Cointelegraph spotlights emerging Web3 startups and innovation during TOKEN2049 week
Press releasePublishedOct 30, 2026
Cointelegraph introduced the next wave of Web3 innovation at Cointelegraph Demo Day on October 9, 2026.
Commissioned byCointelegraph
Singapore — Cointelegraph introduced the next wave of Web3 innovation at Cointelegraph Demo Day on October 9, 2026. Held at RASA Space as part of CONNECT by Cointelegraph during TOKEN2049 week in Singapore, the event featured three Cointelegraph Accelerator portfolio companies and a special guest, offering investors, founders and industry professionals a glimpse into where the Web3 ecosystem is headed.
The Demo Day brought together three projects from the Cointelegraph Accelerator portfolio: Kenomic, a full-lifecycle token platform; Renesis, an institutional operating system for digital assets; and Hive3, a Web3 community hub for builders. Together Fun, a social trading platform combining spot and perps trading, joined the showcase as a special guest. The four projects represented the entrepreneurial activity driving Web3 forward, presenting their work to an audience of industry participants, potential partners and investors.
The presentations took place during CONNECT by Cointelegraph: Singapore Edition, a networking and content event designed to connect founders, builders and investors. The program complemented the Demo Day with four panel discussions examining the challenges and opportunities facing the industry, from liquidity and market-making to everyday stablecoin payments, onchain trading infrastructure and exit strategies for crypto investors.
David Shengart, Head of Cointelegraph Accelerator, said: “The pitch session reminded us why we run these events. Founders had the chance to present their vision directly to active investors, and the whole ecosystem benefits when strong teams meet the right partners. We’re grateful to Funders VC and all of our partners for making it possible.”
The focus on emerging Web3 businesses extended beyond the Demo Day with a Startup Pitch powered by Funders VC, where five additional projects presented their businesses before a panel of investors and industry professionals.
The competition featured Onlend, Coffer, Echo Money, CrediLabs and QMC Finance. Their presentations were evaluated by a six-member judging panel made up of Aleksandr Nechaev, Partner and Head of DeFi & DA at Funders VC; Bobur Muydinov, Founder of Inspira Labs; Xin Yi Lim, Senior Investment Associate at DWF Ventures; Arthur Firstov, Chief Business Officer at Mercuryo; Yitzy Hammer, Partner at DLT Law; and Roman Evdokimov, Partner at Contribution Capital.
“For Funders VC, this is the second event in collaboration with Cointelegraph, and once again CONNECT brings exactly the kind of people and conversations we’re looking for,” said Aleksandr Nechaev, Partner and Head of DeFi & DA at Funders VC, adding: “Our investment thesis is reflected in the quality of the Pitch Competition participants, while panel discussions are becoming increasingly specific, the questions sharper, and the conversations more grounded in real-world challenges.”
Rather than selecting a single overall winner, the competition distributed 19 prizes among the participating startups to help advance their development. The total prize pool amounted to $171,000 in cash, media credits and service credits, alongside additional subscription plans from Chainstack.
Funders VC contributed $25,000 in cash, while Cointelegraph provided $50,000 in media credits. Additional prizes included $36,000 in bug bounty service credits from HackenProof, $20,000 in service credits from Inspira Labs, $15,000 each from QuillAudits and Skynet Trading, and $10,000 from Metalex. Chainstack also contributed access to its Business, Pro and Growth plans.
The distribution of prizes across multiple startups showcased the event’s emphasis on supporting projects through practical resources, such as funding, visibility, security services and technical infrastructure.
Together, Cointelegraph Demo Day and the Startup Pitch powered by Funders VC made up-and-coming Web3 businesses the headliners of CONNECT Singapore. The event paired startup showcases with investor engagement and industry discussions, giving companies a chance to build connections across the global blockchain ecosystem.
About Cointelegraph
Founded in 2013, Cointelegraph is the leading independent publication covering blockchain technology, crypto assets and emerging fintech trends. Its global team of journalists, researchers and analysts provides in-depth news, market analysis and research reports trusted by millions of readers worldwide. Cointelegraph Research offers data-driven insights into the crypto economy through comprehensive industry reports and institutional-grade analysis.
About Funders VC
Funders is an intersection of VC and liquid DeFi. They invest in DeFi/RWA projects and run delta-neutral and yield strategies, supporting protocols and teams shaping the space. Managing $20M AUM, they tend to pick early-stage protocols and promising startups.
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