Catalyst Funded Cardano Startup Booths at Rare Evo 2026

[Proposal setup] Proposal title

Please provide your proposal title

Catalyst Funded Cardano Startup Booths at Rare Evo 2026

[Proposal Summary] Budget Information

Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA

50000

[Proposal Summary] Time

Please specify how many months you expect your project to last

12

[Proposal Summary] Translation Information

Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated

No

Original Language

en

[Proposal Summary] Problem Statement

What is the problem you want to solve?

Many Cardano startups lack the added budget for booth spend at essential Cardano community large scale events, such as Rare Evo. Often times, projects can only afford to attened, rather than exhibit.

[Proposal Summary] Project Dependencies

Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

Describe any dependencies or write 'No dependencies'

We will need 5 Cardano projecs to apply/accept the booths, which will be our easiest task yet via Project Catalyst.

[Proposal Summary] Project Open Source

Will your project's outputs be fully open source?

Yes

License and Additional Information

NA

[Theme Selection] Theme

Please choose the most relevant theme and tag related to the outcomes of your proposal

Events

[Campaign Category] Category Questions

Who you’re targeting, how you’ll reach them, and why this matters for Cardano.

We’re targeting Cardano-focused startups and ecosystem projects that have never exhibited at Rare Evo before. These teams may have attended in past years but lacked the budget to showcase their work. By offering five free booths, we’ll reach new builders and innovators, especially global and underfunded teams. This matters to Cardano because it expands visibility, fosters inclusion, and strengthens ecosystem growth through fresh participation.

Provide a list of key activities of your project?

Launch application process for first-time exhibitors

Promote opportunity across Cardano channels

Review and select five eligible projects

Coordinate booth setup and logistics

Provide exhibitor onboarding and support

Promote selected projects pre-event

Capture media and engagement during event

Collect feedback and publish post-event summary

What are your success metrics?

Success will be measured by:

Number of applications from first-time exhibitors

Diversity and quality of selected projects

Booth traffic and attendee engagement

Social media reach and mentions

New partnerships formed at the event

Post-event feedback from exhibitors

Visibility gained for Cardano ecosystem

Inclusion of global and underrepresented teams

[Your Project and Solution] Solution

Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem

Proposed Solution: Rare Network’s Free Exhibitor Booth Program at Rare Evo 2026

Rare Network proposes the allocation of a $50,000 fund to provide five free hard wall exhibitor booths at the Rare Evo 2026 conference for Cardano-focused projects that have never exhibited before. This initiative is designed to remove financial barriers for promising startups and ecosystem contributors who have previously only attended the event due to budget constraints. By offering full exhibitor access at no cost, Rare Network aims to empower underrepresented and emerging teams to showcase their innovations, connect with the broader blockchain community, and gain visibility within the Cardano ecosystem.

Problem Addressed

Cardano is home to a growing number of innovative projects, many of which are early-stage or globally distributed teams with limited marketing budgets. While Rare Evo has become a flagship event for the Cardano community, the cost of exhibiting can be prohibitive for newer or international projects. These teams often attend the event but miss out on the opportunity to present their work, engage with attendees, and form strategic partnerships due to lack of funding.

This creates a visibility gap within the ecosystem, where only well-funded or established projects are able to exhibit, while newer contributors remain on the sidelines. As a result, the full diversity and potential of the Cardano ecosystem is not adequately represented at one of its most important community gatherings.

How the Solution Addresses the Problem

Rare Network’s free booth program directly tackles this issue by offering five fully-funded exhibitor booths to projects that meet the following criteria:

Must be building on or contributing to the Cardano ecosystem

Must be new to Rare Evo (i.e., have never exhibited at past Rare Evo events)

Must demonstrate innovation, community value, and alignment with Cardano’s mission

By removing the financial barrier to entry, this initiative enables high-potential teams to participate fully in Rare Evo 2026. Exhibiting provides these projects with a platform to:

Showcase their work to thousands of attendees, including developers, investors, and community members

Build partnerships with other ecosystem projects and blockchain organizations

Gain media exposure through Rare Network’s promotional channels and event coverage

Collect feedback and refine their offerings based on real-world engagement

Contribute to ecosystem growth by representing the diversity and innovation within Cardano

This program also aligns with Cardano’s broader goals of decentralization, inclusion, and global adoption. By supporting grassroots participation, Rare Network helps ensure that the ecosystem remains open and accessible to all builders, regardless of funding level.

[Your Project and Solution] Impact

Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

Empowering Emerging Builders

Offering free exhibitor booths to Cardano-focused startups—especially those new to Rare Evo—removes a significant financial barrier that often prevents early-stage teams from fully participating in high-profile blockchain events. Many of these projects have the talent, innovation, and community alignment needed to contribute meaningfully to Cardano’s growth, but lack the marketing budget to showcase their work. By providing free booths, Rare Network empowers these builders to present their solutions, connect with stakeholders, and gain visibility that would otherwise be out of reach.

This initiative democratizes access to one of Cardano’s most important community events, ensuring that participation is not limited to well-funded or established entities. It sends a strong message that Cardano values inclusion, innovation, and grassroots contribution—core principles of its decentralized ethos.

