CV Labs fifth global blockchain startup accelerator

‍29 Mar 2023. Zug, Switzerland. CV Labs, the heartbeat of Crypto Valley, today announced Batch_05 of its global blockchain business accelerator. Nine pioneering startups were selected from over sixty countries based on the impact and utility that their solution will bring. Pioneers from 9 countries, including Australia, Estonia, Kenya, Netherlands, Nigeria, Poland, South Africa, USA, and Switzerland, will leverage blockchain technology to tackle current issues.

• Batch_05 startups will provide impact solutions to global socioeconomic, and climate challenges
• Some participants in the Batch_05 cohort are at the rockface of building infrastructure for the Web3 sector itself
• The CV Labs Accelerator is unique in that it is not aligned to any one blockchain protocol
• The CV Labs Accelerator provides each participant up to USD $135,000 capital, access to other capital avenues, one-on-one mentorship, and customized growth hacks for blockchain entrepreneurs
• CV Labs is the ecosystem business pillar of CV VC, the Swiss-headquartered global blockchain investor. With locations in Switzerland, Liechtenstein, South Africa, Germany, and Portugal, CV Labs nurture a global ecosystem through various activities, including this acceleration program, community-centric co-working spaces, industry events & summits, and advisory & research reports
• The CV Labs Accelerator operates for ten weeks from March 27, 2023

Batch_05 includes brilliant minds in aid money, payments, regenerative finance, data analytics, Web3 dev training, gaming infrastructure, no-code tools, BNPL, and marketplaces.

"The impact of blockchain is enormous, so it is inspirational to work with entrepreneurs who are focused on building solutions that provide a social as well as economic benefit," said Tracy Trachsler, MD Switzerland CV Labs, "Blockchain is wide open for innovators to have a major impact, and our proven accelerator provides founders a valuable opportunity and optimal conditions for growth”.

The program runs from the CV Labs accelerator space in Zug, Switzerland, which has been purpose-built for collaboration. Participants will also benefit from the infrastructure of the broader Crypto Valley ecosystem which is counted as the most mature blockchain hub globally with over 1000 entities operating within the most favorably regulated system. Many of them are located in CV Labs' hi-spec office space.

"Here in Crypto Valley, the home of Ethereum, we have over 6000 people working in blockchain not only creating new financial models but better ways of interacting and transacting across multiple industries, generating greater efficiencies for society. We are very excited about all participants and are honored that we will be joined by teams from Africa where the deeply transformative capacity of blockchain is palpable, daily” said Janis Aquilar, Ecosystem Manager at CV Labs.

The following startups were selected for Batch_05, based on the solution they are building to an identified challenge.

Nigeria - Ivory Pay

Problem - cross-border payment in Africa is still one of the most expensive in the world. Costing an average of 8 to 10% of the value of each transaction

Solution - a payment gateway for African businesses that enables payment in stable crypto across borders at cheaper fees and without FX restrictions

Kenya - Nyayomat

Problem - micro merchants need credit access to purchase products

Solution - working capital support technology through smart contracts executing transactions, enabling merchants to access product capital and repay partners as they make their sales

South Africa - Web3 Sanctuary

Problem - scarcity of skilled Web3 developers

Solution - online training platform to teach software developers how to code for Web3 applications and assist them in getting placed in Web3 developer roles

Poland & USA - Fungies

Problem - game studios are focused on making games and don't always have the resources to make their own storefront or marketplace

Solution - Shopify for the gaming industry that's both Web2 and Web3 compatible

Estonia - Zero-Code

Problem - Web3 has tremendous potential to build effective loyalty & rewards programs, but they are complex and expensive

Solution - a no-code platform with plug & play utilities to build Web3-enabled sites

USA & Australia - Coala Pay

Problem - international aid money is lost before it gets to communities and there is no direct access to the most effective aid actors

Solution - make moving aid money simple, borderless, and programmable, and track the impact. Donors are connected directly to grassroots aid actors

Switzerland - Pyrpose

Problem - lack of engaging climate solutions that ordinary citizens can access

Solution - a marketplace where SMEs and citizen investors can interact, transact and ensure large-scale solutions are funded. Use of regenerative finance where the citizen investor is able to reprogram their digital assets to go directly back into the marketplace and regenerate not only compound returns but also compound impact.

USA - GalaxyX

Problem - developers and Web3 businesses struggle to measure activity on apps, websites, NFT platforms, and games using IPFS for their data storage

Solution - an easy-to-integrate platform/toolset for developers to produce anonymous metrics on IPFS/Filecoin data.

Netherlands - Colecti (sponsored by Lisk)

Problem - NFTs are not accessible to their intended users and only address a small number of traders today

Solution - an easy-to-use platform that offers users and creators easy access to NFT innovation and trading, so those inside and outside the crypto sphere can buy and trade digital assets and forge the next generation of NFTs

Concluding, Tracy Trachsler said “Our acceleration participants will receive world-class training and valuable networks which will undoubtedly set them apart from their competitors and pave the way for long-term success. Likewise, we as an ecosystem business, look forward to learning from these brilliant minds and putting the spotlight on their acumen and ability to transform not just their own industry verticals but that of blockchain”.

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About CV Labs: CV Labs is the heartbeat of Crypto Valley, the world's most mature blockchain hub. CV Labs helps global start-ups, corporates, and investors to leverage blockchain technology and to transform the way the world interacts and transacts.

CV Labs is the ecosystem business pillar of CV VC, the Swiss-headquartered global blockchain investor. With locations in Switzerland, Liechtenstein, South Africa, Germany and Portugal, CV Labs nurture a global ecosystem through various activities, including acceleration programs, community-centric co-working spaces, industry events & summits, and advisory & research reports.

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