From Campus to Global – founders shaping the future on Aptos

📖 About Aptos Winterschool

Aptos Winterschool is a 7-day residential bootcamp designed for early-stage founders building on Aptos. From 25th–31st October 2025, 15 - 20 selected teams and 10 selected creators will gather at IIT Delhi for an immersive experience that blends product building, GTM strategy, community growth, and revenue model design.

You’ll work closely with top mentors, investors, and creators to refine your MVP, amplify your reach, and prepare for scale. The top 3 projects from Winterschool will be fast-tracked into the Aptos Global Program, with a chance to access grants up to $50K.

If you’re an ambitious founder or team with an idea and an early product, this is your chance to level up and build alongside the Aptos ecosystem.

👥 Who is this for?

We are looking for builders and founders who are:

Building projects on Aptos or looking to bring their ideas to life within the Aptos ecosystem.

Early-stage but with some progress, not necessarily mainnet-ready.

Team Composition Requirements

Each team should ideally have at least 2 members:

1 Developer → Must have working knowledge of Move language (on-site mentorship will support further development).

And having a Non Tech co-founder is a plus!

Virtual members can continue contributing remotely.

🔑 What to Expect

Team-building & bonding programs → Strengthen collaboration and leadership skills.

Peer-learning sessions → Share knowledge, exchange feedback, and grow together as a founder community.

Mentor-driven workshops → Deep dives into product, GTM, community, and revenue strategies.

Final Demo Day → On the last day, teams will present their refined product, business plan, and roadmap to mentors, investors, and the Aptos ecosystem.

🌍 What Aptos Aims to Achieve Through Winterschool

Aptos Winterschool is not just a bootcamp, it’s a launchpad to bring ambitious founders and creators deeper into the Aptos ecosystem. Through this program, we want to:

Incubate promising projects → Support early-stage founders in refining their MVPs, shaping GTM strategies, and preparing for scale.

Provide early support → Teams will have access to micro-grants during the program, and the most promising projects will advance to the Aptos Global Program where they can secure larger grants (up to $50K).

Strengthen the ecosystem → By bringing diverse teams together on campus, we create opportunities for collaboration, peer learning, and community-driven growth.

Role of Creators

Alongside founders, we are inviting 10 creators to participate in Winterschool. They will be matched with projects to:

Amplify social presence of teams through video content, written storytelling, and creative strategy.

Experiment with different styles of content across Twitter/X, Instagram, YouTube, and blogs.

Contribute to the distribution and visibility of Aptos-native projects.

Compete for recognition and prizes awarded to the best content creators across social media.

This dual track, builders + creators, ensures that projects not only get built but also reach the right audiences, creating momentum inside and outside the Aptos ecosystem.