Grace Ashiru
Hashgraph Ventures Manager Ltd (“Hashgraph Ventures”), a licensed and regulated venture capital fund under the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), has announced a $1 million pledge to the Hedera Africa Hackathon, the continent’s largest Web3 innovation event focused on accelerating digital transformation and economic inclusion across Africa. Exceptional projects selected from the hackathon will be assessed on a case-by-case basis for potential investment.
This initiative underscores Hashgraph Ventures’ broader mission to back and support exceptional high-growth, early-stage ventures and projects developing real-world applications across blockchain, AI, and deep technology. In collaboration with The Hashgraph Association—a Swiss non-profit advancing global Hedera ecosystem adoption—and Exponential Science Foundation—a global organisation inventing, building, and investing in breakthrough technologies that accelerate human progress—this partnership represents a milestone in strengthening Africa’s next generation of decentralized builders.
With participation from United Gulf Financial Services (UGFS), total equity investment commitments now reach $2 million, alongside a $1 million prize pool contributed by The Hashgraph Association and Exponential Science Foundation.
Driving Institutional Capital into Africa’s Web3 Future
As a regulated venture capital vehicle, Hashgraph Ventures operates within ADGM’s globally recognized financial framework, ensuring full transparency, governance, and investor protection. The fund is managed by an experienced team of blockchain investors and fund managers with successful global exits and extensive expertise deploying institutional capital across the digital asset landscape.
“We are pleased that Hashgraph Ventures will be pledging $1 million to the Hedera Africa Hackathon as this not only reflects their commitment to support scalable, real-world adoption of DLT but also of the success that the Hedera Africa Hackathon has achieved becoming the largest Web3 hackathon globally,” said Kamal Youssefi, President of The Hashgraph Association.
He added, “We believe Africa’s developer ecosystem holds immense potential to shape the future of decentralized finance, AI-driven innovation, and digital inclusion. The Hashgraph Association is keen to build the Web3 ecosystem across Africa and globally through partnerships such as the one with Hashgraph Ventures, Exponential Science, United Gulf Financial Services and others. This is just the beginning!”
Dara Campbell, Senior Executive Officer of Hashgraph Ventures, added, “We’re incredibly excited to support the next wave of Web3 and AI talent emerging from Africa and other high-growth markets. Our $1 million pledge goes beyond capital and brings the full weight of our global network and strategic partnerships across the Middle East, the US, and Asia to help founders scale. This hackathon aligns perfectly with our mission to empower emerging builders through tangible investment, institutional guidance, and long-term value creation.”
The Hedera Africa Hackathon 2025 ran from August 1st, 2025, through October 31st, 2025, engaging developers, entrepreneurs, and students across more than 20 African cities. Participants were challenged to build Hedera-powered solutions across key verticals including finance, healthcare, telecom, sustainability, agriculture, and manufacturing, with a strong emphasis on the convergence of AI, IoT, robotics, and quantum computing.
Through a combination of online and onsite participation, the hackathon registered 13,000 developers and produced 1,300 project submissions, positioning it as the largest decentralized innovation initiative in Africa’s history.
Strategic Partnerships for Scalable Impact
The Hashgraph Association and Exponential Science Foundation served as the main partners driving the hackathon, supported by a strong network of organisations including Orange Middle East & Africa, UGFS, Sygnum Bank, Taylor Wessing, SwissCoast Saqqara, Object Computing, and DAR Blockchain—the Tunisian-based Web3 hub overseeing on-the-ground execution and community engagement.
“We are committed to the Hedera Africa Hackathon because we believe in the strong potential within the continent for the development of emerging technologies. We are pleased to see additional commitments to supporting the region, and hackathon, from investment firms and funds such as UGFS and Hashgraph Ventures,” said Dr. Paolo Tasca, Executive Chairman of Exponential Science Foundation.
