Fortify Labs: The Latest Update

More than 550 enriching hours of mentorship, advisory and workshops conducted. 100 door-opening introductions made. 40 hours of resources (legal advisory, developer hours, UI/UX Consult and more) deployed. Seven game-changing projects building on Tezos or Etherlink supported. Six action-packed months. One memorable showcase at Tezos Realm during TOKEN2049 week.

The curtains were drawn on a fulfilling Fortify Labs 2024 program last month, leaving the team brimming with gratitude after taking stock of the progress made by projects in the cohort.

Armed with the experience of running our fourth startup cohort and invaluable post-program insights from the class of ‘24, our attention has turned to Fortify Labs 2025.

With the upcoming launch of initiatives such as TZ Apex: Founders Edition and Fortify Labs Rapid Fire, there are exciting opportunities for both Web3 founders and community members to understand if Fortify Labs is the right fit for them, or for another builder or founder in your network.

About Fortify Labs #

The ethos of the program will be retained: small cohort size, hands-on support and bespoke care for each project.

Each project can tap into benefits of up to a maximum of up to USD 650,000+, including essential resources, mentorship, access to an L1 ecosystem, a vibrant community of users, strategic connections and investment opportunities.

If you are a crypto native founder who understands market trends and gaps, or a mission-driven builder who aims to make a big impact on the on-chain economy, we’d love to hear from you through the Fortify Labs 2025 application form.

TZ Apex: Founders Edition #

If you’re not a founder, fret not — we’d still love for you to be involved in our application phase. TZ Apex: Founders Edition kicks off on 9 December 2024 and runs until 3 January 2025, offering exciting incentives for recommending talented builders and aspiring Web3 founders within your network.

The mechanics will remain the same—you’ll attempt quests on DMission and rack up points once the activities are completed. But for this season, we have saved the best for the last quest. There will be a form for you to fill, where you can refer high-quality startups in your network that you feel can benefit from being in Fortify Labs 2025.

In addition to planting the seeds of success for your founder friends, you will earn tez based on the progress of your referred startups according to the following tiers:

• Honoraria #1: Earn 30 tez if the referred startup is formally invited by the TZ APAC team to submit an application for Fortify Labs 2025 and the startup acknowledges the invitation.
• Honoraria #2: Earn 100 tez if the referred startup submits a complete and valid application, attends the first interview, and completes it with the TZ APAC team.
• Honoraria #3: Earn 250 tez if the referred startup progresses to the second interview and completes it with the TZ APAC team.

Remember that these quests are all about spreading the word about Fortify Labs and helping us discover promising startups, so you stand a chance to move along the tiers above if the quality of your referrals are higher. If your referral completes all three tiers, you can earn a total of 380 tez!

Referrers will be kept updated on the status of their submissions, with honoraria awarded within 7 working days after each milestone is achieved.

But that’s not all for this season. We’re also introducing a standalone leaderboard, where the top 10 participants will win tez prizes according to the following ranks:

• 1st place: 50 tez
• 2nd–3rd place: 30 tez each
• 4th–10th place: 15 tez each

There won’t be a gacha store open, but this is a great chance for you to rack up points, get a headstart and potentially score great rewards for the first season of next year.

Leaderboard prizes will be distributed within 3 working days after TZ Apex: Founders Edition concludes. Don’t miss this opportunity to make an impact while earning rewards!

By participating in TZ Apex: Founders Edition, participants agree to the terms and conditions stated here.

Fortify Labs Rapid Fire #

Curious if your pitch deck needs refinement? Wondering how to attract VCs or what kind of content works best for your project on social media?

From 13 January 2025 to 10 February 2025, Fortify Labs Rapid Fire is a free startup clinic where founders with one or two burning questions can book a free 10–15 minute consultation with the relevant subject matter experts in the Fortify Labs team.

This opportunity is open to all founders, whether you’re part of the Tezos ecosystem or beyond, regardless if you’re planning to participate in Fortify Labs or not.

Stay tuned for more updates on TZ APAC X—we can’t wait to connect with you!