Blockchain
15 Blockchain & Bitcoin-Focused Startup Incubators Bringing Together Cryptography, software, and Technology
by 
Elena Mesropyan · May 17, 2017
MEDICIGlobal Head of Content
As the blockchain-focused community of entrepreneurs expands worldwide, so does the ecosystem aimed to support and nurture top-performing solutions. Being FinTech-focused is not enough – experienced professionals are branching out to blockchain-focused entities, incubating and accelerating development and deployment of DLT-based solutions across industries.
Adel is a global cryptocurrency community that is self-regulated, self-sustained, and offers its own economic ecosystem with the Adelphoi token. Its community focuses on creating, developing, and implementing use cases involving blockchain technology that covers a wide range of digital and physical industries. Projects are chosen by the community and successful ventures are either reinvested in for further growth or issued as rewards to Adel’s stakeholders.
In this ecosystem, the Adel Board will act as an advisor by providing guidance to its community. Leadership is appointed to utilize the highest level of expertise, integrity, and due diligence.
Bank of England FinTech Accelerator
Bank of England FinTech Accelerator works in partnership with firms working with new technology to explore how FinTech innovations could be used in central banking. The Bank of England’s work on distributed ledger technologies and machine learning has highlighted areas for further exploration, so the bank is particularly keen to advance its understanding of quantitative and qualitative machine learning solutions and to conduct a more detailed exploration of privacy in distributed ledger networks.
The Bank of England is looking for firms to join it in working on a time-limited PoC in the following areas: big data analytics, privacy in distributed ledger systems, and XBRL data storage.
BitHub by Space Kenya Networks
BitHub.Africa is a commercial blockchain accelerator that is driving the adoption of blockchain technology and solutions across Africa. The accelerator’s focus is developing innovative and relevant solutions using blockchain technology.
BitHub provides analytical, development, maintenance and support services for organizations interested in deploying blockchain solutions. BitHub also trains and hosts blockchain developers at our hub in Nairobi creating the best pool of expertise in this area across the African continent.
Block Chain Space is a focused startup accelerator for talented visionaries creating disruptive solutions to real-world problems using blockchain technology.
Block Chain Space is a connected environment conducive to creativity and collaboration, combining mentoring and coaching sessions from industry experts. Staying true to the global, ubiquitous reach of blockchain technology, Block Chain Space developed a multi-location 12-week acceleration program to help its participants benefit from the technology’s disruptive potential.
In June 2016, New America, the Bitfury Group, and the National Democratic Institute announced the launch of the Blockchain Trust Accelerator Institute, a platform that will connect blockchain-based pilot concepts with the technologists, governments, and funders in order to deliver better governance outcomes and social impact. The Blockchain Trust Accelerator will help match promising pilot proposals with the civic expertise and technical partners needed to produce software that can be successfully scaled to address social and governance challenges.
The Blockchain Trust Accelerator initiative is managed through New America and focuses on locating, matching and supporting individuals from the technology, business, academia, governments, and philanthropy spheres to deploy pilot programs using blockchain technology.
Boost VC is an institutional fund to commit to funding blockchain companies. The fund is looking for companies that are using the technology for settlement of contracts where they can eliminate middlemen, confirmation of identity with both personal and fraud prevention, and providing transparency of information to end users. Boost VC runs two accelerator programs every year and invests up to $50k in exchange for 7% of the company.
Launched in July 2015, Chicago Bitcoin Center became the first bitcoin incubator launched at 1871, Chicago’s hub for digital startups, to serve as Chicago’s key resource and center of gravity for blockchain-based technologies. The Chicago Bitcoin Center works to foster a new wave of technological innovation on the blockchain and is dedicated to education, innovation, and development of blockchain-based technologies.
In addition to office space in the Chicago Bitcoin Center, incubator companies receive access to mentorship by leading bitcoin entrepreneurs, technologists and investors. The Chicago Bitcoin Center also provides a full suite of public relations and government affairs services to member companies.
