APPLICATIONS CLOSE 23:59 GMT-4 · JUNE 28  —  ··
Season 4 · By YZi Labs

Build From Bhutan's Himalayan Capital.

Start 5 weeks from anywhere. Finish 5 weeks in Bhutan. One cohort unlike any before.

▸ DEADLINE — 23:59 GMT-4 · JUNE 28
3
Seasons run
65+
Startups backed
Global
Iconic stage
$500K
Up to, per team
The Program

Ten weeks. Two worlds.

A 10-week founder program built for teams going long in Web3, AI, and biotech — five weeks online from anywhere, then five weeks living and building together in Bhutan.

PHASE 01

Online

WEEKS 1–5 · FROM ANYWHERE

Onboarding and deep co-building with YZi Labs — the groundwork before you relocate.

  • Go-to-market strategy
  • Hiring & team building
  • Capital strategy
  • Mechanism design
PHASE 02

In person · Bhutan

WEEKS 6–10 · THIMPHU, BHUTAN

The full cohort relocates and lives, works, and ships in the same building.

  • Hands-on workshops
  • 1:1s with leaders & mentors
  • Community sessions
  • Closes with Demo Day
The location · Thimphu, Bhutan

Build above the noise.

Weeks 6–10 take place in Thimphu, Bhutan's capital in the Himalayas. It is a setting for founders to step away from the noise, think clearly, and build with focus — surrounded by mountain air, deep cultural heritage, and a slower rhythm that makes space for sharper work.

Thimphu, Bhutan
Thimphu, Bhutan — Tashichho Dzong, Tiger's Nest Monastery, Buddha Dordenma
Where we invest

What we back.

We invest across Web3, AI, and the places they meet biotech — backing founders building for the long term.

THIS SEASON

A particular focus on the future of global payments — stablecoins becoming the new plumbing of global finance, accelerated by the rise of the agentic economy.

Web3

The new financial stack, the agentic economy, and next-gen DeFi — from payments and stablecoins to institutional on-chain markets.

AI

Agent infrastructure, AI-native trading, chips and hardware, robotics, and the data infrastructure behind physical AI.

Biotech

Where AI meets biotech and health — drug discovery, clinical AI, agentic lab automation, and DeSci.

The offer

Capital, a home, and acceleration.

Up to $500K

Investment

  • $150K for 5% equity via SAFE
  • $350K on an uncapped SAFE
Covered

Infrastructure

  • Accommodation & meals fully covered in Bhutan
  • Dedicated cohort workspace
  • Visa support (founders cover own flights)
  • Partner-credit perks — AWS, CertiK & more
1:1 access

Acceleration

  • Deep co-building on GTM, hiring, capital & mechanism design
  • Weekly workshops + 1:1s with leaders
  • Past mentors include CZ, Yi He & Fortune 500 leaders
Guidance

Learn from people who've built it.

Past mentors include some of the most influential builders in Web3 and AI — alongside Fortune 500 leaders.

CZ
CZ
Co-founder, Binance
Vitalik Buterin
Vitalik Buterin
Co-founder, Ethereum
Balaji Srinivasan
Balaji Srinivasan
Angel Investor, Founder of the Network School
Justin Sun
Justin Sun
Founder, TRON
Yi He
Yi He
Co-founder & Co-CEO, Binance
Sandeep Nailwal
Sandeep Nailwal
Co-founder, Polygon
Ella Zhang
Ella Zhang
Managing Partner, Head of YZi Labs
Viktor Radchenko
Viktor Radchenko
Founder & former CEO, Trust Wallet
Ronghui Gu
Ronghui Gu
Co-founder & CEO, CertiK
Eric Chen
Eric Chen
Co-founder, Injective
Amanda Cassatt
Amanda Cassatt
Founder & CEO, Serotonin
Tom Schmidt
Tom Schmidt
General Partner, Dragonfly
Leonard
Leonard
CEO, Aster
Nina Rong
Nina Rong
Exec. Director of Growth, BNB Chain
Mengdi Wang
Mengdi Wang
Professor, Princeton (AI/ML)
Michael Ma
Michael Ma
Founder, District; Partner, L2 Ventures
Wyatt Lonergan
Wyatt Lonergan
General Partner, VanEck Ventures
Xin Yan
Xin Yan
Founder & CEO, Sign
Athena Yu
Athena Yu
CEO, United Stables
Harry Halpin
Harry Halpin
Co-founder, Nym
Alex Odagiu
Alex Odagiu
Investment Partner, YZi Labs
Erick Zhang
Erick Zhang
Managing Partner, Nomad Capital
Ruizhe Jia
Ruizhe Jia
Assistant Professor, Stanford
Shane Qiu
Shane Qiu
Co-founder & CEO, Bitway
Teresa Goody Guillén
Teresa Goody Guillén
Partner, BakerHostetler
Helen Tu
Helen Tu
Stablecoin Lead, BNB ecosystem

Mentors vary by season — past mentors also include Fortune 500 leaders, with more added each cohort.

