Introducing the Neo Polaris Launchpad — Compete for $500,000 in prizes and incubation opportunities
Tags: blockchain, programming, news, web3
Published: 2022-03-08 03:34:42

In 2021 Neo launched N3, the newest and most powerful version of the Neo blockchain development platform. Alongside the release, the Frontier Launchpad was initiated, calling on trailblazers to be the first to take advantage of Neo’s powerful features. Over 700 developers answered the call, sharing in over US $100,000 in prizes and $200,000 in post-event funding.

With foundations firmly established, developers can now look towards the [Polaris Launchpad](https://polaris.neo.org/) for the next opportunity to join the growing Neo ecosystem. Just like the Northstar was a guide for travelers who would journey through the wilderness, the Polaris Launchpad can be seen as a guiding light for developers seeking a home on the Neo platform.
Polaris features five development categories representing the next wave of applications we would like to see come to life on N3.

These categories are:

- DeFi
- Metaverse & NFT
- DAO
- Middleware Incorporating NeoFS/Oracle
- General

Neo is upping the ante, with a $500,000 prize pool and opportunities to receive further funding through Neo’s $200 million EcoBoost program. We are also adding a bonus round, Polaris Plus, in which we will allow the community to vote for their favorite projects with their own tokens. Neo will match these votes through quadratic funding to the tune of a minimum US $57,500.

As always, developers can expect to receive hands-on support from Neo’s global development community to help them bring their projects to life. Neo’s multi-language support provides a range of options, offering a choice between C#, Python, Go, or Java smart contacts. Developers can also take advantage of Neo N3’s full stack of native features, including the NeoFS distributed storage platform and oracles, along with best-in-class tooling.

To register for the Neo Polaris Launchpad, please head over to our [DevPost event](https://neo-polaris.devpost.com/).

## **Competition details**
**Highlights:**

- Three phases: Planathon (optional), Hackathon, Polaris Plus (invite only)
- $500,000 prize pool
- 5 x major prizes of $35,000 each + prize multipliers
- 15 x excellence awards of $8,000 each + prize multipliers
- Minimum of $57,500 to distribute in Polaris Plus through quadratic voting
- Incubation opportunities to the best teams

**### Planathon**
**March 7th — April 5th**

Thomas Edison once said “Good fortune is what happens when opportunity meets with planning.” Building on the fantastic response from Frontier Launchpad we are once again kicking off our launchpad with a Planathon.

Before you get stuck into development, we want you to take some time to really flesh out your Polaris project. This includes evaluating the suitability of your ideas for blockchain, organizing a team, drafting a business plan, identifying delivery milestones, and so forth. We understand that what you develop during Polaris may only be just the beginning of something fantastic.

The teams with the best plans will win “multipliers” between 1.1x and 1.5x that will be applied to any prizes won at the conclusion of the Hackathon phase. For example, if your team wins a 1.5x multiplier and you win a grand prize of $35,000, you will actually receive $52,500.

Not only does crafting a project plan put you way ahead of your competition, it also increases your opportunity to earn! The average prize money won during the Frontier Launchpad was increased by over 42% for Planathon participants!

Further, Neo is actively looking for promising projects to incubate, so this is also a chance to put us on notice and show that you mean business. Short written feedback will be provided to all submissions.

Participants are not required to compete in the Planathon to make a submission in the Hackathon. However, teams that take part in the Planathon will also have the advantage of having their final submission judged against the background of their original plan. This may help judges evaluate the quality of your submission within the bigger picture of your project, and not just the features you were able to deliver within the competition time frame.

Finally, even if you do not win a multiplier in the Planathon, getting feedback on your ideas could be critical to adjusting your project concepts so you’re better positioned to win a Hackathon prize.

Multipliers will be awarded to teams on **April 11th**.


**### Hackathon**
**April 12th — May 9th**

Submissions for the Hackathon phase of the Polaris Launchpad open after the results of the Planathon have been announced. This is when you put your skills to the test and start building your project.

If you need help getting started, visit Neo’s Developers Portal to find documentation, tutorials, and tooling options. If you haven’t already, please join the Neo Discord, where the Neo community (who is responsible for many of the tools you will be using) will be ready and waiting to provide support, advice, and encouragement.

Submissions for the development phase close on May 9th. Our esteemed Polaris Launchpad judges will review all entries and announce the winners on **May 30th**.

### **Polaris Plus**
**June 8th — June 21st**

Following the conclusion of the Hackathon, a bonus Polaris Plus round will be held, in which the Neo community gets to decide the winners.

The best Hackathon submissions, regardless of whether they received awards or not, will be invited to join us on Dorahacks for a round community voting. In this special event, GAS token holders will be able to use their funds to vote for their favorite projects. Neo has set aside a minimum of $57,500 to match these votes through quadratic means.
Further, due to the structure of the Polaris Launchpad, the maximum prize pool that can be distributed to Hackathon participants is $442,500 — depending on each team’s performance during the Planathon. Any leftover prize money will be allocated to Polaris Plus, meaning that the total amount to be distributed may rise.

This is a chance for the Neo community to have its say on which projects it would like to see grow within the Neo ecosystem. Polaris Plus participants will have one week between the conclusion of the Hackathon and the beginning of Polaris Plus to make any final adjustments to their projects before the quadratic voting round starts.

Voting will close on **June 21st**.

## **Prizes**

### **Planathon**

Multipliers of between 1.1x and 1.5x will be awarded to outstanding plans. Short written feedback will be provided for Planathon submissions.

### **Hackathon**

**Grand Prizes** will be awarded to the best overall project in each of the following categories (five total):

- DeFi
- Metaverse & NFT
- DAO
- Middleware Incorporating NeoFS/Oracle
- General

Each Grand Prize winner will receive:

- US $35,000 in NEO tokens
- Entry into the Neo EcoBoost program for incubation support.
- Entry into the Polaris Plus community voting round for additional prizes.

**Excellence Awards** will be awarded to projects that have demonstrated excellent technical execution across any category and will receive (15 total):

- US $8,000 in NEO tokens
- A one-hour consultation with NGD EcoGrowth to discuss your project and its goals.
- Entry into Polaris Plus community voting round for additional token bonus.

**Polaris Plus entry** may be awarded to projects that did not qualify for a Grand Prize or Excellence Award.

### **Polaris Plus**
Neo will match community voting via quadratic means up to a minimum of $57,500 in value. This figure may rise depending on the total prizes awarded during the Hackathon phase.

We can’t wait to see what you all deliver during this exciting event. As always, the Neo development community will be on hand to guide you and assist you with any questions you might have. Please don’t forget to join the Neo Discord and head over to DevPost to register your participation in the Polaris Launchpad.

For more information on the Neo Polaris Launchpad visit the following links:
[polaris.neo.org](https://polaris.neo.org/)
[neo-polaris.devpost.com](http://neo-polaris.devpost.com/)

**Learn more**

[Neo official website](https://neo.org)
Follow Neo on Twitter: [@Neo_Blockchain](https://twitter.com/neo_blockchain[](url))
Join the Neo community: [Discord](https://discord.gg/ZEe9ecgtAu) / [Telegram](https://t.me/NEO_EN)