Draper University, Tim Draper’s entrepreneurship program, has partnered with Cardano and the Orion Fund to launch the Apex Growth Accelerator, a 10-week, on-site program in San Mateo, California, for Cardano ecosystem startups prepared to seek institutional capital. Applications close Sept. 1, final admissions are due Sept. 10 and the program begins Oct. 5. The accelerator can provide up to $70,000 per admitted team for a target 3.5% equity stake, replacing a non-repayable grant model with direct equity investment. It will prioritize projects involving real-world asset tokenization, institutional DeFi and Web3 infrastructure, with technical mentorship and access to Draper’s business network. The initiative is linked to the $80 million Orion Fund announced in April 2026 in collaboration with Draper Dragon, while the Cardano Foundation provides institutional and technical support.