The terms

Everything on the table.

Self-qualify in under a minute.

Investment
Up to $500,000
Equity SAFE
$150,000 for 5% (plus other rights where applicable)
Uncapped SAFE
Additional $350,000
Covered
Accommodation, meals & workspace in Bhutan
Founder covers
Own flights to / from Bhutan
Duration
10 weeks — 5 online + 5 in person
Deadline
23:59 GMT-4 · June 28
Apply now ▸ APPLICATIONS CLOSE JUNE 28
Track record

Three seasons, NYSE to Computer History Museum.

Each season brings a select group of startups from around the world to live and build side by side — culminating in a high-profile Demo Day with leading investors and industry leaders.

3
Seasons
65+
Startups across cohorts
3
Demo Days · NYSE · Dubai · SF
Global
NY · Dubai · SF · Asia
EASY Residency Season 3 cohort banner
Format
10 weeks, in-person
Cohort size
~25 startups
Dates
Feb – May 2026
Demo Day
Computer History Museum, Mountain View
Locations
NYC + SF Bay; Asia via Malaysia (Network School)
EASY Residency Season 2 cohort banner
Format
8 weeks, multi-city
Cohort size
22 startups
Dates
Sept – Dec 2025
Demo Day
Binance Blockchain Week, Dubai
Locations
Dubai · SF · NY · Malaysia (Network School)
EASY Residency Season 1 launch banner
Format
10 weeks, in-person
Cohort size
16 startups
Dates
Jun – Aug 2025
Demo Day
New York Stock Exchange
Location
New York

The talent density here is unreal. They don’t just talk theory — they roll up their sleeves to fix your PMF and sharpen your tokenomics. The best decision we ever made.

Shane Qiu · Founder, Bitway

Beyond a great base in New York, EASY connected us with experienced operators, investors, and advisors — highly relevant and impactful at every stage.

Adriano Morelli · CEO, LayerV

EASY Residency gave us the resources, community, and environment to focus on building without distractions. Demo Day felt like a culmination — and the beginning of a new journey.

Elvy Yao · Founder, Trellis Robotics

For a first-time startup, YZi Labs provided exactly the hands-on guidance we needed — workshops and 1:1s that helped us sharpen our thinking and build momentum.

Zhaojian Li · Founder, AgriDynamics Robotics

YZi Labs has been an extraordinary partner and early supporter — Ella, Alex, and the team constantly impress us with their dedication and strong network in our industry and beyond.

Nico Pei · Founder, Supernova

EASY was instrumental in taking Neomera from a blank slate to a fully launched company — an integrated AI and wet-lab drug discovery platform tackling chronic pain.

Rebecca Miao · Founder, Neomera

A transformative experience for 42 and myself — I met fantastic collaborators, mentors, and fellow founders I can trust and depend on. I know they’ll have my back through thick and thin.

Leo · Founder, 42.Space

YZi Labs believed in Saturn from the very beginning, when we were still just an idea — from integration partnerships and capital introductions to strategic guidance on company-building and key decisions.

Kevin Li · Founder, Saturn

The real value of working with YZi Labs isn’t the Demo Day or the brand — it’s being placed in a room where no one lets you get away with vague answers. That pressure reshaped how we think about our product and business.

Winchman Li · Founder, Renaiss Protocol
Moments across the seasons
EASY Residency Season 1 cohort dinner
EASY Residency Season 2 Demo Day, Dubai
EASY Residency Season 2 Demo Day networking
EASY Residency Season 2 Demo Day group photo
EASY Residency Season 1 Demo Day at NYSE
Before you apply

Questions, answered.

Who can apply?+
Founders building for the long term in Web3, AI, and biotech. EASY Residency is YZi Labs' flagship global incubation program — we look for teams who want to find peers, mentors, and investors who share their conviction.
I've applied to EASY Residency before.+
If you've applied before, you're already in our system — there's no need to reapply. We'll be in touch as Season 4 selection moves forward.
What about visas and travel?+
We provide visa support for your time in Bhutan. Founders cover their own flights to and from Bhutan; everything on the ground is taken care of.
What's covered — and what isn't?+
Covered: accommodation, meals, and a dedicated cohort workspace in Bhutan, plus partner credits (AWS, CertiK and more) and visa support. Not covered: your flights to and from Bhutan.
What are the investment terms?+
Up to $500,000 per team — $150,000 for 5% equity via a SAFE, plus an additional $350,000 on an uncapped SAFE. See the full terms.
How is the program structured?+
10 weeks total: 5 weeks online from anywhere (onboarding and deep co-building), then 5 weeks in person in Bhutan where the full cohort lives and builds together, closing with Demo Day.
EASY Residency · Season 4

Start 5 weeks from anywhere. Finish 5 weeks in Bhutan.

Selection is competitive — cohorts are kept deliberately small.

Apply for S4 ▸ DEADLINE — 23:59 GMT-4 · JUNE 28