What does SunDAO membership actually include?

Every member gets front-row access to 1-2 live founder pitches per month, participates in real investment decisions from due diligence through term sheet review, and can co-invest between $2,500 and $25,000 per deal. Co-investment is always optional. Beyond investing, members join a 70+ expert network where members do business together: hiring, partnerships, collaborations, and referrals. Additional benefits include personal introductions to relevant members on joining, monthly community calls, Twitter Spaces, event access, and an investor documentation hub.

What is the difference between Individual and Institutional membership?

Individual membership is $750/year and gives full access to deals, voting, co-investment ($2,500-$25,000 per deal), community, and events. Institutional membership is $4,975/year and includes everything in Individual plus: direct access to the Startup Pipeline Directory with 150+ pre-vetted startups, higher deal allocations, the option to deploy capital via your own entity with zero fees or carry, 48-hour early access to deals, the ability to submit 1 deal per quarter for full due diligence, founder warm introductions, up to 3 team members under one membership, event co-hosting and speaking slots, partner visibility across SunDAO channels, private institutional roundtables, and priority access to Career Accelerator graduates for hiring.

How does the SunDAO investment process work?

SunDAO sources 1-2 deals per month across all leading ecosystems including Ethereum, Solana, and Bitcoin. Each deal goes through internal expert vetting by community members, a founder interview by SunDAO co-founders, and a full presentation to members with an investment memo and live Q&A. Every member votes. If SunDAO proceeds, an SPV is formed, legal is handled, and members own shares directly. The process takes 2-3 weeks from sourcing to deployment. Co-investment is always optional.

Can SunDAO members bring their own deals or earn from sourcing?

Yes. Any member can suggest deals, and if a deal they source gets invested in, they earn carry on that investment. Institutional members get a structured benefit on top: submit 1 deal per quarter for SunDAO full due diligence, including expert vetting, founder interviews, and member presentation.

Who leads SunDAO Ventures?

SunDAO was co-founded by Daiana Marculescu and Chris Zhong. Daiana was Ecosystem Lead at the Interchain Foundation, managing a $40M treasury and 25+ teams, and founded Comets of Web3, the largest blockchain community in Central and Eastern Europe. Chris was Technical Director and Board of Management at the Interchain Foundation, and Managing Architect at the Bank for International Settlements. Both have backgrounds across Microsoft, Accenture, and leading Web3 organizations.

Why choose SunDAO over other investment DAOs?

Three things set SunDAO apart. First, the entry point: $750/year and $2,500 per deal versus $24,000+ for The LAO or invite-only access at MetaCartel. Second, the expertise: due diligence runs through validators, security auditors, protocol founders, and VCs. Third, transparency: SunDAO publishes why it passes on deals, which no other investment DAO does. In 2025, SunDAO sourced 11 deals and invested in 4, a 36% conversion rate. Members keep full control with no pooled capital.

Career Accelerator

A venture apprenticeship program that gives students and early-career talent real project experience, mentorship, and portfolio outputs.

Add real work experience to your CV - 3 months at a Web3 venture firm

Join the Program Book a Call

$1,975

Program Fee

3 Months

Duration

Remote

Part-time, Async

4 Tracks

Choose your path

Choose Your Path

Program Tracks

You'll work on real SunDAO initiatives with guidance from experienced mentors on one of these four tracks:

Engineering

Build and contribute to prototypes, tooling, or production features.

Investment

Analyse startups and emerging technologies to support venture and strategic decisions.

Marketing

Execute content, campaigns, and growth initiatives.

Business Development

Support partnerships, outreach, and ecosystem initiatives.

Deliverables

Portfolio Outputs

Finish with documented work you can show

Engineering

Technical Contribution

Production-ready repo, demo, or technical write-up. Work with APIs, SDKs, and infrastructure.

Investment

Research Memo

Publishable investment memo with original thesis, evidence, and risk analysis.

Marketing

Campaign Case Study

End-to-end marketing initiative with rationale, results, and strategic learnings.

Business Dev

BD Case Study

Partnership initiative demonstrating commercial reasoning and outcomes.

All projects become portfolio pieces you can showcase to future employers

3-Month Program Structure

Here's what each month looks like

Month 1

Onboarding & Learning

• Get onboarded into SunDAO initiatives
• Learn frameworks, tools, and workflows
• Understand the startup/venture landscape
• Work on real projects from day one
• Daily feedback and reviews

Month 2

Execution & Delivery

• Work on live projects with real stakes
• Contribute to actual deliverables
• Collaborate with team members
• Build your professional portfolio
• Regular mentor check-ins

Month 3

Portfolio & Career Prep

• Work on real projects & finalize portfolio
• Polish LinkedIn & CV with mentors
• Practice interviews with feedback
• Learn top job boards & start applying
• Receive certificate of completion

Program Benefits

What You Get

Mentorship

Guidance from experienced operators and founders who've built in Web3.

Portfolio

Real project outputs you can showcase to future employers or collaborators.

Experience

Exposure to venture and startup workflows in a real environment.

