Protocol Labs and a16z crypto have joined forces in a new program that provides tailored support for some of Web3’s most visionary founders participating in the 2023 Crypto Startup School (opens new window) (CSS), an accelerator program designed around the specific needs of Web3 startups.

“Equipping Web3 founders with the knowledge, network and capital required to enable them to succeed has long been a priority of Protocol Labs,” said Juan Benet, founder of Protocol Labs. “Our partnership with Crypto Startup School doubles down on helping builders succeed in their projects, providing them hands-on support to build products users love from the ground up.”

With more than $7.6 billion raised across four funds, the a16z crypto fund invests in Web3 companies and protocols from early seed-stage projects to fully developed networks. Protocol Labs has also been a prolific incubator and backer of leading Web3 startups, supporting hundreds of founders in raising more than $1 billion in external capital. The landmark new partnership will give a16z’s Crypto Startup School participants access to the Protocol Labs Network and resources, including:

• Privileged Engineering Support: Cohort teams are granted unrivaled access to engineering support across the PL stack, including IPFS, Filecoin, libp2p and the Filecoin Virtual Machine (FVM), to take their builds to the next level.
• Decentralized Storage Credits: Teams will benefit from best-in-class Filecoin storage by Web3.storage/ NFT.storage Pro and also receive one-year free performant retrieval of data uploaded to Filecoin from Estuary.
• Talent support: CSS participants will receive support from the PL Talent team to recruit key roles from across the Protocol Labs Network and beyond.
• PL Founders Community: Selected teams will have access to the invite-only FOUNDERS by Protocol Labs community, which offers teams access to leading mentors, investors, hiring support, partnership opportunities, founder-focused events, and more.

"We are excited to work with our close partners and friends at a16z and meaningfully contribute to Crypto Startup School. CSS is a strong forum for the best founders to create, collaborate, and get face time with the leading investors and builders in the space,” Ruben Amenyogbo of Protocol Labs. “In sharing our learnings of what it takes to launch and scale sector-leading companies, we empower builders looking to turn their vision of a resilient, open, and democratized web into reality and push humanity forward.”

The 2023 CSS cohort received more than 8,000 applicants. Twenty six startups were chosen to spend 12 weeks in Los Angeles, receiving mentorship and lectures from industry experts, founder talks, and access to a16z and Protocol Labs communities.

“Crypto Startup School provides promising Web3 startups with expert guidance and resources to overcome challenges and grow their business,” said Jeff Amico, director of a16z Crypto Startup School. “Protocol Labs shares our commitment to helping Web3 startups thrive, and we're grateful for their contributions to the founders in our CSS cohort.”

Further Reading
CSS Program (opens new window)
Sign up for CSS Program Updates (opens new window)