The 8Hours Foundation and PlayTable is proud to announce that PlayTable has been selected as one of the blockchain startups to take part in the Spring 2019 Berkeley Blockchain Xcelerator.

The Berkeley Blockchain Xcelerator is a joint venture between Berkeley Engineering Stutardja Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology, Blockchain at Berkeley, and the Berkeley Haas School of Business.

The goal of the Xcelerator program is to support blockchain startups by providing them with knowledge and connections to industry experts. During the program, participants will also gain valuable access to funding experts and Silicon Valley venture capitals.

“UC Berkeley, Silicon Valley, and the Bay Area have become the worldwide hub for the development of blockchain technology” said Professor Ikhlaq Sidhu, founder and director of the Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology. “Currently, there is a lot of hype in the space, but we believe that this new accelerator will give innovators the tools they need to separate hype from reality and pursue ideas that solve pressing business problems and create valuable new ventures.”

The Xcelerator program consists of a 12-week program in which participants will get help with all crucial elements of building a successful technology startup, including:

Funding up to $200k per team

SCET Berkeley Method of Entrepreneurship, Berkeley Haas Entrepreneurship and Blockchain at Berkeley training

Mentorship with notable blockchain and startup advisors

Network connections to Silicon Valley venture and funding expertise

Weekly speaker sessions will take place on the subjects of Technology, the Blockchain Industry and Entrepreneurship. Between these sessions, the teams will get access to the Xcelerator advisors, mentors as well as industry experts, or they can make use of the office space and resources provided by UC Berkeley. Each week ends with a Pitch Session, where teams get to pitch their ideas and progress to industry leaders and technology investors.

On March 19, 2019, the Berkeley Blockchain Xcelerator welcomed its first batch of teams to the recently launched accelerator focused on blockchain startup education and support. Showcasing the breadth of blockchain applications, PlayTable aims to “breathe new life into tabletop gaming.” A digital interface detects physical toys on the screen, which allows toy owners to customize and consolidate toys across different platforms. Currently, about 100,000 people have already joined the waiting list the social gaming platform product.

“We’re making blockchain accessible at a mass consumer level by making it tangible,” said John Dempsey, founder of PlayTable. “You can actually feel it and use it — you don’t have to know a lot about blockchain to use it.”

PlayTable - a blockchain powered tabletop gaming console

PLAYTABLE is the world’s first blockchain-enabled gaming console and the pioneer for “Toy Reality” - the interaction of physical objects with objects displayed on a screen. It bridges the gap between physical and digital play using RFID-tagged objects to breathe new life into board games and educational programs.

Digital context is given to physical objects such as toys used in gameplay for the increased flexibility of game mechanics, ownership tracking, and user customization. PlayTable uses the 8Hours Platform for trustless verification of true ownership of collectibles on the platform.

Showcasing the breadth of blockchain applications, PlayTable aims to “breathe new life into tabletop gaming” A digital interface detects physical toys on the screen, which allows toy owners to customize and consolidate toys across different platforms. Currently, about 100,000 customers have already joined the waiting list for the social gaming platform product.

PlayTable’s unique experience is user-friendly for players of all ages, and serves to make blockchain tangible for mass audiences. Immersive gameplay paves the way for users to understand the true impact of a decentralized back-end, and can provide a positive first impression of the brand-new technology. A familiar experience of play, when enhanced by blockchain, enables everyone to benefit through real consequential experiences without having to understand the underlying technology.

About the 8Hours Foundation

The 8Hours Foundation is a blockchain-based ecosystem for people who connect with each other with meaningful play. The Foundation serves to build a community consisting of Game Developers & Publishers, Players, Manufacturers, Collectors and Token Holders. Learn more at 8HoursFoundation.org.

About the Berkeley Blockchain Xcelerator

UC Berkeley is the world’s #1 public university and ranks as the #2 university for startups and entrepreneurs according to Pitchbook. UC Berkeley has been at the forefront of innovation in emerging technologies, such as blockchain and cryptocurrency. The Berkeley Blockchain Xcelerator was launched to help entrepreneurs start a successful Blockchain company, by tapping into the vast resources UC Berkeley and Silicon Valley have to offer. Learn more at https://xcelerator.berkeley.edu/

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Sources:

https://xcelerator.berkeley.edu/

https://blockchainatberkeley.blog/uc-berkeley-launches-accelerator-to-support-blockchain-startups-ebafd5669eee

https://xcelerator.berkeley.edu/meet-the-teams-berkeley-blockchain-xcelerator-kicks-off-with-first-batch/

https://blockchain.berkeley.edu/