EasyA x Polkadot Hackathon Winners Accepted into Y Combinator to Enhance Web3 Development with Gecko Sec

EasyA x Polkadot Hackathon Winners Accepted into Y Combinator to Enhance Web3 Development with Gecko Sec

Two winners from the EasyA x Polkadot hackathon Artemiy Malyshau and Jeevan Juttla have achieved a significant milestone by being accepted into Y Combinator the prestigious startup accelerator known for backing some of the most successful Web3 companies such as Coinbase and Filecoin. The duo first participated in an EasyA hackathon nearly two years ago where they began developing the innovative ideas that would eventually lead to the creation of Gecko Sec a platform designed to empower Web3 developers with secure coding solutions.

Gecko Sec addresses a critical need in the Web3 space by allowing developers to produce secure code rapidly without the hassle of ineffective tools or relying on outdated human penetration tests. The team is focused on enhancing their software specifically for developers working within the Polkadot ecosystem. The security of code remains a top concern for developers in the Web3 industry leading to significant monthly expenditures on security audits.

Reflecting on their journey Jeevan Juttla the CEO and co-founder of Gecko Sec expressed gratitude towards EasyA for their pivotal role in their success stating “What started off at an EasyA hackathon has led to us getting backed by Y Combinator. Big shoutout to Phil and Dom for pushing us out of our comfort zone and getting us here.”

Both co-founders come with impressive academic and professional credentials. Jeevan Juttla holds a First Class Degree in Electrical Engineering from King’s College London and subsequently worked at the UK government’s National Cyber Security Centre where he was responsible for securing sensitive government data. He later joined Binance as a Security Engineer. Artemiy Malyshau also graduated with First Class Honours in Electrical Engineering from King’s College London and earned a Master’s Degree with Distinction in Applied Computational Science and Engineering from Imperial College London.

Gecko Sec joins a growing list of successful EasyA hackathon alumni who have made their mark in the blockchain space. Another notable winner Axal founded by Harvard graduate Ashlan Ahmed has gained recognition and backing from prominent venture capital firm a16z and is set to announce its latest fundraising efforts soon. Collectively EasyA alumni have established companies with a combined valuation nearing $3 billion.

EasyA has garnered significant interest from venture capitalists eager to tap into its pool of innovative startups. While specific details remain under wraps EasyA is planning to launch a fund dedicated to investing in its talented community and hackathon winners. Co-founder Dom Kwok remarked “Seeing our EasyA gigabrains go from launching at our hackathons to getting accepted into YC is testament to the talent density and founder spirit within the EasyA community. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.”

The remarkable success of EasyA’s participants can largely be attributed to the efforts of co-founders Phil and Dom Kwok who have been instrumental in identifying and nurturing emerging talent within the blockchain sector. With a decade of experience in the industry Phil and Dom can often be found at EasyA hackathons actively encouraging developers to pursue their entrepreneurial aspirations. Their own backgrounds lend credibility to their endeavors; Phil has worked at the prestigious law firm Sullivan & Cromwell while Dom has experience from The Blackstone Group the world’s largest private equity firm. Both co-founders have distinguished academic credentials Phil being a top scholar at Cambridge University and Dom graduating Cum Laude from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania as a Joseph Wharton and Benjamin Franklin Scholar.

As the EasyA community continues to flourish Phil and Dom anticipate numerous high-profile fundraising announcements in the coming months indicating that they are only just getting started on their mission to support innovative Web3 startups.