Certificate

Official certificate of completion issued by SunDAO Ventures.

Community

Access to the SunDAO ecosystem and network of 70+ industry experts.

Opportunities

Top performers may access paid projects or collaborations post-program.

The Opportunity

Why Join

Real Projects

Work on live initiatives across research, engineering, marketing, and business development inside a venture environment.

Transferable Skills

Build practical skills that apply across startups, venture, product, and growth in Web3 and beyond.

Mentor Feedback

Get structured feedback from experienced operators and mentors throughout the program.

Portfolio Output

Finish with documented work you can show: memos, campaigns, technical contributions, or BD case studies.

Global Alumni

Participants from around the world

🇭🇺

"Learning to source deals and build relationships with founders gave me skills I use every day in my BD role now."

Sandor H.

Hungary • Business Development Track

🇦🇺

"Building smart contracts and contributing to real protocol development was exactly the hands-on experience I needed."

Jerry Z.

Australia • Engineering Track

🇮🇱

"The exposure to how venture firms evaluate startups was invaluable. I now understand both sides of the table."

Jacob B.

Israel • Business Development Track

🇺🇸

"Running campaigns for real Web3 projects taught me more about crypto marketing than any bootcamp could."

Marisa T.

United States • Marketing Track

🇷🇴

"Creating content strategies for blockchain projects and seeing real engagement metrics was incredibly rewarding."

Alex M.

Romania • Marketing Track

🇦🇺

Australia

🇺🇸

United States

🇨🇳

China

🇷🇴

Romania

🇭🇳

Honduras

🇭🇺

Hungary

🇮🇱

Israel

🌍

& more

Expert Guidance

Your Mentors

Led by SunDAO Ventures founders and industry experts

Daiana Marculescu

Co-Founder, SunDAO Ventures

• Ecosystem Lead @ Interchain Foundation ($40M treasury, 25+ teams)

• Founder of Comets of Web3 (strongest CEE blockchain community)

• Duke, PMI, NNG, HackerRank, APMG certified

• DAO Researcher, UX Master, Agile Evangelist

Chris Zhong

Co-Founder, SunDAO Ventures

• Technical Director & Board of Management @ Interchain Foundation

• Managing Architect @ Bank of International Settlements

• Senior Architect @ Microsoft and Accenture

• Venture Partner at multi-stage investment fund

Our mentors have worked with

Cosmos

Microsoft

Deutsche Bank

Accenture

P&G

BIS

Duke University

Solana Foundation

Sui Foundation

Your Future

After the Program

Completing the Career Accelerator opens doors to multiple career paths in Web3 and beyond.

Verified Work Experience

Add "Venture Apprentice at SunDAO Ventures" to your CV. Real experience at a real company that employers can verify.

Portfolio of Real Work

Leave with tangible deliverables: investment memos, marketing campaigns, code contributions, or BD case studies you can showcase.

Official Certificate

Receive an official Certificate of Completion from SunDAO Ventures that validates your skills and experience.

Post-Program Opportunities

Paid Projects & Freelance Work

Top performers may be offered paid projects with SunDAO or our portfolio companies.

Job Referrals & Introductions

Access our network of 70+ industry experts for job referrals and warm introductions to hiring managers.

Alumni Community Access

Join the SunDAO Alumni network to stay connected with fellow graduates and ongoing opportunities.

Reference Letters

Request professional reference letters from mentors to strengthen your job applications.

Career Paths Our Alumni Pursue

Web3 Developer Venture Capital Analyst Crypto Marketing Manager Business Development Protocol Researcher Startup Founder DeFi Analyst Product Manager

Enrollment

Program Details

Program Format

Duration

3 months (part-time)

Format

100% remote, flexible schedule

Work style

Async project work + mentor feedback sessions

Timezones

All timezones welcome (async-first)

Output

Portfolio projects + certificate

Pricing

Program Fee

$1,975 USD

Includes:

✓ Mentorship and feedback
✓ Real project work (not simulations)
✓ Portfolio-ready deliverables
✓ Certificate of completion
✓ SunDAO network access

Join Now

Merit-based fee reductions available for exceptional candidates

Career Accelerator

Program Tracks

Engineering

Investment

Marketing

Business Development

Portfolio Outputs

Technical Contribution

Research Memo

Campaign Case Study

BD Case Study

3-Month Program Structure

Onboarding & Learning

Execution & Delivery

Portfolio & Career Prep

What You Get

Mentorship

Portfolio

Experience

Certificate

Community

Opportunities

Why Join

Real Projects

Transferable Skills

Mentor Feedback

Portfolio Output

Global Alumni

Your Mentors

Daiana Marculescu

Chris Zhong

After the Program

Verified Work Experience

Portfolio of Real Work

Official Certificate

Post-Program Opportunities

Paid Projects & Freelance Work

Job Referrals & Introductions

Alumni Community Access

Reference Letters

Career Paths Our Alumni Pursue

Program Details

Program Format

Pricing

Ready to build real experience?

Join the Program

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Program Summary

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