Grants & Funding
Enterprise Fund
The Stellar Enterprise Fund is a venture-style fund for growing the open-source Stellar network. We make direct investments across all stages up to Series E or make acquisitions in global fintech or blockchain companies. Companies should demonstrate real and sustainable Stellar network use cases and integrate within 1 year of investment.
Areas of Interest
We are open to new models across asset management, compliance, gaming, liquidity, NFT, payroll, treasury management, and more.
Wallets
- Digital wallets
- Cross-chain wallets
Startup Acceleration
- Tools for SMBs in emerging markets
- Regional incubator funds
Banking Infrastructure
- Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs)
- Stablecoin issuance & management
- Private banking infrastructure / Crypto integration
Cross-border Payments
- Business payments for high cost corridors
- Remittances in high friction markets
Access to Financial Services
- On and off-ramps
- USD savings
- Lending
- Financial inclusion in emerging markets
- Ecommerce and payment processing
- Tokenized assets
Investment Criteria
Investments are made in USD or Lumens (XLM). There is no public application for the Enterprise Fund. The Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) will source its own candidates based on five criteria. You can read more on the purpose of the Enterprise Fund and see the full SDF Mandate.
Stellar Fit
Does the Stellar network provide compelling value to the Company? Will the team further SDF’s mission?
Impact
Does the company bring real & working use cases to the Stellar ecosystem? Does the Company have potential to 10x the Stellar network's current transaction volume, network value, or assets under management?
Team
Do we trust management to execute, focus, and commit to building for the long term? Is the team able to build a compelling product that is competitive in the market and brings value to the end user? Does the team have a viable go-to-market plan?
Viability
Does the company have a viable path towards financial independence from SDF (either through external funding or revenue) in the next 18-24 months?
Timing
Why now – is this the right time for us to invest? Does the team have a clear, realistic, yet ambitious plan of how they will use the money and why they need it now?
Our Investments
APIs
Payment Processing
Wyre
Wyre is a blockchain based payments platform empowering cross-border businesses with frictionless payments.
Explore the Matching Fund
For early stage startups (pre-Series B) seeking an investment of $500,000 or less, please see the Matching Fund.
We match investments raised from outside investors of up to $500,000 USD and process deals through an expedited process.