Near Protocol
Horizon

The NEAR Horizon platform functions as an equity-free, double-sided marketplace and accelerator designed to connect early-stage Web3 founders with backers, mentors, and crucial resources. Rather than operating as a single time-bound event, it runs as a continuous incubator supporting projects across the NEAR Protocol and related cross-chain environments. A major ongoing focus includes the User-Owned AI is NEAR incubation track, which specifically offers selected teams access to significant compute credits, deep ecosystem integration, and targeted mentorship to pioneer decentralized AI applications.

While the core accelerator focuses on holistic support and resource matchmaking - often providing access to over $500,000 in aggregated founder perks - developers can also engage with the specialized Protocol Rewards program. This developer-centric track utilizes a strict scoring system based on GitHub and on-chain metrics to distribute monthly payouts. Rewards are tiered across distinct performance levels: Diamond ($10,000), Gold ($6,000), Silver ($3,000), Bronze ($1,000), Contributor ($500), and Explorer ($100). Founders and builders are encouraged to apply directly through the active cohort portal to secure funding and scale their decentralized products.