Hello, world.

We are Forward Research. It's good to meet you.

We are a team that believes that the Arweave network unlocks profound opportunities to build a myriad of new zero-to-one innovations. By changing the nature of information storage itself to a paradigm of trustless permanence, not only does the network unlock the ability to express one's self and their memories over time, it also unlocks the opportunities of ownerless data. By rendering data untouchable by any individual or organization, Arweave has given rise to the ability to create apps that lack any centralized controller or arbiter. This, we believe, will inevitably give rise to a new phase of the web: one where user rights are enshrined in code. Once launched, those rights are honored by these apps in perpetuity.

If an app lets you speak today, it will let you speak tomorrow.

If an app doesn't sell your data today, it cannot tomorrow.

This is the web we are here to foster.

Formed by the founding team of the Arweave protocol, our mission is simple: grow the network. Representing just one pillar in the decentralized ecosystem around Arweave, we see our niche in the development and incubation of new projects on top of the Arweave network that unlock its nascent potential.

We are not alone in our work to push for hyper-scale adoption of the Arweave protocol. We exist alongside well-funded institutions such as the Digital History Association, Community Labs, Hansa Network and Permanent Ventures – amongst many others. Arweave is a truly decentralized ecosystem, united around a single mission.

During our time founding the Arweave protocol, we saw the power of incubating new founders and early stage projects on the Arweave network. Through the Open Web Foundry programme, we were able to help many of the core Arweave ecosystem projects take off – from ARIO, to Redstone, to Bundlr and KYVE. As Brennan Lammy, founder of Kwil recently put it:

Our progress can be directly attributed to the innovation machine that is the Arweave ecosystem.

At the heart of that machine has been the Open Web Foundry. After just two years of operation, alumni projects from the foundry programmes have combined market capitalizations exceeding $500m.

Today, we are announcing the next iteration of the Open Web Foundry: Forward Research's founders in residence programme. Through this programme, we will be taking the next wave of founders in the ecosystem from zero to one, as they build out the apps and infrastructure that will unlock the value of the Arweave network.

If you would like to apply to the founders in residence programme, please contact us here.

To jumpstart the launch of Forward, we are throwing an Arweave research symposium. If you are a builder or a researcher in the Arweave ecosystem, please check out the event details and apply to join us here.

See you on the next stage of the journey!

-- Sam and the Forward Research team