The BlockShow X BlockDown conference in Hong Kong, organized by Cointelegraph and EAK Digital, will help venture capital (VC) firms and startups in the Web3 and cryptocurrency industry find each other at the Startup Connect conference zone, co-organized by Cointelegraph Accelerator.

BlockShow by Cointelegraph is preparing to kick off a unique festival-like Web3 event in Hong Kong in collaboration with BlockDown Festival, powered by the public relations agency EAK Digital.

Taking place from May 8–9, 2024, the BlockShow X BlockDown festival in Hong Kong will feature Startup Connect — a dedicated zone for startups and VCs designed for networking and deals — co-organized by Cointelegraph Accelerator and Coinseeker.co.

Startup Connect to feature insights from 50 VCs

While the main conference will take two days, the events linked to the BlockShow X BlockDown event will continue for five to seven days, including festival stages, galleries, gaming and music stages, the multichain Web3 Hackathon and Startup Connect.

The goal of setting up the Startup Connect event as part of BlockShow x BlockDown is to foster networking and deal flows between a curated list of promising builders and several active industry VCs, as well as connecting builders with Web3 and crypto ecosystems to speed up the development of the industry.

Co-organized by Cointelegraph Accelerator and the blockchain VC platform Coinseeker.co, the Startup Connect will feature round-robin discussions between startups and VCs, workshops, startup exhibitions, networking spots and fireside chats bringing insights from more than 50 selected VCs and a curated list of startups.

GET YOUR TICKETS HERE TO ATTEND THE BLOCKSHOW X BLOCKDOWN FESTIVAL!

Some confirmed VCs in the Startup Connect event include Cypher Capital, Draper Dragon, OKX Ventures, Polygon Ventures, Blockchain Founders Fund, L2IV, and Magnus Capital, C2 Ventures, Plug and Play APAC, Figment Capital, AELF and Standard Chartered Ventures.

Venture capital interest returns 

With crypto venture funding climbing for the first time in nearly two years, blockchain startups are looking to capitalize on venture capital activities in the industry. Richard Wang, partner at Draper Dragon Fund, said:

“We are very bullish about the crypto market and like to see more innovation and interesting ideas in this area. We are especially interested in the BTC ecosystem, gaming, AI, DeFi 2.0 and the De-Sci sector.”

Some of the more prominent crypto startups receiving funding focus on infrastructure, decentralized finance (DeFi) and game finance (GameFi). Notable fundraises during the quarter included EigenLayer and Maplestory Universe, raising $100 million each.

“As we move away from the difficult funding market in the past two years, startups should leverage on this opportunity to ramp up their fundraising efforts and connect with the venture capital leaders in the space,” said Patrick Soh, CEO of Coinseeker.co.

Workshops, speed dating and more

Participating startups will be incentivized for networking purposes and given the opportunity to win grants from crypto and Web3 infrastructure providers and ecosystems, which are set to develop the workshop content.

Each infrastructure company will conduct a workshop for builders or startup founders and offer grants to the most active companies. Onsite infrastructure will include class-like rooms for workshops tailored explicitly for productive collaboration.

GET YOUR TICKETS HERE TO ATTEND THE BLOCKSHOW X BLOCKDOWN FESTIVAL!

Startup Connect will also feature an investor-startup speed dating session aimed at promptly connecting startups and investors in various verticals, including DeFi, GameFi, SocialFi, infrastructure,  nonfungible tokens and more.

BlockShow X BlockDown Festival is poised to facilitate meaningful interactions between startups and venture capitalists within the blockchain and cryptocurrency sectors. This event is a critical platform for fostering connections and exploring opportunities in the evolving Web3 and crypto landscapes.

GET YOUR TICKETS HERE TO ATTEND THE BLOCKSHOW X BLOCKDOWN FESTIVAL!