Hashgraph Ventures Manager Ltd, a regulated venture capital fund based in Abu Dhabi has pledged $1 million to support Africa’s largest Web3 innovation event. It signals growing institutional interest in the continent’s digital economy.
Licensed by the Abu Dhabi Global Market, Hashgraph announced the commitment to the Hedera Africa Hackathon. The event focuses on building real-world blockchain and AI solutions that support digital transformation and economic inclusion across Africa. Selected projects will be reviewed for possible investment on a case-by-case basis.
The pledge brings total equity commitments linked to the hackathon to $2 million, following participation from United Gulf Financial Services. This sits alongside a separate $1 million prize pool provided by The Hashgraph Association and the Exponential Science Foundation.
Hashgraph Ventures Joins $2M Equity Pool for African Blockchain Startups
The Hedera Africa Hackathon moves beyond prototypes. Organizers say the aim is to connect African developers with capital, partners, and long-term support. The initiative reflects a wider push to channel structured, regulated funding into early-stage technology ventures on the continent.
The hackathon ran from August to October 2025 and reached more than 20 African cities. It attracted around 13,000 developers and resulted in 1,300 project submissions. Teams worked on solutions spanning finance, healthcare, telecoms, agriculture, sustainability, and manufacturing. Many projects explored the overlap between blockchain, artificial intelligence, and connected technologies.
Kamal Youssefi, president of The Hashgraph Association, said the scale of participation shows the strength of Africa’s developer community and its ability to build systems that can work at national and regional levels.
From an investor perspective, Hashgraph Ventures involvement pairs capital with guidance and access to global networks. Rather than short-term funding alone. The fund operates under ADGM’s regulatory framework, which emphasizes governance and investor protection.
The hackathon was supported by a mix of global and regional partners, including telecoms, financial institutions, law firms, and local Web3 hubs. Organizers say such partnerships are critical if promising ideas are to turn into deployable products.
