DFS Lab and Stellar have announced that applications are open for our second Blockchain Bootcamp, designed to give early to mid-stage startups in Africa an opportunity to build on Stellar, an open-source blockchain network for financial services and products. The Bootcamp will culminate in a demo day where companies with the most promising solutions built on Stellar will be awarded prizes from $5,000 to $20,000 worth of XLM, Stellar’s native currency. There will be opportunities for follow-on funding for additional grants, potential investment from SDF’s Matching Fund and other investors who will be present at the demo day.
Application prerequisites
Fintech companies, blockchain native companies, and crypto-curious companies operating in Africa and looking to advance existing services or embed digital asset solutions into their models for the first time are all encouraged to apply. This is an exciting opportunity to support the blockchain-oriented ideas of African developers and startups, equip them with practical tools and education, and provide support to create viable solutions that fit local needs.
Viable use cases that could be explored are:
- Cross-border or multi-currency payments
- Business payments for high-cost corridors
- Reimagining remittances and reducing friction
- Access to financial services
- Safeguarding value
- Multi-currency savings and yield-earning accounts
- Tokenized assets
- Investing in securities
- Other use cases
- Financial inclusion in emerging markets
- Banking
- Payment processing
- Lending
- Payroll
- Treasury management
- NFTs
Companies could also explore new models across asset management, compliance, de-fi (decentralised finance), gaming, charity donations, trade finance, liquidity, and more
The Blockchain Bootcamp
The Bootcamp is a virtual three-day design sprint allowing participating companies to answer critical business questions with hands-on technical support and guidance from members of DFS Lab and SDF. Companies that join the sprint will define a problem, storyboard a solution, and develop a rapid prototype of their innovation. The design sprint will be run virtually and we’ll be operating from East Africa Time.
Bootcamp Dates: The week of April 25th – the exact days to be updated.
Applications are open until the 18th of March 2022 and you can find the application form with the link here
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