Draper University

It’s official. @DraperDragon $80m @OrionFund is open for business. And Draper University is leading the programs that help find and uplift the earliest builders.

The fund is built to turn Cardano's technical leadership into global, venture-scaled growth.

We are searching for the founders who will drive the next $3b in TVL.

> tier 1 first VC check (up to $90k)
> elite programming
> investor networking
> free housing in Silicon Valley
> leverage the massive Draper ecosystem in web3

Applications for our first cohort are now open. Link below 👇.

@Cardano_CF @Cardano

The next generation of Cardano builders is at Draper University. 🚀

Over the past few weeks, eight startups from around the world have been building and growing as part of the Draper University x Cardano APEX Growth Accelerator.

Next week, we'll be sharing a special video introducing the founders behind these companies, what they're building, and the ideas driving them forward.

Stay tuned to meet the APEX founders!

Proud to be bringing this program to life alongside @Cardano_CF, @DraperDragon, and @OrionFund.

#DraperUniversity #Cardano #DraperDragon #APEXAccelerator

MEET THE APEX COHORT: KENOMIC 🇪🇸

Our Draper University x Cardano Apex Growth Accelerator is underway!

Over the next few weeks, we'll introduce you to the founders building the future of Web3, AI, DeFi, and beyond as part of our 10-week accelerator in Silicon Valley.

First up: @KenomicAI! 🚀

Launching a token shouldn't require coordinating five different tools, teams, and service providers.

Meet Kenomic, a startup building AI-powered infrastructure to simplify the entire token lifecycle - from tokenomics design and simulations to smart contracts, deployment, and ongoing management.

Founded by @raycotarrida and @caralvmar in Madrid, Kenomic is working to make token launches more accessible, predictable, and scalable for both human founders and AI agents.

Through the accelerator, the team is focused on turning its technology into a scalable business.

Welcome to Silicon Valley, Kenomic! 🚀

BEFORE IT WAS OBVIOUS: BAIDU
A $9 million deal negotiated in the back of a taxi. A stake that would eventually be worth more than $20 billion.

In 2000, Tim Draper was in Beijing, negotiating with Robin Li, the founder of a young Chinese search engine called Baidu.

Tim had already invested in six search engines. He believed China would need its own search infrastructure as internet adoption grew, and he saw Robin as the right founder to build it.

But there was a problem.

Robin wanted $9 million for 28% of Baidu. Tim thought the valuation was too high for a Chinese search company at the time. Robin wouldn't budge.

The negotiations continued in a taxi on the way to dinner.

Ultimately, Tim decided to make the deal.

He believed in the founder, the opportunity, and the future of China's internet market enough to accept a price he wasn't initially comfortable with.

That 28% stake would eventually be worth more than $20 billion, according to Tim's account.

Tim also worked with Robin on the paid-search business model that would become fundamental to Baidu's success.

The lesson? Sometimes the biggest opportunities aren't the ones that look cheap or obvious. They're the ones where you recognize a founder and a market worth believing in before everyone else does.

And sometimes, the deal that changes everything gets made in the back of a taxi 🚖

MEET THE F26 HERO TRAINING COHORT: ANTA BIOTECH

Meet the founders turning ambitious ideas into reality.

Over the coming weeks, we're introducing the startups and founders in Draper University's Fall 2026 Hero Training cohort. They’re bringing sci-fi ideas to life across space tech, AI, biotech, robotics, and beyond.

First up: ANTA Biotech.

The next biology lab might be on a spacecraft 🛰️

ANTA is developing portable, automated sample-preparation tools for genomic analysis where conventional laboratories cannot operate - from remote field sites to low Earth orbit.

Making samples analyzable on site could change how scientists work in extreme environments.

Meet Anjali Gupta, representing ANTA Biotech in the current Draper University Hero Training cohort.

Follow along as we introduce the founders building what comes next.