Cosmos Hub's Growth DAO
ATOM Accelerator is a governance-mandated DAO of the Cosmos Hub, tasked with driving value for the Cosmos Hub.
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Supporting the Cosmos Hub
Our mission is to accelerate the adoption and development of the Cosmos Hub and AEZ by providing essential support to projects that enhance the ecosystem’s infrastructure, technology, and community.
Funding Programs
Providing financial support to projects that align with the strategic goals of the Cosmos Hub and AEZ, that drive value for the Cosmos Hub. Learn more
AEZ Expansion
Supporting the development of core infrastructure, DeFi protocols, developer tools, and more within that support the growth and activity within the AEZ.
Guidance and GTM Support
Offering expertise and advice to help projects navigate the Cosmos, as well as tackling operational, and strategic challenges in launching in the AEZ.
Representing the Cosmos Hub
We represent the Cosmos Hub, in discussions with other protocols or industry peers, as well as events and media. Learn more
The Internet of Blockchains offers the opportunity for huge progress for the entire blockchain and Web3 space. The Cosmos hub is at the heart of the interchain, and its token, ATOM, is the gateway and reserve asset.
Atom Accelerator DAO (AADAO) is a governance-mandated DAO of the Cosmos Hub. We have been formed and mandated to drive value for the Cosmos Hub & ATOM, supporting initiatives that either directly create economic impact or produce value that can drive its growth. From this, our current primary mandates are public grants & venture grants.
Atom Accelerator’s venture arm strategically invests in promising early-stage Web3 founders and startups both within and outside of the Cosmos Hub’s ecosystem. As experts within the Cosmos ecosystem, Atom Accelerator offers expertise, guidance, and support while driving value toward ATOM.
In 2023, we deployed $3.8 million in grants to 39 recipients — resulting in, among other things — a $22m USD airdrop to the Community Pool, an AEZ Accelerator program to expand the AEZ, a successful hackathon with 42 project submissions bringing innovations to the AEZ — and many other key initiatives. Read about them in our 2023 Impact Report.
Working with Ecosystem Partners
The Cosmos Hub is at the center of the diverse yet interconnected Cosmos Ecosystem. From time to time, we collaborate with other grant programs to fund projects whose benefits extend beyond the Cosmos Hub.
Are you a grants program? Get in touch with us to collaborate.
Neutron Grants Program
The Neutron Grants Program is an initiative designed to support projects and developers building on the Neutron blockchain, which is part of the Atom Economic Zone (AEZ). The program provides financial resources, mentorship, and other forms of support to foster innovation and growth within the Neutron ecosystem.
Since Neutron is part of the Cosmos Hub’s ecosystem – the AEZ – we collaborate closely with the Neutron Grants Program and have funded several projects together, including Superbolt, Asteroid Protocol, and Amulet Finance, to name a few.
The growth of Neutron and the dApps built on it, lead to increase onchain activity on the Cosmos Hub and use-cases for the ATOM, both of which drive value for the Cosmos Hub.
Osmosis Grants Program
The Osmosis Grants Program is a funding initiative to support the development of projects that enhance the Osmosis platform, a leading decentralized exchange (DEX) within the Cosmos/interchain ecosystem. This program provides grants to developers and teams working on tools, infrastructure, and applications that can improve the functionality, user experience, and overall ecosystem of Osmosis.
Together, AADAO and the Osmosis Grants Program have funded a variety of projects, including Metamask to Cosmos, and Mesh Security, to name a few.
AADAO collaborates with the Osmosis Grants Program to leverage combined resources and expertise to fund projects that have a meaningful impact on the broader Cosmos ecosystem. This partnership allows both organizations to support initiatives that align with their shared goals of decentralization, interoperability, and community-driven development.
DoraFactory & DoraHacks
DoraFactory is a key operational partner for us at the Atom Accelerator DAO.
Together, we run the AEZ Quadratic Funding program, a two-year program mandated and funded by Cosmos Hub governance, with approximately $900k in match funding at its inception.
The program aims to amplify the impact of grassroots support for projects by utilizing a quadratic funding mechanism, which ensures that smaller donations receive a proportionally larger share of matching funds. Learn more about the Quadratic Funding Program here.
