We recently informed you about the formation of a new $40M TON Ventures fund focused on early-stage projects, and we're bringing another news related to this initiative. Today, TON Accelerator announced the launch of TON:Acc, a new incubation program for promising start-ups building on The Open Network.

Since January 2024, TON's TVL has grown from $13.5M to $566.21M (as of August 16). The number of users and daily active TON addresses surpassed Ethereum, and with access to Telegram's 950M monthly active users, developers reaped the benefits of building on TON. TON: Acc aims to empower entrepreneurs to integrate their projects into TON's growing ecosystem as seamlessly as possible.

In TON: Acc's inaugural cohort, TON Ventures will select five projects to receive an investment of up to $2.5 million to accelerate their growth. In the next three months, these projects will receive the support, funds, and expertise required to grow their businesses from ideas to working products.

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."

To support the program, TON Ventures also plans to launch TON: Acc Portal, a new ecosystem incubation platform. This portal will offer various features designed to provide early-stage projects with better access to support and reach while also giving investors a valuable channel to discover promising early-stage projects.

Projects can apply for verification, granting them access to acceleration programs, mentorship opportunities, and TON Venture's partners' network. Through all of this, TON Ventures aims to arm the projects with the essential knowledge, resources, and opportunities to help start-ups take their next steps.

"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 the TON ecosystem's growth, and we are incredibly excited to shepherd the next evolution of TON-based mini-apps that will bring real-world utility into Telegram's Web3 ecosystem," said Ian W, Managing Partner of TON Ventures.

Applications for the TON: Acc Incubation Program are now open. Click to apply!

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