Coin Apex is a New York-based incubator that builds products integrating cryptography, software, and technology. Coin Apex has the structure in place to bring forth value in areas from giving guidance on regulatory compliance to building out specific programming projects. The company can offer a full-scope of services from advising to implementation, and evaluates its role in projects on a case-per-case basis, keeping in mind what is best for potential clients, partners and customers.
Coinsilium is an accelerator that finances and manages the development of early-stage blockchain technology companies. It does this through its consortium of investors, industry thought leaders and executive managers. Based in London, Coinsilium’s focus is on driving innovation in FinTech and blockchain technologies, enabling businesses to take advantage of growth opportunities. Coinsilium's shares are traded on the NEX Exchange Growth Market, the primary market for unlisted securities operated by NEX Exchange, which is a Recognised Investment Exchange under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
DC Blockchain Center by 1776 and the Chamber of Digital Commerce
In September 2016, the Chamber of Digital Commerce and technology incubator 1776 have partnered to launch the DC Blockchain Center to serve as Washington, DC’s entrepreneurial resource for technology providers and governments investing and innovating in blockchain-based technologies.
The DC Blockchain Center at 1776 is the first blockchain incubator in Washington, DC. It’s focused on helping regulators and government agencies, including state, federal and international, understand the potential benefits of blockchain technology and public sector use cases, and to provide a forum for the public and private sectors to collaborate.
Digital Currency Group (DCG) builds and supports bitcoin and blockchain companies by leveraging its expertise, network, and access to capital. Based in New York City, DCG has been an active seed investor in the digital currency industry with over 70 investments in 20 countries.
Distributed Vision is a business incubator and advisor. From landscape analysis to proof-of-concept development, the company facilitates business and technology workshops, training and presentations. The central thread running through all interactions is the startup in the context of disruptive technology. Distributed Vision helps with technical and non-technical understanding, sandboxing and incubation.
The organization guides entrepreneurs through key decisions: does the business go for a distributed database versus a blockchain, a public or a private blockchain, an off-the-shelf protocol or a self-build and more.
Outlier Ventures co-develops blockchain startups with entrepreneurs, corporate venturing partners, consortia, and accelerators because the company believes blockchains are about networks, not platforms. Outlier Ventures is actively building an ecosystem of partnerships to rapidly innovate and scale well-funded startups with great teams of seasoned professionals.
Outlier Ventures Ltd is the research and commercial arm to the venture platform which tracks over 30 blockchain use cases at any one time on behalf of Outlier Capital LLP. It serves as an incubator and accelerator engaging venture partners including entrepreneurs, startups, and corporate partners to qualify problem-solution fit, build product market fit and scale companies.
Satoshi Studios is an incubator for blockchain startups in Southeast Asia. All the selected companies move to New Delhi, India, for a three-month intensive program (April 2017–June 2017) where they’ll get access to awesome mentorship, hands-on sessions with blockchain experts, a great office space, and a great living space where they’ll work with other blockchain enthusiasts from Southeast Asia. The incubator invests $50K in exchange for 8%–15% of equity.
ZhongAn, China’s online insurance giant, launched ZhongAn Technology, an incubator aimed to explore technology innovation to ZhongAn and its external partners through its “ABCD” plan, focusing on four main areas: artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing, and data-driven tech. ZhongAn Technology will roll out its services on a blockchain cloud platform Anlink.
ZhongAn Technology, together with more than 20 business partners from various sectors have established Shanghai Blockchain Enterprise Development Alliance, the first industry-driven blockchain-focused body in China to promote the development and business applications of blockchain technology.
ZhongAn Technology has adopted the technology of Ethereum, the blockchain-based decentralized network, in its platform and partnered with Fudan University School of Computer Sciences and Technology to set up a “blockchain and information security laboratory.” This is the first joint laboratory between a university and a company focusing on blockchain technology in China.
