- Aurora Labs launches NEAR-centric incubator with $250,000 in funding
- Projects are welcome to apply until May 28
Aurora Labs, an EVM ecosystem on NEAR, is launching Aurora Blocks, a six-week incubator designed to fast-track early-stage teams in building EVM-compatible Virtual Chains on NEAR. Five winners will share the $250,000 prize pool while other incubation options include technical mentorship, business advisory, and go-to-market support.
Aurora Labs launches NEAR-centric incubator with $250,000 in funding
Aurora Labs, a leading platform for EVM blockchains within NEAR Protocol, announces the launch of Aurora Blocks, a massive incubation program for early-stage startups. As the Aurora Block initiative kicks off, the startups will be backed by funding, tech mentorship, and consulting support.
In this bold attempt to support next generation of crypto startups, Aurora Labs brings together a clutch of blue-cip market players including Lemniscap, NEAR, CV VC, MarketAcross, Hacken, Cookie DAO, Peanut.Trade, AuditOne, Aleph Cloud, Cere Network, Billions Network, and Mobula.io.
The program will be focused on the most trending verticals including AI/DeFAI, DeFi, Bitcoin L2s, RWA, and DePIN, in particular – for chains that drive real adoption and showcase actual utility.
Alex Shevchenko, CEO of Aurora Labs, explains the core idea behind new program and major goals it is set to accomplish:
We’re building the future of on-chain ecosystems – one Virtual Chain at a time. This incubator is about more than funding; we’re giving teams the infrastructure, guidance, and momentum they need to launch real products, attract users, and scale. Aurora Blocks is what allows us to turn bold ideas into reality
Part of Aurora’s broader mission to launch 1,000 Virtual Chains in 2025, this incubator plays a critical role in helping founders move from concept to fully operational networks.
Projects are welcome to apply until May 28
Applications are open now through May 28, 2025, at Aurora Blocks’ official website. After an initial review, five teams will be selected to receive seed funding, premium dev tools, security audits, mentorship and legal support. The prize pool for the program totals $250,000.
The program culminates in a Demo Day on July 23, 2025, where teams will debut their Virtual Chains to investors and the broader NEAR ecosystem.
Aurora Labs is committed to setting high standards for team cohesion, user adoption, investor satisfaction and overall project viability. Aurora Blocks is designed to help teams build Virtual Chains, which are custom Ethereum-compatible blockchains on NEAR.
The incubator provides resources to launch scalable, low-cost chains and uses Aurora’s technology to create successful new projects on the market.