At Plug and Play, we have been backing crypto since 2013.
From 2013 to 2016, we were among the "OGs" for hosting weekly Silicon Valley Bitcoin Meetups at our office.
In 2013, Plug and Play unveiled the world's first global Bitcoin Startup Incubator, when BTC was trading at approximately US$400.
In 2014, we hosted the world's first ever Bitcoin Job Fair with Coinality in Sunnyvale, California, for 350+ Bitcoin job seekers and 20+ companies.
In 2021, we are ranked by Pitchbook as one of the top investors in blockchain and crypto by volume, with 100+ blockchain and crypto startups in our portfolio, including a few unicorns such as Stellar and Blockdaemon.
In 2022, we are soft launching the Plug and Play Global Crypto & Web3 vertical, which will be the first global corporate innovation platform targeted at Web2-Web3 collaboration.
As the world’s largest corporate innovation platform and one of the most active early stage investors, Plug and Play has been working with close to 600 corporate partners for over a decade on their most important innovation initiatives, from Mobility to Sustainability, from Fintech to Healthtech.
Across our 40+ offices globally, we work closely with corporate partners across 20+ verticals, including 150+ Financial Institutions, 50+ Brands and Retailers, 60+ Travel Corporates and more, who possess great potential to tap into the benefits of Web3.
Our corporate partners from various verticals have tapped into the Crypto and Web3 space - this includes our Financial Services corporate partners such as Visa, USAA, StateFarm who have been testing out the more well-known use cases of blockchain and crypto, including payment, remittance and claim settlements. Additionally, our Brand & Retail corporate partners like P&G, Coca Cola, and L'Oréal are tapping into the potential of metaverses, and our Travel corporate partners Marriott and Singapore Airlines are looking into NFTs and loyalty digital wallets as modes of payments at retail partners. Our corporate partner Meta has also announced a series of initiatives from Libra, to Diem, to Horizon Worlds. Some of our conglomerate corporate partners such as CP Group and Sinar Mas have also shown interest in launching projects in this space.
Having witnessed crypto developments from its nascent days, we are excited to support the community by developing the narrative further through facilitating Web2-Web3 collaborations.
Web2 and Web3 have a long way to go in terms of effectively working together, but their combined efforts will not only greatly reinvent the financial and tech industries, but also bring a paradigm shift in the fundamentals of the digital economy.
Web2 and Web3 collaboration will also help to drive the mass adoption of cryptocurrency, and help traditional corporates and internet companies to differentiate themselves.
Plug and Play Crypto aims to connect key stakeholders in the Crypto and Web3 ecosystem to accelerate innovation and to revolutionise the crypto industry. Our accelerator programs, network access and community events bring different stakeholders together to be part of the Web3 revolution
During the Plug and Play Crypto & Web3 Soft Launch Party, Kent Lin, Plug and Play Crypto & Web3 Lead, shared, “Today, we’re excited to announce that we’re going to launch our Global Crypto & Web3 Accelerator. We’re also planning to BUIDL a brand new Global Crypto & Web3 Accelerator Program, with an initial focus on web2-web3 collaborations.”
“Building on our strong base of 600 Web2 corporate partners, ranging from Financial Institutions, Brands and Retailers, to Travel, Gaming and Sports, our Crypto & Web3 Accelerator welcomes crypto exchanges, L1 / L2 chains, crypto funds, asset managers, and various Dapps BUIDLers to join our innovation platform,” Kent added. “On top of that, we also have a strong network of investors across five types of crypto investors, namely: crypto native funds (eg. Multicoin Capital, Pantera Capital, DeFiance Capital), exchange’s venture arms (eg. Binance Labs, Crypto.com Capital), L1 / L2 ecosystem funds (eg. Polygon Investment, Avalanche Ventures), quant traders and market makers (eg. QCP Capital, GSR) and Web2-go-Web3 funds (eg. Sequoia, Lightspeed).”
During the Plug and Play Crypto & Web3 Soft Launch Party, Kent hosted a panel discussion on Web2-Web3 collaborations. As part of the panel discussion, Chia Hock Lai, Co-Chairman of Blockchain Association Singapore, shared, “To grow the ecosystem, we need access to talent, access to market and access to capital. Accelerator programs run by Plug and Play can play a very big role.”
Alex Kim, CEO of Upbit APAC, added, “Plug and Play is a “Surviving Opportunity”. Business models, how long they will be able to stay relevant, are getting shorter and shorter. Providing a bridge or connectivity to new technology or ecosystem will be very helpful for establishing businesses.”
Kent concluded, “Whether you are a Web2 corporate or a Web3 ecosystem BUIDLer, we always have something to suit your needs. If the above sounds like you, you are welcome to reach out to us. We look forward to having you in our innovation network.”
The video recording from our Plug and Play Crypto & Web3 Soft Launch Party can be found here.
About Plug and Play
Plug and Play is a global innovation platform. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we have built accelerator programs, corporate innovation services, and an in-house VC to make technological advancement progress faster than ever before. Since inception in 2006, our programs have expanded worldwide to include a presence in over 30 locations globally giving startups the necessary resources to succeed in Silicon Valley and beyond. With over 30,000 startups and 400 official corporate partners, we have created the ultimate startup ecosystem in many industries. Companies in our community have raised over $9 billion in funding, with successful portfolio exits including Danger, Rappi, Dropbox, Lending Club and PayPal.
For more information, reach out to us here!
