The Tyk Side Project Fund
A micro-grant programme to help kickstart side projects
The Tyk Side Project Fund is once again open for applications! We’re on the lookout for the most promising side projects that deserve financial support to push it forward. Working on a tech side project? Read on!
What is the Tyk Side Project Fund?
The Tyk Side Project Fund is a micro-grant fund for people doing cool things in our world. It could be a product, a service, a platform, an event… as long as it fits our application criteria, we’d love to hear from you.
We’re not handing out cash (sorry) but, when we get an application that impresses us, we’ll pay for something that’s needed to move a project forward. It could be training, software, hosting, a venue – anything that is going to make a tangible impact, and to a maximum value of £500 so we can help as many side projects as possible.
What we’re looking for
-A software project such as a product, platform, service, or event
-Development to be underway (e.g. at least the first draft of the roadmap is available, or coding has started)
-A solution to an identified problem
-A project with a vision. It doesn’t need to be well-defined or well-written; we just want to see what your goals are
Plus points:
-The product is heavily reliant on APIs or is an API
-Your project is open source
-There is already a minimum viable product
The story behind the Tyk side project fund
Years ago, Tyk was the pipe dream of a frustrated engineer (now our CEO, Martin). All he wanted was a performant, cheap, open source API gateway, but he couldn’t find what he was looking for. So he went ahead and built his own.
It’s how a lot of companies start. You can’t find the thing you want or need so you make it yourself. At some point you find yourself with a fully-fledged company, ordering coffee capsules and pens – but until then it’s a self-generated, self-motivated side project.
And pushing a side project forward comes with all sorts of challenges. It can be a lonely business; it can be hard to get feedback; and more than anything it can be hard to afford the essentials that you need to make a good idea a reality.
We believe in the dynamism of engineers and techies who produce excellent products, improvements to existing ones, useful plug-ins/hacks, and put open data to good use. This kind of energy is changing the world! Moreover, we rely on our vibrant community to make Tyk better for everyone. This got us thinking; we should give a hand to people who share our attitude to help their projects flourish. And that’s how the Tyk side project fund was born.
Got a side project you need support on? Know someone who can benefit from this program? Applications are open until the 16th of April 2023! Apply now here: https://tyk.io/fund
The Tyk Side Project Fund and SideProjects.net are both supporting projects, created outside the typical 9-5.
Collaborating with sideprojects.net has been influential in the outreach we've had so far.
In this interview, we catch up with sideprojects.net to discuss how we are working together to help people building cool side projects.
Earlier this year Tyk funded 10 innovative ideas; some led by engineers yes, but others which were led by medical students, microbiologists, activists and mental health professionals.
What did they all have in common? They were all side projects, created outside the typical 9-5. And none of them could have been done without passion, determination, and a strong desire to make something, well... better.
I'm super proud that Tyk's Side Project Fund is supporting these incredible projects, and excited to announce we're on the hunt for more to fund!
Just tell us what you're working on by 20 December for your chance to be awarded one of our microgrants. Info & application form over at ---> https://tyk.io/fund/
Shoutout to our winners earlier this year: https://lnkd.in/d9yDbEG
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