Orange DAO
Orange DAO is a Web3-focused venture DAO and 12-week crypto founder accelerator providing $100K uncapped SAFE investments, mentorship, and Demo Day access to 300+ investors, serving a 1,300+ member community of crypto founders globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Orange DAO does
Orange DAO is a Decentralized Autonomous Organization and Web3-focused venture accelerator founded in 2021 by Y Combinator alumni including Ben Huh, co-founder of Orange Fund and the founder behind I Can Has Cheezburger? and FAIL Blog. The organization operates a 12-week fellowship program targeting crypto and Web3 founders from ideation through pre-Series A, providing a $100K uncapped (MFN) SAFE investment plus a separate 2% advisory fee. Programming combines in-person weeks in San Francisco and New York with remote Zoom sessions, and culminates in a Demo Day where cohorts pitch to 300+ investors representing $15B in AUM. The fellowship is delivered alongside a 1,300+ member community of crypto founders, with membership symbolized by the Orange Gem NFT that grants access to exclusive Discord spaces and DAO governance participation.
The company's product surface extends beyond the accelerator into Orange Fund, a venture vehicle deploying up to $300,000 per startup across cohorts, and Launchcaster, a crypto project launch platform acquired in 2025 and maintained as a public good that has attracted over 15,000 crypto builders. Revenue mechanics are limited to per-fellow advisory fees and long-duration equity returns from portfolio appreciation rather than recurring SaaS or transaction-based revenue. Backed by $80 million raised in August 2022 from strategic investors Algorand and NEAR, alongside DAO member and institutional capital, Orange DAO positions itself as the largest community of crypto founders and a category-defining Web3-native accelerator whose value proposition centers on mentorship from protocol-side veterans (Quantstamp, Cega, Privy, Solana, Protocol Labs, Base, Aave/Lens, Stacks, Axelar, Lido), Web3-specific curriculum covering tokenomics and decentralized GTM, and downstream placement into YC and a16z CSX cohorts.
Orange DAO firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Orange DAO
- Legal name
- Orange DAO
- Website
- https://orangedao.xyz/
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Orange DAO is a Web3-focused venture DAO and 12-week crypto founder accelerator providing $100K uncapped SAFE investments, mentorship, and Demo Day access to 300+ investors, serving a 1,300+ member community of crypto founders globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Orange DAO industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Startup Accelerator
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Finance Services (6199)
- akta.pro primary industry
- DAO Treasury, Governance & On-Chain Finance Tools (FSADAMAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Coordination & Contributor Management (tasks, bounties, roles) (FSAPAHAD)
Keywords
Where Orange DAO is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Orange DAO business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Advisory/Program Fees: Orange DAO charges a 2% advisory fee separate from the $100K SAFE investment. Fellows receive a $100K uncapped (MFN) SAFE investment, with the 2% program fee under a separate agreement.
- Investment Returns: Orange Fund provides up to $300,000 in investment to startups in the accelerator program. Returns come from portfolio company success through equity appreciation and exits.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | One time/ perpetual license | $100K uncapped SAFE investment with 2% advisory fee |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Orange DAO product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Orange DAO operates a 12-week Orange Fellowship accelerator program that provides Web3 and crypto founders with $100K uncapped SAFE investments, a 2% advisory fee structure, personalized mentorship from experienced crypto entrepreneurs, and culminates in a Demo Day pitch event before 300+ investors representing $15B in AUM. The program supports founders from ideation through pre-Series A stages, backed by Orange Fund (up to $300K per startup) and a community of 1,300+ crypto founders.
Product overview
Orange DAO is a venture capital DAO and crypto-focused accelerator that operates as a platform-plus-program architecture. The core offering is the Orange Fellowship Program, a 12-week accelerator providing $100K-$300K in funding alongside mentorship from 1,300+ venture-backed founders. This program is complemented by Orange Fund (the investment vehicle), the Orange DAO Community (membership via Orange Gem NFT), and Demo Day (the culminating investor pitch event). Orange DAO also acquired Launchcaster, a crypto launch platform maintained as a public good. The ecosystem supports founders from ideation through Series A across the crypto/Web3 space.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Orange Fellowship: A 12-week crypto company building journey providing $100K uncapped (MFN) SAFE investment, mentorship from seasoned crypto entrepreneurs, and Demo Day pitch opportunities to 300+ investors.
