MoonPay Launches Labs Accelerator to Support Early-Stage Web3 Startups

MoonPay has introduced MoonPay Labs, a new accelerator program aimed at nurturing the next wave of Web3 innovation by backing early-stage technical teams with capital, hands-on support, and long-term growth guidance.

Structured to support only a small cohort of up to five startups per year, MoonPay Labs operates under an evergreen model, prioritizing quality over quantity. The program is geared toward pre-seed and seed-stage teams building in fast-moving segments of Web3, including stablecoin infrastructure, agentic frameworks, DeFi, Web3 commerce, and SocialFi—areas that are rapidly evolving but often lack tailored institutional support at the early stage.

In an announcement shared with crypto.news, Abhay M., VP of Corporate Development and Investments at MoonPay, emphasized the platform’s role as a key ecosystem player capable of spotting high-impact projects early on. “MoonPay’s unique position within the ecosystem allows us to identify and accelerate high-value projects across emerging use cases,” he said. “MoonPay Labs is designed to support these trailblazing builders by providing founder-centric tailored support that offers them a competitive edge in company building.”

Beyond funding, startups selected for MoonPay Labs will benefit from a structured go-to-market playbook and strategic product development resources. This includes UX optimization, token design and launch support, access to MoonPay’s developer tools, and feedback from its growing technical community.

The first startup to join the program is MoonGate, a wallet-as-a-service platform built on Solana. MoonGate is designed to make DeFi trading more intuitive and frictionless by streamlining the wallet onboarding experience and enhancing transaction speed. Its inclusion highlights MoonPay Labs’ focus on real-world usability and infrastructure, rather than speculative hype.

MoonPay Labs also positions itself as a long-term partner: while it starts with early-stage capital, the program leaves room for follow-up investment as teams grow—providing a path to scaling without early dilution, a common hurdle for technical founders.

The accelerator is housed within MoonPay’s Corporate Development division, which also manages MoonPay Ventures—a venture capital arm launched in 2023 that has already deployed capital across 30+ Web3 startups. The synergy between the two programs offers Labs participants a unique advantage: a built-in funding pipeline from concept to maturity.

As MoonPay continues to expand beyond its fiat on-ramp services into more verticals within the blockchain ecosystem, MoonPay Labs represents a strategic bet on the builders who will define the next phase of decentralized technology. It’s not just about investing in Web3 — it’s about helping shape its foundation.