Everything founders and investors ask about the first on-chain ICM incubator, how incubation works, what it costs, and how the $ICM DAO fits together.
Founders building Solana-native projects that fit the Internet Capital Markets thesis, whether you plan to launch a token or not. We've seen everyone from first-time crypto founders to experienced operators, including teams led by founders of major Web2 companies. If you're serious about building a real, sustainable project rather than a quick flip, you're a fit to apply.
Yes. We're an incubator, not an accelerator, our whole purpose is helping founders go from idea to a real company, so being pre-product is completely fine. What matters most is a strong founding team, a clear thesis, and the commitment to build. Early traction helps your case but isn't a requirement.
Absolutely. A core part of what we do is helping Web2 and Web2.5 founders navigate Web3, tokenization, on-chain distribution, community, and the Solana ecosystem. If you have a great product or company and want to bring it on-chain through a token, we'll guide you through the parts that are new to you.
No. ICM.RUN backs both tokenless protocols and tokenized projects. If a token is part of your roadmap, we'll help you design and launch it the right way, strategy, tokenomics, launchpad, and distribution. If it isn't, we can still incubate you on product, go-to-market, and Solana ecosystem connections, and a token can always come later if it ever makes sense for your project. Apply either way.
As early as you're serious about a token launch. Applying before you've locked your tokenomics and go-to-market is ideal, because those are exactly the decisions where early mentorship has the biggest impact, fixing them after launch is far harder than getting them right up front.
ICM.RUN incubates curated cohorts of projects over the DAO's lifecycle rather than running thousands of permissionless launches. Once you're accepted, incubation is structured around your own launch timeline rather than a fixed semester. For the current cohort timing, apply at apply.icm.run and the team will share where things stand.
It's a simple DAO process with four steps: (1) Apply to join the incubator. (2) Mentor review, your application is shared with our mentors, who vote and give feedback. (3) Acceptance & commitment, accepted teams commit a small share of their token supply to the DAO treasury. (4) Incubation support, the General Manager and mentors guide you through rollout, go-to-market, tokenomics, and ongoing advisory.
There's no cash fee to apply or be incubated. Accepted projects commit both a token allocation, 1–5% of total token supply into the ICM.RUN DAO treasury, and an equity stake in the company. Taking both tokens and equity aligns us with your success across the full life of the project, not just the token launch, so mentors and contributors are motivated to help you win long-term.
We don't write a traditional seed check, but we actively help you raise. Founders can fundraise through our platform Fair.club, where we aggregate angel investors looking for early-stage teams, and we also help teams apply for ecosystem grants. On top of that, we open up our mentor, contributor, and investor network. For most founders, that fundraising access and distribution is the bigger unlock.
Yes. Beyond mentorship, incubated teams get warm introductions across the Solana ecosystem, launchpads, infrastructure, tooling, and distribution partners, plus Solana network outreach and access to our contributor network. The point is to plug you into the partners most relevant to your specific launch.
After acceptance and the supply commitment, the General Manager and mentors work with you across the full launch journey: token strategy and design, tokenomics, go-to-market, launchpad selection, legal/compliance structure, and community growth, through launch and beyond. It's hands-on and tailored to your project rather than a one-size-fits-all curriculum.
Three things: it's the first incubator focused specifically on Internet Capital Markets token launches; it's launchpad-agnostic, so we advise on the best launch route for you rather than funneling you into one platform; and it's a DAO, each project's supply commitment feeds a shared treasury, so mentors, contributors, and $ICM holders all win when founders win.
Your application is shared with our mentors, who review, vote, and give feedback. If you're accepted, we walk you through committing 1–5% of supply to the DAO treasury and kick off incubation with the General Manager and mentor network. Apply at apply.icm.run to get started.
End-to-end support for your launch: token strategy and design, tokenomics design, market launch and go-to-market (GTM), launchpad advisory, legal structure for tokenizing, business and compliance guidance, flywheel economics, Web3 social and organic community growth, plus direct connections to our ecosystem, the Solana network, and our mentor roster.
Our mentor network includes some of the most recognized builders in the Solana and ICM ecosystem, including the founder of Pump.fun, the CEO of Pudgy Penguins (PENGU), leads from Meteora, and other serial founders and launchpad veterans. These are operators who have grown their own projects to billions, not random advisors. They review applications, vote, and guide founders directly.
Beyond mentors, ICM.RUN includes a large network of contributors and ecosystem partners across Solana, launchpads, infrastructure, tooling, and distribution. We make warm introductions, help with Solana network outreach, and plug your project into the partners most relevant to your launch.
ICM.RUN is the first on-chain ICM (Internet Capital Markets) incubator, built on Solana. We help Web2 and Web3 founders capitalize, build, and accelerate their projects into successful token launches, covering token strategy, tokenomics, go-to-market, launchpad advisory, legal and compliance structure, and connections to our mentor and ecosystem network.
ICM is the idea of turning the internet and blockchain into a globally accessible capital market, where projects can be funded, tokens issued, and value traded by anyone with an internet connection, not just accredited or gatekept investors. It's the shift from pure memecoin speculation toward real capital formation: founders building durable companies and communities on-chain rather than just flipping coins.
No. ICM.RUN is a DAO-based incubator, and it is launchpad-agnostic. We don't just list a token and walk away, our mentors and team guide founders through the entire journey from idea to launch and beyond. When it's time to go live, we help you choose and execute on the right launchpad for your project rather than locking you into one.
Accelerators take projects that already have a product or testnet and push them to market faster. Incubators help founders go from idea to a real company, with mentorship at the core. ICM lives or dies on early-stage guidance, too many launches went from hype to zero because founders made avoidable rookie mistakes. Incubation is how we help you avoid them.
Apply to the incubator or reach the team directly, we'll help you capitalize, build, and accelerate your launch.