Our Governance & Teams
Good governance and transparency are the hallmarks of any org with a public service mission. We strive to set the standard for protocol DAOs and foundations.
Strategy Committee
The Strategy Committee guides AADAO and the Cosmos Hub, driving innovation and growth. They are also ultimately responsible for approving the Cosmos Hub Venture Investments we make. Learn more
Grant Committee
The Grant Committee is responsible for the award of and the determination of the terms and conditions of grants that we award, specifically on our regular grants program. Learn more
Operations Committee
This committee oversees and supports all operational activities of the AADAO, including managing payroll, expenses, communications, marketing, and other initiatives. Learn more
Oversight Committee
Independent from the other committees, Oversight conducts random spot checks on grant-funded projects to ensure compliance with terms and monitors the performance of the other committees. Learn more
What kind of grants do you offer?
We will employ three methods
- Passive open grants: applicants find an idea they have an interest in and submit their applications. Please note that the categories listed above are the ones the ATOM Accelerator will be focusing on but they are not exhaustive
- Outreach based grants where the ATOM Accelerator proactively seeks out to fund specific initiatives and encourages specific individual or teams to apply for a grant
- RFPs. In a few instances, the ATOM Accelerator will manifest its interest in projects its Reviewer Committee deems strategic for ATOM and will be publishing more detailed guidelines on its functional and technical needs. Multiple teams are encouraged to participate and submit their application.
What types of projects does AADAO Ventures fund?
We fund projects that align with our investment thesis, including those launching with Interchain Security, projects within the Cosmos ecosystem that provide value accrual to ATOM, and high ROI Web3 projects across any ecosystem. You don’t have to be a Cosmos project, nor do you need to use ATOM as Gas.
Learn more about our investment thesis here.
What does AADAO seek in return for its investment?
In return for our capital (as part of the Ventures program), we seek equity, tokens or warrants in your startup, ensuring that our success is closely aligned with the growth and success of your project.
Can I apply to multiple funding programs?
Technically, yes—you can apply for funding through more than one of our funding programs. However, the scope of the funding and arrangements will have to be different.
For example, you are developing a new Cosmos SDK module that will add a specific functionality to the Cosmos Hub. Assuming you meet the requirements of the different funding programs and the approval thresholds, you could:
- Get funding via our Regular Grants program to build out the module and integrate it to the Cosmos Hub
- Get funding via Quadratic Grants, once you have completed the above, and have now released the module for any other Cosmos SDK chain to use.
- Get funding via our Ventures Program, once you decide to apply some monetization strategy and wish to further develop the module and productize it
This is just an illustrative example of how a project could be eligible for multiple funding programs. It does not mean that you will definitely be eligible, nor guarantee that your applications will be approved.
How do you handle conflicts of interest?
All the Contributors at AADAO hold themselves to a high level of conduct, especially when acting as stewards of the Cosmos Hub. In the spirit of transparency, you can view the internal policy that we use to ensure compliance here.
How do you assess applications?
We assess applications using a rating sheet to pre-screen them. Two members of our Grant Committee team complete the pre-screening task, chosen by their expertise in the grant category you applied for.
A total of 16 points is possible, and an average grade of 13.5 or higher from the two reviewers is the threshold needed for an application to move on to the interview stage.
The rating criteria can be read here.
What is the role of the Oversight Committee?
The Oversight Committee is effectively independent of the Atom Accelerator DAO’s “executive” teams. It conducts random spot checks on grant-funded projects to ensure compliance with terms and monitors the performance of the Grant Committee and other AADAO committees.
Specifically, the Oversight Committee’s role is to:
- Provide internal controls of the ATOM Accelerator DAO such as expenditure controls, monitoring of conflicts of interest as well as publishing of transparency reports.
- Oversight & accountability of grant recipients through follow-ups on milestones and deliverables
- Interface with the ATOM community at large to inform of the latest developments.
Enshrined in our Internal Protocols is to have one Oversight member directly elected by Cosmos Hub governance onchain – thus providing direct community oversight into our operations. For a list of current members of the Oversight Committee, see our Team page.
