Plug and Play to Launch Crypto and Digital Assets Innovation Platform with Visa, AllianceBlock, The INX Digital Company, IGT, and Franklin Templeton

SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA, Nov. 15, 2022 - Global innovation platform, Plug and Play, together with founding partners Visa, AllianceBlock, The INX Digital Company, IGT, and Franklin Templeton, has announced the launch of their new Crypto and Digital Assets program in Silicon Valley. The program aims to connect international startups with the founding partners to pilot the startups’ technologies and drive the future of Crypto and Digital Assets as world-class leaders.

“Plug and Play is excited to partner with Visa, AllianceBlock, The INX Digital Company, IGT, and Franklin Templeton to launch our new program and multiply our reach and impact in the crypto space. We look forward to accelerating enterprise-level adoption and bridging the gap between Web2 and Web3,” said Maximillian Jungreis, Head of Crypto and Digital Assets at Plug and Play.

“At Visa, we believe partnerships can unlock a deeper understanding of the emerging use cases in the payments ecosystem,” said Dan Roesbery, Vice President, Global Fintech Partnerships at Visa. “We’re excited to partner with Plug and Play to innovate with fintech and crypto platforms at all stages of the startup lifecycle on new money movement experiences.”

Headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., Plug and Play connects startups and leading corporations worldwide through industry-specific accelerator programs. The founding partners of the Crypto and Digital Assets program will access a global network of startups developing new digital technologies and innovative tools. In addition to our partners' specific interests, Plug and Play's new Crypto and Digital Assets vertical will have four broader focus areas:

Stablecoin Adoption: Stablecoins — cryptocurrencies pegged to an underlying financial asset — have emerged as a leading crypto use-case by providing global access to the world’s strongest fiat currencies. Businesses adopting stablecoins get all the benefits of crypto without the volatility: lower fees, secure transactions, and instant cross-border payments.

Decentralized Finance: By making units of value — stocks, bonds, real estate, currencies, etc. — interoperable, programmable, and composable on blockchains, capital markets will become more efficient and accessible to everyone on the planet.

Crypto Economics: Tokens create opportunities for innovation in capital formation and human coordination that extend beyond the digital world and into the physical. Crypto-economic systems are enhancing access to core commodities like file storage and decentralized wireless — and the business benefits are significant.

Enterprise Blockchain: Enterprise blockchains are networks designed for large companies and organizations. They retain the core benefits of blockchains, such as efficiency and immutability, but tweak the underlying permissions to help businesses with data safety, faster transactions, and better supply chain management.

“AllianceBlock is excited about our partnership with Plug and Play Crypto and Digital Assets. Our ecosystem benefits from their broad network of innovative startups, industry pioneers, and thought leaders, as well as the value that we will provide to the Plug and Play ecosystem as experts in the decentralized space and the infrastructure for builders and developers to build on top of. We share the vision of a participatory economy, one that is fair, transparent, sustainable, and inclusive, and together we are working tirelessly to make that a reality,” said Rachid Ajaja, CEO and Co-Founder of AllianceBlock.

Blockchain technology and crypto economics will transform how we do business on the internet and across multiple industries. Plug and Play Crypto and Digital Assets will accelerate enterprise-level adoption and bridge the gap between Web2 and Web3.

"As we continue our mission to increase access to the wealth of opportunities in the digital economy for both companies and investors, we are thrilled to be a founding member of Plug and Play's Crypto and Digital Assets program in Silicon Valley. Not only will this unique partnership offer deeper connections on the West Coast and Silicon Valley, but it will also allow us to put our leadership and expertise to work as we advise companies on the benefits of participating in the rapidly growing ecosystem of blockchain, tokenization, and cryptocurrency," said Douglas Borthwick, Chief Business Officer at INX. "Together with Visa, AllianceBlock, IGT, and Franklin Templeton, we look forward to working with a variety of companies - from startups to established names - about the digital future and how they can leverage opportunities now to garner long-term growth."

"We believe venture capital is the optimal strategy to invest in the development and growth of Web3 businesses. In our view, the Crypto and Digital Assets team at Plug and Play continues to innovate and identify some of the most exciting Blockchain opportunities in the world,” said Kevin Farrelly, VP/Director of Digital Asset Management at Franklin Templeton.

“As a global leader in gaming, IGT is excited to partner with Plug and Play to accelerate our innovation through a compelling collaborative environment of established industry leaders and technology startups from various sectors,” said Fabio Celadon, IGT Executive Vice President of Strategy & Corporate Development. “IGT stands at the forefront of cashless gaming technology, and working with Plug and Play can further advance our capacities and development potential in the payments space.”

Please apply today for startups, corporations, and venture capitalists interested in joining Plug and Play Crypto and Digital Assets.

About Plug and Play

Plug and Play is the leading innovation platform connecting startups, corporations, venture capital firms, universities, and government agencies. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we're present in 50+ locations across five continents. We offer corporate innovation programs and help our corporate partners in every stage of their innovation journey, from education to execution. We also organize startup acceleration programs and have built an in-house VC to drive innovation across multiple industries. We've invested in hundreds of successful companies, including Dropbox, Guardant Health, Honey, Lending Club, N26, PayPal, and Rappi. For more information, visit https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/

Plug and Play Contacts

Maximillian Jungreis

m.jungreis@pnptc.com

Julia Keinprecht

j.keinprecht@pnptc.com