A new web3 accelerator program has been launched by Store Nº8, Walmart’s incubation arm, in collaboration with Outlier Ventures. The program, called Store Nº8 Base Camp, aims to support startups specializing in web3 marketing, advertising, and payment technology. The flagship cohort of five startups, based in the US, Italy, Poland, and the UK, will participate in the 12-week virtual incubator program.
Key Takeaway
Walmart’s incubation arm, Store Nº8, has launched the web3 accelerator program, Store Nº8 Base Camp, in partnership with Outlier Ventures. The program aims to support startups in web3 marketing, advertising, and payment technology. The first cohort of five startups from across the globe will participate in the 12-week virtual incubator program. Walmart sees the potential of web3 commerce to connect physical and virtual lives and plans to test various experiences in virtual worlds that merge with its brick-and-mortar stores.
The Potential of Web3 Commerce
Walmart sees the growth of virtual worlds as an opportunity to explore new ways to engage with customers and experiment with a new type of commerce. Web3 allows customers to purchase both virtual and real-world goods, bridging the gap between physical and virtual lives. Walmart plans to test various experiences in virtual worlds that connect to commerce at its stores and vice versa. The focus of the program is on decentralized commerce, which aims to enhance experiences for retailers and consumers through web3 innovation.
The Cohort and Their Innovations
- HypeLab: Aims to simplify web3 advertising through its design services and self-service advertiser portal. It offers on-chain and off-chain options for advertisers to choose where their ads are placed.
- Reveel: Provides on-chain payout infrastructure and creator tools to help startups automate their accounting and payout processes. Its ecosystem includes applications, brands, and networks like Ethereum and Polygon.
- Tide Protocol: Offers a marketing and analytics suite for web3 startups to create and customize marketing campaigns. It works on any Ethereum-compatible blockchain without the need for coding knowledge.
- Tokenguard: An analytics platform focused on helping web3 projects grow. It supports various blockchains and provides decentralized and on-chain/off-chain analytics, ecosystem growth tracking, and crypto APIs.
- Unblock: Facilitates cross-border payments in web3 through its free API infrastructure. It simplifies the on-and-off-ramping process into crypto and provides solutions for KYC, compliance, and risk monitoring.