Boosting Ecosystem Visibility

Rare Evo is a major blockchain conference that attracts thousands of attendees, including developers, investors, media, and enthusiasts from across the globe. By giving free booths to Cardano startups, the ecosystem gains a powerful opportunity to showcase its diversity and innovation on a global stage. These booths serve as live demonstrations of what’s being built on Cardano—from DeFi platforms and NFT projects to infrastructure tools and social impact initiatives.

This visibility is critical for Cardano’s competitive positioning. In a landscape where other Layer-1 blockchains often outspend Cardano on marketing, initiatives like this help close the gap by leveraging strategic exposure. Attendees who may not be familiar with Cardano will have direct access to its builders, learn about its unique value propositions, and potentially onboard into the ecosystem.

Fostering Collaboration and Partnerships

Exhibitor booths are more than just marketing spaces—they are hubs for collaboration. By placing new Cardano projects in the heart of Rare Evo’s exhibitor hall, the initiative facilitates organic networking with other blockchain teams, investors, service providers, and community members. These interactions often lead to partnerships, integrations, and funding opportunities that accelerate project development and ecosystem synergy.

For Cardano, this means more cross-chain collaborations, more venture interest, and more real-world use cases being built on its infrastructure. It also strengthens the internal fabric of the ecosystem, as projects connect with each other and form alliances that drive collective growth.

Driving Community Engagement and Adoption

Free booths allow projects to engage directly with the community—answering questions, giving demos, and collecting feedback. This real-time interaction is invaluable for refining products, validating ideas, and building loyal user bases. It also helps attendees feel more connected to the ecosystem, as they meet the people behind the projects and see the passion driving Cardano’s development.

For newer projects, this engagement can be transformative. It provides validation, builds momentum, and creates advocates who will support and promote the project long after the event. For Cardano, it means more active users, more builders, and a stronger, more vibrant community.

Creating a Ripple Effect of Opportunity

The impact of giving away five booths extends beyond the selected projects. It sets a precedent for how Cardano can support its builders in meaningful, strategic ways. Other conferences and organizations may follow suit, offering similar opportunities or collaborating with Rare Network to expand the initiative. It also encourages more startups to build on Cardano, knowing that the ecosystem actively supports their growth and visibility.

This ripple effect contributes to long-term ecosystem health. It attracts talent, fosters innovation, and builds a culture of support and collaboration that differentiates Cardano from other blockchain communities.

Capturing Impact Through Media and Reporting

Rare Network will document the initiative through a closeout report and highlight video, showcasing the booths, the teams, and the engagement they generated. This content will serve as a powerful marketing tool for Cardano, demonstrating its commitment to supporting builders and its presence at major industry events. It will also provide transparency and accountability, showing stakeholders how the $50,000 fund was used and the value it delivered.

These materials can be shared across social media, newsletters, and partner channels, amplifying the impact of the initiative and reinforcing Cardano’s brand as a builder-first, community-driven ecosystem.

Conclusion

Giving free exhibitor booths to Cardano startups at Rare Evo 2026 is a high-impact, cost-effective strategy that aligns perfectly with Cardano’s mission. It empowers emerging builders, boosts ecosystem visibility, fosters collaboration, drives adoption, and creates a ripple effect of opportunity. With strategic execution and thoughtful documentation, this initiative will deliver measurable value to the Cardano community and help position it as a leading force in the blockchain space.

[Your Project and Solution] Capabilities & Feasibility

What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

Relevant Experience:

• Founded the largest Cardano community meetup on earth, Rare Evo, hosting over 2,200 attendees in 2024 with 4k attendees expected in 2025.

• Launched 5 figure marketing campaigns for Cardano startup businesses in need of consulting and marketing services.

• Successfully managed a very similar events fund program already for the Cardano ecosystem, distributing 100s of thousands of dollars across multiple global teams to host 15 in-person and another 12 virtual events for Fund 12 Project Catalyst working groups. Throughout the program, we acted as the high level project management and consultancy firm to ensure successful execution and fair use of funds. Additionally, we produced the Fund 12 Launch in Barcelona that had a 6 figure budget and over 100 attendees who showed up in person.

• Active Cardano community leads/builders since 2018, who originated as SPOs and have since grown into the largest events/marketing KOL of the ecosystem.

• Managed millions of dollars in USD worth of events production budgets responsibly over the past 5 years.

• Hosted 10 Rare Social side events worldwide since 2022 at renowned conferences such as the Cardano Summit (official afterparty), Token 2049, Paris Blockchain Week, Consensus, and more, often in partnership with Emurgo, Input Output, Cardano Foundation, Project Catalyst, Intersect, and Cardano startup teams.

• Built a Cardano NFT ticketing platform, claim portal, and customer management system to allow customers to mint our events tickets with $ADA as NFTs on the Cardano blockchain.

• Formed a massive multichain community inside and outside of Cardano to better allow for cross-pollination amongst blockchain communities, in turn naturally onboarding new users to Cardano as we continue to grow.

