What
Founded by Sandeep Nailwal, co-founder of Polygon and Symbolic Capital, the Nailwal Fellowship is a program providing capital to the brightest minds in web3. Each Nailwal Fellow receives $50k in grant money as well as access to Symbolic Capital’s resources and network in order to spend six months entirely focused on trying new ideas and building in web3.
Who
The program is open to founders from all walks of life, regardless of age or geography. We have a focus on backing individuals with technical backgrounds who are are able to get their hands dirty building tangible products and dapps during their six month fellowship.
Why
Our mission is to bring the brightest minds into web3. The Nailwal Fellowship is designed to provide founders with the financial security and resources to pursue exciting and bold ideas in web3. We know that taking the leap of faith to pursue entrepreneurship is scary, so we want to give you the support you need to commit to building.
When
We plan to run one cohort every year from September through January. Applications are open from May into July and interviews will be conducted from late July into August to select the 10 fellows in each cohort.
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Can I apply as a team?No. We only accept individuals as Nailwal Fellows.
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Can I be a Fellow while attending school or working a job?In short, no. A Nailwal Fellowship is a full-time commitment. You must be committed 100% to building in web3 during your six months and cannot be working or attending school.
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Do I need to relocate somewhere if accepted as a Nailwal Fellow?​Nope! The Nailwal Fellowship program is 100% remote. We do hope to have meet ups if traveling in the same area or at the same conference, but the core program is designed to be conducted completely remote.
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What is the age limit for Fellowship recipients?There is no age limit for recipients. We accept Fellows at all stages of life.
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What are my expectations during the six months?The expectations are intentionally quite open. You are not required to start a company nor meet any arbitrary milestones. What we do expect is for you to come in with concrete goals you want to achieve during your time as a Fellow and be 100% committed to researching, testing, and building in web3. To support you during your six months, we will set up recurring calls with the Symbolic team as well as offering you additional office hours to book ad-hoc.
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Is the Nailwal Fellowship an equity investment?As part of our funding, we request a $50k MFN SAFE + Token Warrant if you found a company during or within one year after the conclusion of your Fellowship. There is no requirement or expectation to start a company as a Nailwal Fellow.