Hashgraph Ventures Strengthens Africa’s Web3 and AI Ecosystem with $1m Pledge
The initiative is being delivered in partnership with The Hashgraph Association, a Swiss non-profit promoting global adoption of the Hedera ecosystem, and the Exponential Science Foundation, a global organisation dedicated to breakthrough technologies.
Hashgraph Ventures Manager Ltd, a licensed and regulated venture capital fund under the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), has pledged $1 million to support the Hedera Africa Hackathon, Africa’s largest Web3 innovation event focused on accelerating digital transformation and economic inclusion across the continent. Outstanding projects emerging from the hackathon will be assessed individually for potential follow-on investment.
The pledge aligns with Hashgraph Ventures’ mandate to support high-growth, early-stage ventures building real-world solutions across blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), and deep technology. The initiative is being delivered in partnership with The Hashgraph Association, a Swiss non-profit promoting global adoption of the Hedera ecosystem, and the Exponential Science Foundation, a global organisation dedicated to breakthrough technologies.
With additional participation from United Gulf Financial Services (UGFS), total equity investment commitments linked to the hackathon have reached $2 million, complemented by a $1 million prize pool provided by The Hashgraph Association and Exponential Science Foundation.
Operating under ADGM’s globally recognised regulatory framework, Hashgraph Ventures emphasised that its structure ensures transparency, governance, and investor protection, enabling the deployment of institutional capital into Africa’s growing Web3 ecosystem. Leaders from partner organisations highlighted Africa’s strong developer base and its potential to drive innovation in decentralised finance, AI-powered solutions, and digital inclusion.
The Hedera Africa Hackathon 2025, which ran from August 1 to October 31, 2025, engaged participants across more than 20 African cities. The hybrid online and onsite programme attracted 13,000 developers and generated 1,300 project submissions, making it the largest decentralised innovation initiative of its kind on the continent. Projects focused on sectors such as finance, healthcare, telecoms, agriculture, sustainability, and manufacturing, with an emphasis on the convergence of AI, IoT, robotics, and quantum computing.
The hackathon was supported by a broad ecosystem of partners, including Orange Middle East & Africa, Sygnum Bank, Taylor Wessing, SwissCoast Saqqara, Object Computing, and DAR Blockchain, which led local execution and community engagement.
