codebase

Codebase by Avalanche helps transform good ideas into great web3 companies & ambitious builders into extraordinary founders.

Not a company? Join our Talent Marketplace HERE
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Inaugural Codebase by Avalanche Spring ‘24 Cohort Announced!

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Join us for Avax Startup House:  Presented by Codebase

Codebase is an accelerator program that funds and supports web3 founders as they shape the future with category-defining projects

$50K
Stipend
Per Company
$400K
Prize Pool
Demo Day
Experience
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The Codebase Experience

1
Build Your Roadmap

During our first-week onboarding-onsite, you’ll work with our team to plan your roadmap, set milestones, and deep-dive on what it will take to ensure your success in the program.

2
Develop your product

With your roadmap in hand, you’ll build your product while joining our various masterclass series on organizational development, technical development, BizOps planning, product, go-to-market, and fundraising with leading web 2.0, web3 operators and enterprises, and our internal team.

3
Find your foothold

Hitting your milestones, weekly calls with your coach and mentors, and insightful discussions with experts across the tech industry will help you establish a foothold — whether that’s refining your MVP, meeting your first customers, or building your team.

4
Pitch at Demo Day

After three months of hard work and investor feedback, you’ll pitch at Demo Day to an exclusive group of investors, operators, founders, and press for the chance to win an investment from the $400k prize pool.

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Not a company?
Join our Talent Marketplace

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Scheduled Dates

Nov
09
Pre-Registration Opens
Nov
27
Registration Opens
Feb
12
Spring ‘24 Registration Closes
Mar
18
Spring ‘24 Companies Announced & Batch Begins
MENTORS
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Meet Your Mentors

codebase Mentors
David Shein
Senior Director of Product Management, ex-Instacart, ex-Thumbtack, ex-Facebook
Stephanie Wei
Director of Finance,
Pinterest
codebase Mentors
Dan Mgbor
Co-Founder, Operations
BENQI
Christina Beltramini
Head of Growth,
Lens + Aave
codebase Mentors
Crypto Fish
Co-founder, Trader Joe
XYZ
codebase Mentors
Erwin Torreao Dassen
EVM Networks Lead,
Chorus One
codebase Mentors
Joe Conyers III
Investor / Sr. Advisor, Investor / Warburg Pincus
codebase Mentors
Rockwell Shah
Founder, Rockwell
Ventures
codebase Mentors
Song-My Tran
Product Marketing Manager, Notion
codebase Mentors
Steven Chang
Product Lead, Miro
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...and more

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Partners & Investors

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What We’re Looking For

What We’re Looking For in an Applicant

We are seeking founders with experience in the market they are building for and who have the ability to navigate ambiguity.We value your ability to scale your company, overcome obstacles, and passionately solve problems more than your background or education.

What Kind of Companies We’re Excited About

We share your belief in blockchain's potential to revolutionize business models and tap into existing industry opportunities. We seek founders dedicated to expanding blockchain use through real-world applications, asset tokenization, and web3-native solutions.

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Frequently Asked Q’s

FAQS
Logistics

What happens at Codebase and where does it take place?

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Codebase seamlessly blends in-person and virtual experiences. In the inaugural week, we orchestrate a face-to-face onboarding (location TBD) where every team collaborates with key personnel from our team to chart out a strategic roadmap, delve into startup-building masterclasses, and learn the nuances of building on Avalanche. 

After this immersive week, you'll transition to working remotely in alignment with your established roadmap. From weeks 2-11, we will facilitate twice-weekly roundtable discussions and workshops. While participation isn't required, it's strongly advised.

The final week of the program will be Demo Week, capped-off with Demo Day. During this week, we will bring in local investors and ecosystem members for advising as you prepare your pitch for Demo Day. We’ll also host social events during this week so you can maximize your time with fellow Codebase companies.

How do we choose which startups to fund?

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We utilize a robust evaluation framework encompassing 30 criteria across five pivotal domains: founder & team expertise, the novelty and necessity of the company idea, market potential, current traction, and the team's prowess of the technical architecture. Paramount in our assessment is the alignment between founder and market, the company's potential to significantly onboard web3 users, its capacity to address user challenges and how they plan on solving them, demonstrating ability of being able to do so, and building a technical architecture that is interoperable and others can build on top of/off of.

How much do you invest?

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We have a standard deal for the winner of Demo Day for every batch. Avalanche will invest $250K in two separate SAFEs: $125,000 in a post-money SAFE in return for a fixed 5% share of your company (a $2.5M cap), and another $125,000 in an uncapped SAFE with a Most Favored Nation (“MFN”) provision. The investment also includes a warrant for future tokens that you may issue.

What can I use the Codebase stipend for?

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The stipend is flexible; use it for salaries, expenses, or to extend your post-program runway. We mandate full-time commitment from participants during the program, and the stipend aids in this dedication.

What is the time commitment of Codebase?

