Paris Blockchain Week conference will be held from April 8 to 10, 2025. As part of this event, a startup competition Crypto: Start in Block with a prize fund of $10 million will be held.
As the organizers noted, Crypto: Start in Block serves as a launching pad for the most promising early-stage projects in the industry.
Nick Weimant, CEO of the Bubblemap project, a past winner of this competition, commented:
«PBWS has been a game changer for our ‘roadshow’. Not only did we secure investment, but we also achieved publicity that helped us exceed the seed round!»
In addition to Bubblemap, a number of other well-known crypto projects got a boost from the pitch session at the conference, namely:
- Xverse — a $5 million seed round led by Jump Crypto;
- CrossCurve — seed round of $8,5 million;
- YC Bitstack — $5 million seed round;
- Onesafe — backed by Coinbase and Spark Capital;
- Zyfi — $2 million round;
- PWN — backing Ethereum cofounder Vitalik Buterin, who ended up becoming extremely popular and in demand.
Twelve teams have been selected to participate in this year’s pitch session. They will perform on stage and get a booth at PBW Startup Village. The competition will conclude with the final Master Stage, where three winners will receive prizes.
The judging panel is made up of industry leaders including Akshat Vaidya, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Maelstrom, Nathan Shiron, Head of the iExec ecosystem, and Cosmin Staiku, Director of Listings at Bit2Me.
Along with the competition, an Investor Day will also be held on April 10, 2025. It will bring together a host of venture capitalists, business angels, market makers and experts in the field. Delegates will have access to Startup Village and Investor’s Lounge areas designed to encourage networking. The day will also feature keynotes covering the latest trends and key narratives, fireside chats, panel sessions and more.
«As Paris Blockchain Week 2025 approaches, momentum has never been stronger and early-stage investor interest is at an all-time high. The Start In Block competition and Investor Day are at the heart of our mission, creating a thriving ecosystem where innovative startups gain unrivaled visibility and investors connect with the innovators shaping the future of Web3. By combining talent, capital and cutting-edge ideas, PBW continues to foster the next wave of growth, adoption and impact in the industry», — said Nathaniel Elkaim, Head of Investors at PBW.
According to the organizers, more than 800 startups competed for a spot in the 2024 competition. Investors selected 100 of them and only 10 made it to the stage. It is expected that in 2025 the competition will become even tougher.
The winners will have exclusive access to funding opportunities, mentorship, gas pedals and technical resources to advance their projects. They will also have the opportunity to be featured on the «Killer Whales» show on Apple TV.