Products and services
- Orange Fellowship Program
- Orange Fund
- Orange DAO Community
- Launchcaster
Quantifiable outcome
- Orange Fellows have raised over $150M for their ventures
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Orange DAO
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Orange DAO technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Orange DAO partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- LaunchcastercoreOrange DAO acquired Launchcaster, a platform for crypto builders to promote their launches and receive early feedback. Launchcaster attracted over 15,000 crypto builders. Orange DAO committed to maintaining Launchcaster as a public good with no plans for paid services. Key contributors include Jayme Hoffman, Mike Severa, Antek Skapski, and Yaroslav Chaykivskyy.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Orange DAO competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Republic Capital: Republic is a Web3-facing investment and advisory platform with a crypto venture arm. It overlaps with Orange in the early-stage Web3 deal-sourcing and tokenized community space, though it operates more as a fundraising platform than a cohort-based accelerator.
- Encode Club: Encode Club runs Web3 education, hackathon, and accelerator programs aimed at onboarding new developers into crypto. It overlaps with Orange's funnel-stage builder recruitment (especially via Launchcaster-style launchpads) and is an emerging competitor in the Web3 talent pipeline.
Direct peers
- Outlier Ventures: Outlier Ventures runs multi-stage Web3 accelerator and founder base programs with token-incentivized cohorts. It is one of the longest-running crypto accelerators and competes directly for early-stage Web3 founders globally.
- Seed Club: Seed Club is a DAO-native accelerator and community for tokenized social/DAO startups, similar in ethos to Orange DAO. It runs cohort-style programs with shared tooling, mentorship, and community infrastructure, competing for the same Web3 builder mindshare.
- a16z Crypto Startup School (CSX): a16z CSX is a marquee Web3 accelerator; Orange explicitly cites CSX as a downstream destination for its fellows. It competes for the same crypto founder talent, offers similar mentorship and Demo Day exposure, and is backed by a far larger venture fund.
- Alliance DAO: Alliance DAO (formerly DeFi Alliance) is the most direct Web3-native accelerator competitor. It runs cohort-based programs with mentorship, capital, and Demo Days for early-stage crypto founders, mirroring Orange DAO's fellowship model and targeting the same applicant pool.
- Techstars Crypto: Techstars Crypto operates accelerator programs (e.g., Techstars Crypto Boston) that invest in Web3 startups, with Orange DAO co-investing in AyaHQ alongside Techstars Crypto Boston. It targets a similar founder segment with a more traditional VC-backed accelerator structure.
Broad incumbents
- Y Combinator: Y Combinator is the broad incumbent accelerator from which Orange DAO was born. YC runs a general (not Web3-specific) program but accepts crypto founders and is a direct upstream/downstream funnel relationship: many Orange members are YC alumni and Orange fellows often move on to (or from) YC.
- SOSV / HAX: SOSV is a multi-stage accelerator network running vertical programs including HAX (hardware) and MOX. While not Web3-native, it operates in adjacent deep-tech accelerators and is a comparable multi-program accelerator operator with similar fund structures.
Regional players
- LongHash Ventures: LongHash Ventures is a Web3-focused accelerator and fund primarily serving the APAC region, particularly Singapore. It targets a similar Web3 founder profile to Orange but with a regional (Asia) focus, making it a comparable but geographically differentiated peer.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Orange DAO social profiles
Digital presenceOrange DAO financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Orange DAO leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Orange DAO subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Orange DAO funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Orange DAO M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments247 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Orange DAO
What does Orange DAO do?
Orange DAO operates a 12-week Orange Fellowship accelerator program that provides Web3 and crypto founders with $100K uncapped SAFE investments, a 2% advisory fee structure, personalized mentorship from experienced crypto entrepreneurs, and culminates in a Demo Day pitch event before 300+ investors representing $15B in AUM. The program supports founders from ideation through pre-Series A stages, backed by Orange Fund (up to $300K per startup) and a community of 1,300+ crypto founders.
Is Orange DAO a public or private company?
Orange DAO is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Orange DAO founded?
Orange DAO was founded in 2021. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Orange DAO based?
Orange DAO is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Orange DAO make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Advisory/Program Fees are the primary driver. The others are investment Returns.
Who are Orange DAO's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Republic Capital and Encode Club. Direct peers are Outlier Ventures, Seed Club, a16z Crypto Startup School (CSX), Alliance DAO and Techstars Crypto. Broad incumbents are Y Combinator and SOSV / HAX. LongHash Ventures is listed as a regional player.
Does Orange DAO have an API?
No public API is recorded for Orange DAO.
What industry is Orange DAO in?
Orange DAO's product category is Startup Accelerator. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSADAMAL, DAO Treasury, Governance & On-Chain Finance Tools, with a secondary code of FSAPAHAD, Coordination & Contributor Management (tasks, bounties, roles). Its NAICS code is 61171 and its SIC code is 6199.