Aptos Winter School at IIT Bombay

Yes, only bachelor’s, master’s students and PhD students in India are eligible to apply for the program.

Selection is primarily rooted in your previous experience in blockchain, web, mobile, and game development. We evaluate your past projects, hackathon participations, and internships. 

Moreover, we give significant weight to the unique project ideas you submit as part of your application. We encourage candidates to delve into the Aptos ecosystem and come up with fresh, impactful project ideas.

It's worth noting that areas like wallets, NFT collections, and exchanges are already well-represented on Aptos.

Yes, submitting project ideas is part of the application process; these ideas offer us insight into your expertise and understanding of the blockchain space. Your project ideas are one of several factors considered in our selection process. 

Having a set partner or pre-existing team is not required. We assess applicants based on individual merit and experience, there will be plenty of opportunities to form teams during Winter School.

That said, if you already have preferred teammates in mind, you can indicate this on your application.

While it isn’t a strict requirement for the application, all accepted students are expected to familiarize themselves with the basics of blockchain technology, smart contracts (Move Modules on Aptos), the Move language, Aptos token standards, Aptos SDK, and any frontend or backend languages supported by the Aptos SDK before Winter School commences. Having this knowledge ensures active participation and is vital for maximizing the Winter School experience.

Additionally, as the Aptos blockchain is built using Rust, having some familiarity with it can be advantageous, but is not mandatory.

While it's not a strict requirement, having blockchain experience can be advantageous  given the competitive nature of the program. Our ideal candidates are those who are enthusiastic about blockchain and have a track record of app development.

The Winter School curriculum spans 14 days, offering a blend of educational sessions and hands-on project development.

The opening days are packed with enlightening talks and tutorials delivered by seasoned researchers and prominent members of the Aptos ecosystem. 

Key topics include:

• Overview of Aptos ecosystem projects.

• Introduction to Aptos token standards.

• Deep dive into the Aptos dev platform, encompassing the SDK, APIs, and Indexer.

• Best practices in Move coding.

• Techniques and considerations for selecting impactful projects.

Aptos Labs CEO, Mo Shaikh, will lead a special session on:

• The art of storytelling in the Web3 space.

• Strategies for raising venture capital funding.

• Insights on building a successful business in the Web3 domain.

After absorbing the knowledge from the sessions, students are encouraged to network with peers and form teams, ideally consisting of three members. These teams will then delve into the Aptos ecosystem, brainstorming potential project ideas. They'll have the advantage of receiving 1-1 guidance from mentors during this ideation phase.

The remaining days are dedicated to turning those ideas into tangible projects. Students, now grouped in their respective teams, will work intensively on developing their projects, always with the support and guidance of the Aptos ecosystem mentors.

During this time, researchers, IIT Bombay Trust Lab professors and Aptos industry experts will continue to dive deeper into the Aptos infrastructure and the broader blockchain ecosystem beyond Aptos in ongoing talks.

The Winter School experience culminates on Demo Day, where teams get to showcase the fruits of their hard work and innovative projects they've developed over the program.

Please note that the Winter School curriculum is subject to change.

The Winter School boasts a lineup of distinguished speakers including:

• Mo Shaikh - CEO, Aptos Labs

• Dr. Avery Ching - CTO, Aptos Labs

• Prof. Saravanan - IIT Bombay Trust Lab

• Prof. Vinay Ribeiro - IIT Bombay Trust Lab

• Pranav Raval - Head of Blockchain Core, Aptos Labs

• Dr. Sasha Spiegelman - Researcher, Aptos Labs

• Dr. Rati Gelashvili - Researcher, Aptos Labs

• Dr. Balaji Arun - Research Engineer, Aptos Labs

• Dr. Satya Vusirikala - Research Engineer, Aptos Labs

• Vinayak Rao - Head of Aptos Gaming Ecosystem, Aptos Labs

• Naresh Kumar - Head of Aptos India Ecosystem, Aptos Foundation

• Kevin Hoang - Aptos Ecosystem Tech Lead, Aptos Labs

• Greg Nazario - Aptos SDK Tech Lead, Aptos Labs

Mentors for the program include:

• Dr. Satya Vusirikala - Research Engineer, Aptos Labs

• Vinayak Rao - Head of Aptos Gaming Ecosystem, Aptos Labs

• Naresh Kumar - Head of Aptos India Ecosystem, Aptos Foundation

Additional mentors from the Aptos core team will be virtually available for office hours. 

Please note that the list of speakers and mentors is subject to change.

No, virtual attendance is not available. Selected candidates must be physically present at IIT Bombay for the entire duration of the program.

A maximum of 60 students will be selected for Winter School.

The Aptos Foundation will cover participants' accommodation and meals from Dec. 9 - 25 at IIT Bombay. Accepted students’ travel expenses in the form of 3rd class AC train to and from IIT Bombay, will also be provided via Trust Lab.

If participants choose alternative transportation methods, the amount in excess of the 3rd class AC train fare will be their responsibility to pay.

All travel reimbursement processes and associated cost determinations will need to be submitted for reimbursement through IITB Trust Lab. 

Yes, all students must bring their own laptops to participate in Winter School.

Yes! At the end of Winter School, the Aptos Foundation may award milestone-based developer grants to some of the top projects. Those awarded with Aptos Foundation grants are expected to outline three milestones they aim to achieve over the subsequent four months.

These milestones should encompass a successful launch of the Dapp on the Aptos Mainnet, making it accessible to the public. Any grant funding is subject to recipients entering into a grant agreement with Aptos Foundation.

Moreover, we encourage teams to approach their projects with an entrepreneurial mindset, akin to a startup. By doing so, you can focus on acquiring end users and scaling your solution.

Projects that demonstrate significant success in user acquisition may be presented with further grant opportunities as well as extended mentorship and support to aid you along your entrepreneurial journey. 

Ensure you are fully informed about the program's rules and guidelines before applying. Read them here.

For any additional queries or support, you can reach out to Naresh Kumar, Head of Aptos India Ecosystem, at nkumar@aptosfoundation.org.