ICPort recently became the first acceleration platform to receive a grant from the DFINITY foundation. As an accelerator, their focus is on providing growth opportunities to promising projects in the DFINITY ecosystem. Their vision is to connect investors, founders, and the larger community, and to boost DFINITY startups by providing them with access to funding and other resources.
Community is important. Every blockchain pays lip service to the concept but us ICP hodlers have a unique camaraderie. Our community has faced an uphill battle since last year’s token launch and there is a deep understanding that we are truly in it together. This is the reason we see real user activity, like NFT projects setting up base camps on DFINITY social media dapps instead of simple engagement farming on web2. WAGMI is not only a meme. We make it together, by supporting and strengthening the entire ecosystem. ICPort’s mission is to do so by taking its partners to the next levels of growth.
OrderSwap - DEX Platform
ICPort already plays a quiet but important role in the community. OrderSwap, a startup DEX platform combining features of an AMM and the traditional Order Book model, acquired their seed round funding through ICPort.
OrderSwap’s CEO Witter: “ICPort has funded our seed round and also connected us to the reputable VCs and service providers in the crypto space, which is what we needed most when our project was at an early stage.”
ICPort’s DFINITY ecological partners also include Dmail Network and IC Naming Service, among others, and they are actively looking to grow their network.
ICPort plans on becoming a hub of resources for both founders and investors. Their goals are twofold: to help projects scale, and to provide value-adding tools for investors. A full DAO-directed governance model will be used to make decisions, like how allocations of funds should be applied to a project.
What's for Investors ?
For investors, ICPort will provide a suite of products to make tracking and managing portfolio assets easier. An automated project assessment tool, an aggregated index of DFINITY projects, tiered governance NFTs, and more are being developed by the team.
Another valuable element ICPort brings to the table for startups is their broader network of investors, including reputable VC firms. ICPort plans on disclosing their list at a future date. ICPort will make it easier for projects to connect with institutional investors on their own. The ICPort’s team collectively has an impressive background in well-known tech and finance companies like PayPal, Google, VMWare, and Robinhood.
Furthermore, Grace Zhang, the co-founder of ICPort, is currently the Resources Manager at Marlabs Inc., a company that helps businesses optimize their operations by use of technology. Her experience, along with the rest of the team’s, means new projects on the Internet Computer will benefit from invaluable advice.
For now, retail investors will have to wait to get involved, though interested VCs can contact ICPort via their website. Early-stage startups and projects can also contact ICPort to inquire about joining their network as partners.
Conclusion
Though ICPort is focused on boosting DFINITY native projects, their connections aren’t limited to DFINITY alone. Their most recent announcement was a strategic partnership with DoraHacks, a global leading hacker organization. As an entity that can bridge the DFINITY ecosystem with larger players, ICPort will attract more opportunities for growth. A rising tide lifts all boats, and as ICPort grows, so will all of the proverbial ships in our ecosystem harbor.
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