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Participants must work full-time on their company during the program, attend in-person during on-boarding and Demo Week, and are encouraged to join our bi-weekly sessions. 

Outside these, we expect you to grow your company, engage with customers, and refine your product so that your pitch at Demo Day is as compelling as possible.

What are the dates for the next batch?

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Our batches begin every March and October, specific dates tbd.

This batch isn't a good time for me. Can I apply to the one after?

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Yes, please do. Even if you aren’t planning on applying for this batch, please join our mailing list so you can be apprised when the next pre-registration opens.

I’m actively fundraising now but the next batch doesn’t start for a long time. What should I do?

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You should join our mailing list and if you are eligible when the next batch opens up, you should apply.

What if I don’t get selected as the winner at Demo Day - do I have the chance at runner-up funding?

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Although we won't offer a dedicated fund for non-winners at Demo Day, the Avalanche team will assess all participating companies during the program. Their insights will guide decisions on funding from affiliated capital sources for other program participants.

Should I apply?

What are your high-level eligibility requirements?

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The primary requirement is that your company cannot have raised more than $500,000 in investment capital. If you have raised more than $500,000 through grants or a combination of grants and equity investments, you are eligible to apply and we will evaluate your company on a case-by-case basis.

If you have raised more than $500,000 in equity investment and believe you are a strong fit for the Avalanche ecosystem, please apply for Blizzard funding. Beyond this, every project must deploy their technology on the Avalanche blockchain and remain exclusive to it for a minimum of two years. If you are already building on another blockchain, we require that you also deploy your company on Avalanche.

I’m a solo founder, am I still eligible?

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Yes, you are eligible to apply and participate as a solo founder, however, we strongly encourage you to find a co-founder. We are also soliciting applications for our talent network for those who are interested in participating but don’t have an idea of their own — during the registration period we will facilitate connections between all applicants to support the formation of teams.

I want to help build a company but don’t have an idea of my own, how can I be involved?

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You should join our Talent Network. During the registration period we will facilitate connections between people who have applied with company ideas and those who are in the talent network.

Am I too early to apply to Codebase? Should I wait until I have more traction?

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No, you aren’t too early. Codebase is specifically designed to support the earliest stage founders. While having some level of traction will help your application, we do not require it. However, you should note that we do want to see that you have evidence that your company is solving a deeply-felt customer pain point.

We‘ve already been working on our startup for a while. Is Codebase appropriate for us?

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Yes, we love to see companies who have been building and proving themselves in the market. Our program is designed for founders at the earliest stages of their company journey but the founder support, access to partner and engineering resources, and general support from the Avalanche Foundation will be valuable to any founder, no matter how far along they are.

As long as you have not raised more than $500,000 in investment capital, please apply.

I’ve raised money at a higher valuation than is implied by the Codebase investment? Am I too far along to do Codebase? Is doing Codebase a “down-round”?

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If you’ve raised more than $500,000 in investment capital, you are not eligible to apply for Codebase. If you have raised less than that and your valuation is lower than that implied by the Codebase investment, then yes, we would be doing a down-round should you win at Demo Day.

We are confident that Codebase will benefit any founders who participate so if you believe you are a good fit, please apply.

Do you only fund startups that write software?

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All companies must have a software component that leverages the Avalanche blockchain.

Can a single person apply for funding?

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Yes, although we strongly encourage you to find a co-founder. We believe that having a co-founder is a competitive advantage, can provide valuable feedback, and help you iterate more quickly.

I have a great idea for a startup, but I‘m not technical. Will you still fund me?

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Because every company will be required to deploy on the Avalanche blockchain, it will be necessary that you have someone technical on your team. However, you should still apply, as we will be facilitating connections between applicants and our talent network during the registration period.

Can I participate in Codebase while I’m a full-time student or working full-time at a job?

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No, we require that companies accepted into the program work on it full-time.

Codebase has already funded a company that does something similar to my idea. Will that affect my chances of being accepted?

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You should apply and we will evaluate to determine if there is a good fit with the program or not.

Can we apply more than once?

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You can apply as many times as you like but are only allowed to participate once should you be accepted.

Do we need to know someone at Codebase to get in?

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No, we will not prioritize companies who have a direct connection with the program. All applicants must fill out all of the required registration applications and be interviewed in order to be accepted into the program.

If we participated in another accelerator, can we do Codebase?

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Yes, so long as you have not raised more than $500,000 in investment capital.

Do we need to incorporate before applying?

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We invest in legal entities formed in the United States, Cayman Islands, and Singapore. If you haven't established a company yet, don’t worry; upon acceptance into the program, we can connect you with legal service providers that can assist you in the incorporation process.

What if we were incorporated in a non-US jurisdiction?

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If your startup is established in a country outside of the designated three, restructuring is essential. We can facilitate connections with legal professionals to determine the optimal course of action. Typically, the initial company transitions into a subsidiary, maintaining operations in its home country. The newfound parent company assumes ownership of all intellectual property and assets associated with your startup.

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Apply For Codebase Today