PolkaBiz Retroactive Treasury Request May - July 2025.

12zT...nRTy

Medium Spender

23d ago

Deciding

Content

AI Summary

Introduction

The first PolkaBiz retroactive proposal for January-April 2025 (ref 1544) was already approved by the community.

The current, second, retroactive proposal is for the months of May to July.

PolkaBiz fills a critical gap in the Polkadot ecosystem by scouting, curating, and accelerating early-stage Web3 startups. Where other ecosystems often throw money at the problem, PolkaBiz brings structure, quality, and hands-on mentorship to unlock real potential.

At the end of this quarter, PolkaBiz reviewed over 30 startup applications for the founders' grant for the Web3Foundation, selected 15 promising teams for intensive support, and concluded the program with a high-energy pitch contest judged by industry experts.

Beyond mentorship, PolkaBiz also introduced post-program follow-ups and successfully launched the Founders Portal - a dedicated space for builders to connect, collaborate, and grow together.

To date, over 30 individuals have signed up and created accounts, with several already showcasing their startups on the platform. The goal is simple: create a dynamic hub where founders building on Polkadot can discover synergies and share progress.

PolkaBiz plays an essential role in strengthening the Polkadot ecosystem by mentoring founders, guiding startups, and supporting flagship initiatives such as PBA, PBA-X, Web3 Foundation's Founders Grant Program etc.

The results speak for themselves: we consistently receive strong feedback from both partners and the startups we work with. Our team is deeply passionate about driving ecosystem growth and remains committed to this mission.

This proposal seeks retroactive compensation for the significant efforts and outcomes delivered during this period, recognizing both the operational execution and the direct impact made.

Work Completed (May–July 2025)

Web3 Foundation Founders Program
- Reviewed over 30+ applications for the invite-only Founders Grant
- Selected and mentored 15 promising teams
- Organized a professional pitch event with community judges. See snippets of all the pitches here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_8FVl5sQhnffeXoiG7He6KjkCykiQQhK
Portal Development - now live!
- Launched the PolkaBiz Founders Portal, an open-access hub where founders connect, learn, and showcase their projects
- Between May and July, we developed and fine-tuned this. It required significantly more work than anticipated.
- Over 30 registered builders, with multiple startups already listed
Continued 1:1 Mentorship
- Provided post-program support to selected teams
- Helped startups iterate, refine, and prepare for grants and accelerators

All of this, including the administrative efforts to manage startup cohorts and program logistics, was delivered without upfront funding, to prove our impact and create a long-term value funnel for Polkadot.

Requested Budget

In the original proposal, we outlined a retroactive compensation model of $62,000 per quarter. Based on that structure, this request covers the months of May, June, and July 2025, totaling $62,000 for the work delivered during that period.

Here is the full document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D0FfnsJpQwx_Evap4vwjOI2cQhwzBR7PB57PTFDLijE/edit?usp=sharing

Request

62,000USDC

Status

Decision28d

Confirmation

Attempts

Tally

53.3%Aye

46.7%Nay

Aye

≈18.16MDOT

Nay

≈15.89MDOT

0.0%
0.0%
Threshold
0.0%

Support

0.19%

≈3.06MDOT

Issuance

≈1.59BDOT

Votes

Nested

Flattened

Actions

Or do delegation here, check wiki.

Call

Metadata

Timeline3

Votes Bubble

Statistics

Comments

[Deleted Account]

I had the pleasure of learning from Christian and Mario on two occasions.
They’re incredibly valuable to the ecosystem - filling a crucial gap by equipping builders with the practical skills needed to succeed. Fully support their continued funding!

Up 1

[Deleted Account]

Polkabiz is one of the few organisations that genuinely and actively works to bring businesses and startups into this ecosystem.

Up 1

[Deleted Account]

hello,

Can you share documentation that verifies the methodology you use to select promising teams and the evaluation process you use for startups to qualify? Thanks

[Deleted Account]

I believe it's important to support businesses and growth-focused initiatives within the ecosystem and this is definitely one of them. Personally, I really admire the commitment both Mario and Christian have shown to the space. Mario, in particular, brings a sharp business mindset, coming from a non-Web3 background, he's now self-taught and his business instincts are truly unmatched. This blend of dedication and skill makes their initiative especially promising.

[Deleted Account]

PolkaWorld votes Abstain

The retroactive funding is reasonable, and the team delivered a lot of solid work over the past three months, which deserves support.

However, there are shortcomings: the proposal lists a lot of work, but there’s limited information on outcomes. For example, out of the 30 startups involved, which ones achieved clear, tangible results in these three months?

Additionally, PolkaWorld initially supported this proposal when it was first submitted. But as time went on, PW updated its voting rules — rejecting any proposal with an hourly rate above $100.

Based on this, we’ve chosen to abstain from this vote.

See the full feedback here.

[Deleted Account]

JAM DAO voted AYE on this Proposal

The DAO acknowledges concerns regarding the proportionality of the $62K retroactive request and the lack of supporting documentation, such as timesheets, competitive quotes, or detailed proof of outcomes. Our Independent cost analyses suggest the work performed may be valued lower, using the Polkadot Events Bounty program rate.

However, many of our members emphasised PolkaBiz’s unique role in filling a critical gap in the ecosystem, providing mentorship, guidance, and structured support to early-stage teams. Members who had direct exposure to their activities, such as during the Polkadot Blockchain Academy, reported being impressed by their ability to motivate and nurture builders. The initiative also allocates a significant portion of funds toward seeding startups, which is seen as a strong long-term value-add.

While tangible results and transparent reporting remain areas for improvement, JAM DAO chose to support this proposal on the basis of trust in the team’s competence, the strategic importance of early-stage incubation for Polkadot, and the belief that measurable outcomes will follow as the program matures.