PolkaBiz Retroactive Treasury Request January - April 2025

"Mario and Christian formed an alliance following their time at PBA in Hong Kong. Since then, PolkaBiz has become a great tool to identify and nurture entrepreneurs for the Polkadot ecosystem. We’re really keen to keep working with them." - Tim Dobie, Director of Polkadot Blockchain Academy

PolkaBiz has been quietly but effectively building the foundation for the next generation of startups within Polkadot.  In ref 1504, which received strong support from the majority of the community, we wanted to continue this kind of work. However, during the confirmation period, the proposal was unexpectedly rejected. 

After consulting W3F and some community members, we have therefore decided to present a retroactive funding proposal for the past 4 months (January - April).

 Here’s what we already achieved  -  verifiable results from January to April 2025:

• 100+ startup applications screened
• 68 startups mentored with 1:1 coaching on product-market fit, go-to-market strategies, business models, and pitching
• 8 startups secured Web3 Foundation grants in January alone, receiving $240,000 in total funding
• 3 additional startups funded via PBA-X, securing another $60,000 in grants
• Founder portal to track, guide, and support project onboarding within the ecosystem
• G6Networks signed an MOU with a national government, a deal facilitated through PolkaBiz connections
• A 100+ FTE Web2 development company introduced to the Web3 Deal Desk through our mentorship program

This work has been recognized not only by startups but by major ecosystem leaders such as the Web3 Foundation and the Polkadot Blockchain Academy.

This proposal only seeks fair retroactive compensation for 4 months of hard work:

• Originally $62,000 per quarter (approx. $20,666/month)
• Now $82,666.66 total including April

If Polkadot wants more applications, more builders, and more real usage, programs like PolkaBiz are essential. Together with the community, we are actively exploring the best ways to sustainably fund our efforts.

Here is the link to the full proposal: https://docs.google.com/document/d/142EZKo4CKbwIlGQklGl1MaIBT3qdMEDQHATro9UOiZI/edit?usp=sharing

Thank you all for your trust and support! 🙏