Coinbase, Fabric Ventures, Animoca Brands and Founders Factory have completed the first cohort of their UK Web3 and AI accelerator, R[3]sidency. The programme selected eight startups from more than 800 applications.
Each project received USD $300,000 in cash, along with mentoring and workshops led by entrepreneurs and industry specialists. The cohort was also presented to more than 40 early-stage investors at a London demo day.
Launched earlier this year, R[3]sidency aims to strengthen the UK’s position in Web3 innovation. The initiative is focused on financial technology, digital assets and the use of artificial intelligence in new online services.
The eight selected companies span several areas of fintech and software. They include Auto, which is developing an AI-based wallet for on-chain execution, and Kash, a prediction market protocol designed to sit within social media feeds.
Also in the cohort are Lexifina, which focuses on workflow automation for small and medium-sized law firms, and Poll, which is building a betting layer for group chats. Robin Markets is developing banking services for prediction markets, while Rosetta is targeting exchanges, fintech groups and on-chain allocators with software for deploying capital into yield strategies.
WEB is building tools for founders and communities to create and fund projects, while Unified is developing infrastructure intended to let asset managers use crypto assets as collateral to access traditional financial markets.
The programme brings together a crypto exchange, an early-stage technology investor, a digital assets investor and a startup builder. According to the organisers, mentors included representatives from the Ethereum Foundation, Betfair, Sky Mavis and Wintermute.
Competition for places was intense, with just eight teams admitted from more than 800 applications. The selective intake suggests the backers are prioritising depth over scale at a time when investors are closely watching how AI and blockchain may intersect in financial services and software infrastructure.
Keith Grose, chief executive officer of Coinbase UK, linked the programme to the country’s broader technology and financial strengths.
“The UK has an incredible density of entrepreneurial and technical talent. With leading global universities like Cambridge and Oxford, and being home to one of the world’s leading financial centres in London, we are optimistic that UK startups will find success building the future of finance. More broadly, we believe the UK can be a true global hub for crypto innovation. Collaborating with leading firms in support of UK startups and entrepreneurs is part of how we are supporting the UK to realise this potential,” said Keith Grose, chief executive officer of Coinbase UK.
UK focus
The launch comes as the UK competes for fintech and digital asset investment with markets including the US, Singapore and parts of the European Union. London remains a major financial centre, while Britain’s startup ecosystem has produced companies in payments, digital banking and financial software.
At the same time, crypto businesses and blockchain startups face a more demanding funding environment than they did during the market’s boom years. That has pushed many founders towards narrower business models, clearer revenue plans and products that appeal to both crypto-native users and mainstream financial institutions.
The inclusion of projects in legal software, prediction markets, collateral management and treasury-style tools reflects that shift. Several of the selected startups appear to be focused on infrastructure and workflow challenges rather than consumer speculation alone.
Fabric Ventures co-founder and managing partner Richard Muirhead said the small intake was deliberate.
“R[3]sidency is small by design. Eight teams from over 800 applications, because these founders building the machine economy need deep attention in their first months. This cohort of pathologically focused builders is shipping the financial, legal and coordination rails that autonomous agents need to operate. From programmable stablecoins for AI to legal infrastructure for software that signs contracts. The UK has a once-in-a-generation chance to build these tracks for our AI future. R[3]sidency exists to find the founders already living in that future,” said Richard Muirhead, co-founder and managing partner at Fabric Ventures.
Founders Factory has built and funded more than 450 technology companies since 2015, while Animoca Brands has invested in more than 600 companies and digital assets. Coinbase, which is listed on Nasdaq, has also sought to expand its role in startup support alongside its core crypto trading and infrastructure businesses.
The accelerator’s first cohort highlights where some investors believe new UK startups may find openings: in software that connects artificial intelligence, digital assets and financial systems, and in tools built for a market moving beyond pure crypto trading.
