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 pledge of $1 million to the Hedera Africa Hackathon.
The pledge reflects Hashgraph Ventures’ broader mandate to back high-growth early-stage ventures that are building solutions across blockchain, AI, and deep technology
Abu Dhabi, UAE on 8 January.
The continent’s largest Web3 Innovation event is aimed at accelerating digital transformation and economic inclusion across Africa. Exceptional, selected projects from the hackathon will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis for potential investment.
This initiative reflects Hashgraph Ventures’ broader mandate to back and support exceptional high-growth, early-stage ventures and projects building real-world solutions across blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), and deep technology.
Together with The Hashgraph Association, a Swiss non-profit driving global Hedera ecosystem adoption, and Exponential Science Foundation, a global organisation inventing, building, and investing in breakthrough technologies that accelerate human progress, this partnership marks a milestone in advancing Africa’s next generation of decentralised builders.
With participation from United Gulf Financial Services (UGFS), total equity investment commitments now stand at $2 million, in addition to 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 under ADGM’s globally recognised financial framework, ensuring full transparency, governance, and investor protection. The fund is led by a seasoned team of blockchain investors and fund managers with successful global exits and deep experience 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,” noted Kamal Youssefi, President of The Hashgraph Association.
He added, “We believe Africa’s developer ecosystem holds immense potential to shape the future of decentralised 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.”
Empowering 13,000 developers and 1,300 startups across 20+ cities
The Hedera Africa Hackathon 2025 launched on 1 August, 2025, through 31 October, 2025, engaged developers, entrepreneurs, and students across more than 20 African cities.
Participants were tasked with developing Hedera-powered solutions in key verticals including finance, healthcare, telecom, sustainability, agriculture, and manufacturing, with a strong focus on the convergence of AI, IoT, robotics, and quantum computing.
By combining online and onsite participation, the hackathon registered 13,000 developers and generated 1,300 project submissions, positioning it as the largest decentralised innovation initiative in Africa’s history.
Strategic partnerships for scalable impact
The Hashgraph Association and Exponential Science Foundation, as the main partners driving the hackathon, were also supported by a powerful 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 managing 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.
About Hashgraph Ventures
Hashgraph Ventures is a strategic venture capital fund regulated and licensed by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) within Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). The fund invests in Web3, AI, and deep-tech companies that drive adoption of distributed ledger technology and digital assets.
With a portfolio spanning early-stage and growth-stage opportunities, Hashgraph Ventures focuses on token-equity hybrid models, AI-integrated infrastructure, and real-world asset tokenisation, aiming to generate outsized, sustainable returns for institutional investors.
This investment also reinforces Abu Dhabi’s growing role as a global center for regulated digital-asset management and venture innovation, supporting the FSRA’s vision for transparent, compliant, and responsible capital deployment. For more information, visit www.hashgraphvc.com.
About the Hashgraph Association
The Hashgraph Association is a Swiss non-profit supporting training, certification, and innovation programs for Hedera-powered solutions. Its mission is to drive economic inclusion and sustainable development through decentralised technology. Learn more at www.hashgraph-association.com.
About Exponential Science Foundation
Exponential Science Foundation, led by Dr. Paolo Tasca and Nikhil Vadgama, accelerates the responsible adoption of emerging technologies through research, education, and innovation. The foundation focuses on the intersection of blockchain, AI, and deep-tech to solve complex global challenges. Visit www.exp.science.
About Hedera
Hedera is a leading enterprise-grade distributed ledger network governed by a council of global organisations. It enables the tokenisation of real-world and digital assets with high throughput, energy efficiency, and predictable costs.
Hedera powers secure, scalable, and compliant decentralised applications across industries. More information at www.hedera.com.
