What is Rapid Accelerator?
Rapid Accelerator is a 12-week intensive programme for early-stage blockchain infrastructure projects. We work with 8–10 teams per batch, providing seed capital, hands-on mentorship, technical support, and a direct path to institutional investors.
We run two batches per year. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis; selected teams are notified 4 weeks before the cohort begins.
Programme Dates — Batch 2026
Applications
Rolling review. Submit anytime before the deadline.
Deadline
Final day to submit for Batch 2026.
Selections
All invited teams notified by this date.
Programme
12 weeks of intensive work with the cohort.
Demo Day
Live presentations to 50+ investors.
Who Should Apply
We back projects at pre-seed to seed stage. The technology should be real — a working proof of concept, testnet deployment, or clear technical specification. We don't fund decks.
We Look For
- Teams building fundamental infrastructure: DA layers, ZK systems, sequencers, bridges, execution environments, privacy primitives
- At least one technical co-founder with deep domain expertise in the specific area you're building
- Projects that are permissionless and decentralizable — not enterprise blockchain wrappers
- Founders who can articulate why their approach is technically superior to existing alternatives
We Pass On
- Meme coins, speculative tokens, and projects whose value is entirely narrative-dependent
- Me-too L1s without genuine cryptographic differentiation
- NFT projects, GameFi, and consumer-facing apps (we back infrastructure, not applications)
- Teams with no technical co-founder, or technical work fully outsourced
What Happens During the 12 Weeks
The programme is divided into three phases. Each week has structured deliverables, but we're not running a bootcamp — the work happens in your protocol, not in our sessions.
Phase 1 — Weeks 1–4: Foundation
Technical and business architecture review. You'll meet your dedicated technical advisor for weekly architecture sessions. We audit your smart contracts, tokenomics model, and go-to-market hypothesis.
Phase 2 — Weeks 5–9: Build & Validate
Focused execution. Weekly 1-hour check-ins with your portfolio manager. Introductions to 5–10 relevant investors and ecosystem partners. Community launch planning begins. Legal structure finalised.
Phase 3 — Weeks 10–12: Launch Prep
Exchange intro calls, KOL coordination, testnet or mainnet launch support. Demo Day preparation — pitch rehearsals, investor briefing documents. Final week is Demo Day.
What You Get
- $50K–$150K in seed capital at signing, SAFE with 10% discount on next priced round
- Weekly 1-on-1 with a dedicated portfolio manager throughout the programme
- Technical partner sessions — architecture reviews, contract audits, performance analysis
- Legal setup — entity structuring, token legal opinion, regulatory advice via partner law firms
- Investor intros — warm introductions to 200+ VCs, angels, and ecosystem funds
- Exchange relationships — introductions and guidance for tier-2/tier-1 exchange listings
- Demo Day — live presentation to 50+ investors and follow-on investor briefing doc
- Alumni network — lifetime access to the Rapid portfolio network across all batches
How to Apply
Applications are submitted through our online form. We review every submission personally — no automated filters, no keyword screening.
A complete application includes a project description, technical documentation (whitepaper, spec, or GitHub), team bios, and a brief explanation of what you're specifically looking for from Rapid.
The Interview Process
- 30-minute intro call with a portfolio manager — team, vision, and fit
- 60-minute technical deep-dive with our technical partner — architecture, assumptions, tradeoffs
Teams are notified within 5 business days of each interview stage. Total time from application to decision averages 3–4 weeks.
Application Checklist
- Clear one-paragraph description of what you're building
- Technical documentation — whitepaper, spec, or detailed README
- GitHub repository (can be private — share access with team@rapid-accelerator.com)
- Team bios with LinkedIn or equivalent for each technical co-founder
- Current stage: idea / spec / testnet / mainnet
- Funding history: have you raised before? From whom?
- What you specifically need help with beyond capital
- 3-sentence explanation of why existing solutions are insufficient
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. We invest via a SAFE with a 10% discount on your next priced round, or a valuation cap negotiated at the time. We do not take advisory shares, token warrants, or any secondary instruments. What you see in the term sheet is what you get.
If you have a token, we discuss a modest allocation (typically 1–2% of total supply) at the time of investment, with standard vesting. This is negotiated transparently and documented in the investment agreement. We will never ask for token allocations retroactively or through side letters.
Hybrid. Weekly check-ins and most sessions are remote. We run two in-person weeks — one at programme start (typically in Lisbon or Dubai) and Demo Day at the end. Travel costs for these are covered by Rapid for all participating teams.
Yes. Several portfolio companies had prior angel or pre-seed funding when they applied. What matters is the stage of the technology and the team's current needs. We've worked with teams at everything from idea stage to post-testnet.
8–10 teams per batch. We're deliberately small — every team in the cohort gets real attention from the Rapid team, not a shared Notion workspace and monthly group calls.
Get in Touch
Applications: apply@rapid-accelerator.com
Partnerships: partners@rapid-accelerator.com
Mentors: mentors@rapid-accelerator.com
Press: press@rapid-accelerator.com
Legal: legal@rapid-accelerator.com
We read every email. No auto-responders, no CRMs. A human reads it within 48 hours — usually sooner.
Rapid Accelerator Ltd., Tartu mnt 84a, 10112 Tallinn, Estonia