Hong Kong-based blockchain gaming company Animoca Brands and global venture accelerator Brinc have launched Launchpad Luna, a new accelerator program to identify, mentor, and invest in promising blockchain and non-fungible tokens (NFT) startups, according to a company statement.

Fast facts

  • Projects accepted into the accelerator program will receive training, end-to-end support and funding of up to US$500,000.
  • Aside from Animoca Brands, the accelerator has support from leading companies and prominent names in the NFT space including Aleksander Larsen, co-founder and COO of the popular blockchain game Axie Infinity, Dapper Labs, the company behind CryptoKitties and NBA Top Shot, Metakovan who bought Beeple’s US$69 million NFT, and Sebastien Borget, co-founder of The Sandbox metaverse.
  • “Launchpad Luna is an initiative that furthers our mission to enable a more inclusive digital economy and we are honored at the level of enthusiasm and support we have received from the global NFT community,” said Yat Siu, co-founder and chairman of Animoca Brands, in a statement. “Brinc’s presence and network significantly increase our pathways into Europe, the Middle East, and China, and we look forward to establishing a new ecosystem of accelerators and startups at the epicentre of regional start-up activity that will allow us to contribute to the shape of the future.”
  • According to Nonfungible.com, which tracks NFT projects on the Ethereum blockchain, the NFT market had over US$700 million in total volume traded in Q2 2021, up from US$500 million the quarter before, with demand driven by collectibles and sports NFTs. The number of active wallets also increased 39% quarter-on-quarter, as the number of buyers and sellers continued to grow.

See related article: Has the NFT bubble burst? The data says otherwise