TZ APAC Launches the Second Cohort of Its Fortify Labs Program, Targeting Startups Building on Tezos or Etherlink

The seven-month program features small cohort sizes, personalized mentorship, and three Singapore-based offsites.

Singapore, Singapore, March 26th, 2025, Chainwire

● The seven-month program features small cohort sizes, personalized mentorship, and three Singapore-based offsites.

● Success stories from the first cohort include Questflow with 156x user growth and 500%+ revenue growth, OCV Labs that went from zero to five-figure revenue, and akaSwap, which successfully pivoted to a creative Web3 activation agency.

● The startups that are inducting into the 2025 cohort include Bluwhale, Facial DN(A+I) Network IDRX, Lilypad and Predictwise.

TZ APAC, the leading Asia-based blockchain adoption entity supporting the Tezos ecosystem, has announced the second cohort of Fortify Labs, a startup studio empowering talented builders to create and launch impactful startups on Tezos or Etherlink.

This year will see Bluwhale, Facial DN(A+I) Network IDRX, Lilypad and Predictwise benefit from the close-knit community and technical guidance offered by the Fortify Labs team. Compared to traditional accelerators, this program stands out with its small cohort sizes and high-quality, personalized support for entrepreneurs.

The inaugural 2024 cohort of Fortify Labs saw startups achieve remarkable success in a short period. After completing the program, startups went on to achieve great milestones in 2024. Questflow managed to increase its monthly active users by 156x and saw a 500%+ increase in revenue. Meanwhile, OCV Labs went from zero to five-figure revenue and 1.3k peak onchain daily active users. The close guidance provided by the Fortify Labs team has also helped startups navigate challenges and move in the right direction. For instance, akaSwap pivoted from a web3 game platform to a creative Web3 activation agency. OCV Labs and akaSwap also secured Tezos Foundation funding after meeting key criteria, including growth in metrics like revenue, weekly active users, volume, and community.

Selected projects will receive seven months of support with three sessions hosted in TZ APAC’s Singapore headquarters. Each startup will have in its corner a mentor with decades of entrepreneurship experience who can provide help in areas such as go-to-market, fundraising, and strategy. The Fortify Labs team will also provide marketing support to amplify the startups’ visibility in front of a vibrant community, and technical expertise to help founders refine their product for market readiness and user adoption. Finally, startups will have access to partnership support which curates introductions to VCs for fundraising and advisors for growth.

Additionally, each project will receive a $10,000 grant upon milestone completion and stand to receive a potential investment of up to $200,000 more based on revenue growth, weekly active users, volume, and community engagement.

“Fortify Labs embodies our passion for rolling up our sleeves and supporting the next generation of Web3 innovators to succeed. We’ve designed this program to provide bespoke mentorship and strategic guidance in the areas early-stage founders need most. We’re excited to see this new group of visionaries transform their ambitious ideas into sustainable, profitable businesses on Tezos and Etherlink,” said David Tng, Managing Director at TZ APAC.

This year's program saw an influx of applicants from diverse sectors including decentralized personalization protocols, online esports platforms, AI rendering networks, and fully collateralized stablecoins. Following a rigorous selection process, the top teams will receive comprehensive support toward profitability.

This initiative follows Quantix Capital’s recent $1M investment partnership with TZ APAC to support promising Tezos gaming projects. Web3 enthusiasts will have the chance to discover Fortify Labs projects and get involved through TZ Apex, a community rewards program designed to foster engagement with projects built on Tezos and Etherlink.

For more information visit the Fortify Labs website.

About Fortify Labs

Fortify Labs is a Web3 startup studio by TZ APAC tailored to foster startups built on Tezos and Etherlink. Having already run two successful Web3 Incubator cohorts, TZ APAC in 2024 advanced beyond enabling innovation to build market-ready and commercially successful Web3 companies. To find more information on the support offered by Fortify Labs, click here.

About TZ APAC

TZ APAC is a Web3 ecosystem builder empowering founders, creators, developers and institution leaders to thrive. With dedicated teams across Asia, TZ APACTS is hyper-local at heart with a mission to nurture the next generation of DeFi, Gaming and Culture & Community champions in the region. TZ APAC’s commitment to building a strong network of Web3 startups, grassroots communities, and global organizations accelerating Tezos as the blockchain of choice in Asia. TZ APAC is supported by the Tezos Foundation and is headquartered in Singapore. To learn more, visit https://www.tzapac.com/.