Satoshi Block Dojo, the London-based technology startup incubator that assists entrepreneurs building businesses on the Bitcoin SV (BSV) blockchain, has secured significant investment funding from Ayre Ventures, the venture capital arm of Calvin Ayre’s Ayre Group.
Satoshi Block Dojo operates a 12-week in-house training program for BSV-focused startups that goes well beyond the standard ‘desk space and encouragement’ model. In addition to business mentorship, technical guidance and a host of support services, Satoshi Block Dojo connects its participating cohorts with potential corporate partners at an early stage to help shape the ideas being developed into truly viable products. Successful cohorts are eligible to receive an additional £140,000 in SEIS funding from Satoshi Block Dojo and its network of investors.
This hands-on approach is also reflected in the Dojo’s nationwide roadshow of 47 of the UK’s premier universities. The company will also launch its first Ideation Jam on March 23rd, in which six of the largest insurance companies will detail specific issues and inefficiencies that could be remedied through blockchain solutions. Twenty teams will compete to devise the best technical fixes, with the top three teams gaining automatic entry into the Dojo.
Satoshi Block Dojo was founded by individuals who together have multiple large business exits totaling over £90 million. As a result, the company has a database of over 3,500 angel investors, 250 family offices and early-stage VCs that will have access to the new Dojo Discover platform, which will launch at the end of Q1 2022. Through this platform, investors can search for Dojo startups by sector while startups can update investors on their progress through the 12-week program and beyond.
Dojo co-founder Craig Massey said:
“Having demonstrated our capacity to bring significant outside funding into the BSV ecosystem from a wide variety of sources, we are thrilled to add Ayre Ventures, the premier funder of BSV-based companies, to this group. Ayre Ventures’ involvement will provide confidence to other investors, including those totally outside the blockchain space, to make significant investments into the Dojo for their multiple startups.”
Dojo CIO James Marchant added:
“As more startups choose to use BSV both inside and outside the Dojo, there is significant growing interest and demand for investment opportunities into attractive business models that are utilising this scalable tech. Investor appetite currently outweighs early-stage BSV investment opportunities, an area in which Satoshi Block Dojo aims to have an impact.”
Ayre Ventures founder Calvin Ayre said he was delighted with the opportunity to support Satoshi Block Dojo.
“Satoshi Block Dojo has a vision that goes far beyond the ‘build it and they will come’ model. I am excited to see what solutions emerge from their current cohort of teams building on the BSV Enterprise Blockchain, the only blockchain that combines minuscule transaction fees with the capacity to scale to meet the future needs of companies large and small.”
The next Dojo program will get underway on April 30 and interested startups must submit their applications by March 31. The company plans to launch its first international Dojo later this year and add two new locations per year onwards. Entities that invest in new Dojo locations will also receive equity in each startup coming through that location. Investors interested in the deal flow coming out of the Dojo as well as getting early access to the Dojo Discover platform can sign up here.
About Satoshi Block Dojo
The mission of Satoshi Block Dojo is to nurture and support start-ups that will change the world. This means providing a pathway to educate, train and elevate start-up entrepreneurs to the highest standards by providing best-in-class mentors and teaching with the latest tech tools. The Block Dojo is the first start-up incubator focused exclusively on Bitcoin SV; it mentors and develops entrepreneurs and start-up businesses, as well as taking care of the administrative hassle of getting a great idea off the ground, so that founders can focus on bringing their tech solution to market.
About Ayre Ventures
Ayre Ventures, founded by celebrated entrepreneur and philanthropist Calvin Ayre, provides capital to scalable, high-growth businesses within the BSV blockchain ecosystem, the only infinitely scaling enterprise public blockchain. The Group targets investment in innovative ideas and ambitious projects that are ‘positively disruptive’, supporting their expansion with the Group’s extensive network and industry partners.