Accelerating and Incubating Project Growth with BNB Chain’s Most Valuable Builder (MVB) Program

• Nurturing builders’ journey from ideation to success
• Supporting high performing early stage projects’ through their growth, investments, and listing* 

BNB Chain’s goal is mass Web3 adoption. As part of this vision, the ecosystem has a suite of builder programs in place to support developers on their journey from idea to successful project. One such program is the Most Valuable Builder (MVB) program. 

The cohort for the most recent installment of the program — MVB Season 7 — was announced last week with the program launching on March 5. This 10-week accelerator program is jointly run by BNB Chain, Binance Labs, and CMC Labs. The program supports early-stage Web3 builders to grow the BNB Chain ecosystem and concludes with a Binance Labs investment based on Demo Day pitches and project performance throughout MVB. Founders and core team members from each project have access to a curriculum covering key topics to address early-stage Web3 project needs. 

Since MVB launched in 2021, there have been over 4,200 applications from all over the world with over 80 of those projects being accelerated. Throughout the years, MVB alumni have grown substantially, with some leading global rankings across sectors such as DeFi, NFT, gaming, and infrastructure. Over the years, many participating projects have gone on to be listed on top-tier centralized exchanges. From the last two seasons of MVB alone, 5 projects have been listed on centralized exchanges. 

Taking a look back through its history, $300 million was dedicated to the MVB Program between season 1-4, to support projects in the early stages and bootstrap their growth. It was the fifth season that saw the first iteration of top performing projects being selected by Binance Labs for investment. So far, Binance Labs has invested in 11 MVB projects with more investment expected for top performing projects at the end of the current season 7. 

For Season 7, the MVB program expanded to include two tracks: the MVB Startup Track which has already begun and facilitates the growth of start-ups, and the MVB Founder Track, which is still open with applications being reviewed on a rolling basis. This new track is dedicated to the incubation of 100 new ideas on BNB Chain and founders can apply here. 

What to expect

MVB Startup Track:

• The Startup Track is designed to support early-stage startups building on BNB Chain. It provides resources, tools and a tailored curriculum to help Web3 startups on their path to finding product-market fit for long-term growth
• The program consists of multiple parts, including coaching, workshops, and investment opportunities from Binance Labs that will be offered to the best projects based on a careful reviewal process
• Coaching sessions are presented by a line up of subject experts who share insights on topics ranging from legal, security, cross-chain infrastructures, GTM, tokenomics, fundraising strategies, and more
• There are also fireside chats, 1:1 mentorship sessions with the Binance Labs Investment team and BNB Chain ecosystem support, and exposure on CoinMarketCap channels

MVB Founder Track:

• The MVB Founder Track is seeking up to 100 close collaborations with founders across various seasons
• You will get to work closely with the Binance Labs investment team and BNB Chain core contributors and developers, in addition to receiving support from across the ecosystem
• You can work with us to define and finalize a business idea. Or you can approach us with an idea that you need support in bringing it to life
• We are also looking to share ideas with founders who are interested in tackling initiatives that address real-world needs
• The Founder Track is a venture studio focused on deploying business ideas and initiatives that solve challenges on BNB Chain

In addition, MVB offers successful applicants access to potential direct investment from Binance Labs, access to a powerful alumni network, business development and security support, and industry exposure.* 

Exploring Successful MVB Case Studies 

We heard from the top performing projects of MVB season 6, who all received investment from Binance Labs. The projects shared their experiences throughout the MVB program, how the support from BNB Chain's incubation propelled their growth, and their specific experience of obtaining investment and securing listings on centralized exchanges.*

When asked what motivated their decision to participate in the MVB program, KiloEx expressed, “MVB helps connect with the wider blockchain ecosystem existing user base and developer community.” Kinza Finance added, “BNB Chain has been the home to many pioneering DeFi projects. In addition, Binance Labs' involvement in the program was very exciting for us as it gave us the opportunity to learn from their rich experience in the space and equip ourselves with the tools needed to succeed as innovators.”

AltLayer and SleeplessAI, both listed on multiple centralized exchanges, shed light on the impact of MVB on their market value and visibility. AltLayer shared, “Being part of the MVB program, and getting investment from Binance Labs later definitely helped build our profile and increased the project visibility. This eventually led to us being selected for Binance Launchpool.” SleeplessAI echoed this sentiment, stating that BNB Chain’s builder support, like the MVB program, “paved the way” for their listing through Binance launchpool. 

When discussing tangible growth and development that MVB provides, AltLayer explained, “The program helped us reshape our go-to-market strategy. It made us realize that we should build products that create network effects and therefore a crypto economy.” SleeplessAI highlighted the program’s role in connecting them with industry leaders, stating, “The program invited several industry leaders from payment, market making, and customer services, who shared a lot of valuable information and the MVB program introduced investors, which helped us with our financing.” 

Kinza Finance emphasized, “The 10-week accelerator program prompted our team with crucial development, business, and marketing concepts and really catalyzed our project development in effective and practical directions.” KiloEx added, “Technical Mentorship with access to experienced blockchain engineers and the program's technical experts helped overcome technical hurdles through mentorship and entrepreneurship training, product strategy guidance, and growth coaching from industry veterans. Opportunities to connect with potential investors, partners, future hires through program events and introductions.”

When asked whether they would recommend MVB to other projects, the responses were unanimous. AltLayer stated, “Yes, we would highly recommend builders to join the MVB program, especially to those who are first-time builders and want to learn how to navigate building in the crypto space.” SleeplessAI affirmed with a simple, “Definitely!” Kinza Finance said, “Without hesitation. BNB Chain is a rich ecosystem with many exciting new projects.” KiloEx offered valuable advice for other projects, emphasizing the importance of having a polished product prototype or testnet to demonstrate, a clear unique value proposition, and a thorough business plan.

Find out about MVB here and learn about season 7’s cohort here. 

*Being accepted into MVB or being an MVB cohort top performer does not guarantee that your token will be listed on a centralized exchange. Additionally, marketing activities do not equate to investment or investment advice and admission into the MVB Accelerator Program does not equate to any investment in the projects.