The concept of "smart money" has long dominated early-stage investing. But in today’s Web3 landscape, founders seek more evolved smart support beyond capital, offering tactical help, deep ecosystem knowledge, and hands-on collaboration.

At ChainGPT Labs, we've seen this shift up close. Web3 builders today don’t just want exposure or funding they want partners who understand the stack, can challenge product decisions, and help them build through ambiguity. And now the numbers are starting to reflect what we’ve seen on the ground.

In a 2023 survey of over 100 Web3 founders by Bloccelerate VC, 72% said they prioritized strategic incubation over traditional VC funding, even when offered larger checks. This isn’t surprising given the evolving market conditions funding has tightened, …