Beacon, a web3 accelerator founded by Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal, has launched its fourth and largest cohort, selecting 17 startups for a three-month program.

This new cohort reflects a significant expansion, with several startups already backed by notable venture capital firms like Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund, Pantera Capital, and Polychain Capital.

The inclusion of these venture-backed startups enhances the program's credibility and may attract more high-quality applicants in the future.

The selected companies span various sectors, including decentralized finance (DeFi), infrastructure, and artificial intelligence (AI).

Notable participants in this cohort include Stakestone, EXO, Nubit, Aligned Layer, and eoracle, each offering innovative solutions in the web3 space.

Nailwal expressed excitement about the diverse and exceptional caliber of companies in this latest cohort, highlighting their potential impact on the future of web3.

Beacon's decision to increase its cohort size may strategically position it to capitalize on the growing momentum in the web3 sector.

This initiative aims to foster a collaborative environment where startups can share experiences and leverage each other's networks.

Beacon's announcement follows the success of its S23 cohort, which graduated 10 companies, including alumni that achieved unicorn status and significant funding.

The complete lineup of the S24 cohort includes companies like Avantis, Compute Labs, Crynux, EZKL, Lorenzo, Nodekit, Othentic, PADO, Pallet, Pin AI, TAC, and Warlock.