In this post:
- Aurora Labs has announced the launch of Aurora Blocks, a six-week incubator program to speed up Virtual Chain development.
- Aurora Blocks will provide $250,000 in funding to five selected startups, technical mentorship, and business advice.
- The program will conclude on July 23, 2025, with a Demo Day during which teams will present their Virtual Chains to the NEAR investor panel.
Aurora Labs, the developer behind Aurora, is launching today a six-week boot camp named Aurora Blocks. The Aurora developer revealed that the program will speed up startups’ creation of EVM-compatible Virtual Chains on NEAR. Aurora Labs added that $250,000 in funding will be provided to 5 selected teams to support them through the project.
Aurora Blocks revealed that it would bring together a network of leading partners in the Web3 infrastructure, security, growth, and funding. Expected participating organizations include Lemniscap, NEAR, CVVC, MarketAcross, Hacken, Cookie DAO, Cere Network, Privado ID, and Mobula.io. Participating partners will offer workshops, one-to-one mentorship and advisory sessions, and infrastructure support in the program.
Aurora Blocks targets high-impact sectors with strategic support
Aurora Blocks will focus on high-impact sectors such as AI/DeFAI and Bitcoin layer two solutions, DeFi, RWA, and DePIN. The incubator program will support Aurora Labs’ goal of launching 1,000 Virtual Chains in 2025. Aurora Labs aims to launch chains that showcase real adoption and actual utility.
The Incubator program will bring together a team of experts in Web3 infrastructure who will contribute by leading workshops that offer one-to-one interactions. Aurora Labs will also provide infrastructure support throughout the six-week bootcamp.
$250,000 will be given to five eligible startups to help them create Virtual Chains that are compatible with EVM. Alex Shevchenko, CEO of Aurora Labs, revealed they’re building the future of on-chain ecosystems with one Virtual Chain at a time. Shevchenko added that the incubator funding gives teams the infrastructure, guidance, and momentum to launch real products that attract users and scale.
Aurora Labs opens applications for funding till May 28
Financing applications are already open until May 28 via Aurora Blocks.dev. According to Aurora Labs, the selected startup teams will benefit from premium development tools, security audits, mentorship, and legal help.
Aurora developer said the program will end with a presentation on July 23, when the five teams will reveal their Virtual Chains to the NEAR investors for assessment.
Aurora developer outlined strict rules for the selection process. The company will assess the applications based on team collaboration, potential for user adoption, investor satisfaction, and overall project viability. The company said Aurora Blocks has been designed to help teams build Virtual Chains that are custom Ethereum-compatible blockchains on NEAR.
The incubator program will provide resources to launch scalable, low-cost chains for developers without the need to manage traditional Layer 2 infrastructure. Aurora Labs said the six-week program supports the creation of Virtual Chains, including a high-performance EVM engine with cross-contract capabilities beyond standard Ethereum compatibility.