• An instrumental organization to the founding of Intersect's Marketing & Growth Committee, as well as carrying out the responsibilities of preparing a charter, budget, and overall strategy to gain ecosystem support. Not only are we key to planning the work, but we also believe we are paramount in carrying out certain aspects of the work (i.e. administering the Cardano Community-Led Marketing Fund).

• Responsibly managed and executed on projects raising over 1M $ADA from Project Catalyst with all Proof of Achievements approved, closing projects in a timely and transparent manner

Visual Evidence of Experience:

Rare Evo 2024 Sizzle Reel: https://youtu.be/6njeYWovxGE?si=C1N21XCognC1OXBl

Rare Socials: A 2024 Montage: https://youtu.be/X_ZWhDXwSrM?si=JTmU-MS5jp6cuE7k

Fund 12 Launch Event Produced by Rare Network: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19Jsi_Iy_3HA4tft1qQUTRdRWMhVDqdCq/view?usp=sharing

Looking back at Rare Evo 2024, sponsored by Input | Output: https://youtu.be/cy-iY70mPX0?si=gFN5VyHKekEKo4hY

Rare Cardano NFT Ticketing: https://youtu.be/72xuvn-zTYw?si=wmA425lPmvdk0Or9

GM Cardano GMC Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/live/Yk3-fW5PzuE?si=npF9dcoBGaN7RMDa&t=18816

[Milestones] Project Milestones

Milestone Title

Announce Program & Market on Social Media

Milestone Outputs

Deliverables include public announcements across Rare Network’s social media platforms (X, LinkedIn, Discord, etc.) promoting the availability of 5 free exhibitor booths for Cardano-focused projects new to Rare Evo. Posts will include eligibility criteria, application instructions, and deadlines. Additionally, the milestone includes finalized documentation of the product design, budget breakdown, and project plan outlining the initiative’s scope and execution strategy.

Acceptance Criteria

The milestone is accepted when the booth opportunity is publicly promoted via social media and community is aware of the opprotunity. There will be a period of marketing, before the application portal is opened to creat hype and a limited time to submit.

Evidence of Completion

Completion is verified by uploading all finalized documents and screenshots of social media announcements to a structured Google Drive folder accessible to stakeholders for review and archival.

Delivery Month

1

Cost

25000

Progress

30 %

Milestone Title

Open Application Portal

Milestone Outputs

Deliverables include the launch of a public-facing application portal where eligible Cardano startup projects can apply for one of five free exhibitor booths at Rare Evo 2026. The portal will feature a user-friendly interface, clear eligibility criteria, submission guidelines, deadlines, and FAQs. Backend systems will be implemented for proposal tracking, review workflows, and applicant communication. Promotional materials will also be created to drive awareness and engagement.

Acceptance Criteria

The milestone is accepted when the application portal is live, functional, and accessible to the public. It must allow eligible Cardano projects to submit proposals, view booth details, and understand the selection process. Promotional outreach must be visible across key channels.

Evidence of Completion

Completion is verified by providing access to the live portal and uploading screenshots, backend setup documentation, and promotional materials to a structured Google Drive folder for stakeholder review.

Delivery Month

2

Cost

20000

Progress

50 %

Milestone Title

Impact Report & Highlight Video

Milestone Outputs

Deliverables include a professionally written closeout report summarizing the outcomes of the booth giveaway initiative, including project engagement, booth traffic, partnerships formed, and community feedback. A high-quality video will accompany the report, showcasing all five booths, their teams, branding, and interactions during the event. The video will include interviews, highlights, and visual storytelling to capture the impact of the initiative.

Acceptance Criteria

The milestone is accepted when the report includes clear metrics, insights, and reflections from all five participating projects, and the video effectively showcases their presence and engagement at Rare Evo. Both must align with Cardano’s values and be approved by stakeholders.

Evidence of Completion

Completion is verified by uploading the final report and highlight video to a structured Google Drive folder accessible to stakeholders for review, sharing, and archival.

Delivery Month

3

Cost

5000

Progress

100 %

[Final Pitch] Budget & Costs

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Total Budget: $50,000

Per Booth Package Value: $10,000

Booth Space Rental: $4,000

Booth Build & Design: $4,000

4 VIP Tickets: $1,000 each × 4 = $4,000

Total Value per Booth: $12,000

Discounted Package Cost per Booth: $10,000 (Rare Network absorbs $2,000 in value per booth)

[Final Pitch] Value for Money

How does the cost of the project represent value for the Cardano ecosystem?

Value for Money

This $50,000 investment delivers high-impact exposure for five Cardano projects that otherwise would not have the opportunity to exhibit. Each booth provides a full exhibitor experience, including branding, space, and access to thousands of attendees. The cost per project ($10,000) includes not only booth infrastructure but also promotional support, logistics, and media coverage—ensuring maximum visibility and engagement.

Compared to traditional marketing spend, this initiative offers exceptional value by combining physical presence, community engagement, and long-term ecosystem impact. It also sets a precedent for future funding models that prioritize inclusion and strategic visibility for emerging Cardano builders.

[Required Acknowledgements] Consent & Confirmation

Terms and Conditions:

Yes