forms using smart contracts on an infinite public blockchain, and nothing else. What the world now builds to take advantage of blockchain’s new capabilities shall be an important and fascinating next chapter.”
This CHF 200 million Internet Computer Developer Ecosystem Program compliments the Beacon Fund, a dedicated venture fund supporting entrepreneurs building the future of hyper-scale software and open internet services on the Internet Computer. Announced in September 2020, Beacon is a $14.5M fund led by Polychain Capital and supported by Andreessen Horowitz and the DFINITY Foundation. Applications to Beacon can be made at dfinity.org/ecosystem/fund.
Olaf Carlson-Wee, Founder and CEO of Polychain Capital, says: “Getting in early and trying to capture market share in the network is empirical. I think it is one of the most reliable ways to build a multi-hundred-million or billion-dollar business, both inside and outside the larger blockchain and crypto ecosystem. What I am excited to fund is a service or product that is native to the new system rather than what feels like a porting of an application from Web 2 to Web 3.”
The Internet Computer is already producing applications from ahead-of-the-curve entrepreneurs and developer teams.
Recent developments include:
- OpenChat is the world’s first tokenized, decentralized encrypted messaging service capable of scaling to millions of users. On May 21, 2021, OpenChat launched an alpha prototype to 10,000 users, quickly becoming one of the most trafficked dapps running on a public blockchain.
- DSCVR, a tokenized, open version of Reddit, was built completely on-chain within the first week of the network going live.
- Fleek, an open internet web and app hosting startup, is enabling 11,000 traditional and blockchain-based websites to run on the Internet Computer’s public network . Fleek migrated to run on the Internet Computer from legacy blockchain solutions such as IPFS, Textile, Filecoin, and Ethereum.
- Capsule, a decentralized social media platform, raised $1.5M in seed funding led by the Beacon Fund.
- ORIGYN is launching a pan-industry platform built on the Internet Computer. Starting with the luxury watch industry, ORIGYN identifies and exposes counterfeits to stop brand dilution and erosion from fake products.
