Cardano, a blockchain protocol known for its research-first design and decentralized infrastructure, has officially launched the CV Labs Cardano Accelerator – a high-impact program based in the heart of Crypto Valley.
The 10-week boot camp kicked off at the CV Labs HQ in Zug, bringing together nine promising startups building the next wave of Cardano-native innovations.
[TECH] [WATCH] Swiss Crypto Valley Venture Capital Sets Up Office in South Africa to Invest in African Blockchain Startups: Crypto Valley Venture Capital (CV VC), a Swiss investment company, has set up its f.. https://t.co/6em9h1MzCd via @BitcoinKE
— Top Kenyan Blogs (@Blogs_Kenya) July 15, 2021
The accelerator is tailored to help early-stage founders go beyond Project Catalyst – Cardano’s internal innovation fund – by giving them the tools, connections, and investor readiness needed to scale real-world solutions.
“The CV Labs Cardano Accelerator isn’t just about refining products. It’s about empowering visionary founders to build scalable, lasting solutions on Cardano,” said Giorgio Zinetti, CTO of the Cardano Foundation and program mentor.
“We’re backing blockchain startups that are ready to lead the next phase of crypto innovation.”
LIST | Kenya’s Shamba Records and Nigeria’s Jamit Studios Selected into CV Labs Accelerator Cohort 6 – https://t.co/ywYFlF9k6n
— Africa Updates (@africaupdates) March 16, 2024
Cardano-Focused, CV Labs-Powered
This global accelerator is exclusively designed for projects building within the Cardano ecosystem. It extends the support lifecycle beyond Catalyst and positions startups to attract outside investment, form global partnerships, and break into real-world markets.
With strategic mentorship, technical guidance, and deep integration into the Swiss Crypto Valley ecosystem – which has grown 132% since 2020 and now includes 1,749 blockchain companies – the accelerator creates unmatched access to infrastructure partners, investors, and regulatory expertise. CV Labs itself, based in Zug, supports 197 blockchain ventures and plays a pivotal role in growing Cardano’s reach.
Meet the 9 Startups Taking Cardano to the Next Level
This cohort spans sectors from DeFi and RegTech to identity, DePIN, and agricultural trade — each one aligned with Cardano’s vision of scalable, inclusive infrastructure:
CapturGO (Thailand): Monetizing real-world camera and sensor data through DePIN architecture, bringing hyperlocal intelligence to the blockchain.
Fairway (Finland): Building on-chain verifiable credentials to support global workforce mobility in employment and education.
Farmroll (North Macedonia): A gamified AI agent launchpad combining SocialFi and RWA integration to boost user engagement and token utility.
Flashback (USA): Enabling cross-storage between centralized clouds (e.g., Google, AWS) and decentralized networks like Filecoin, for true data ownership.
GenWealth (Portugal): Tackling Web3 inheritance and key recovery with secure, on-chain legacy planning.
Landano (USA): Solving land registry and property rights challenges in Africa using Cardano-based SaaS solutions for individuals and local governments.
Sky Protocol (USA): Delivering a Layer 2 data availability engine to dramatically reduce fees and increase Cardano TPS – essential for scaling dApps.
Terralima (USA): Connecting African farmers directly with producers and co-ops through a blockchain-powered commodity marketplace.
Brick Towers (Switzerland): Building urble, a programmable savings app enabling families and communities to create self-custodial savings plans, replacing banks with smart contracts.
ADA News: A Look Inside #Cardano’s Big #Blockchain Plans for #Africahttps://t.co/tQaN5cswei
— One Community ADA (1COMM) (@OneCommunityAda) May 25, 2021
Accelerating Real-World Impact
Over the next 10 weeks, teams will work directly with Cardano engineers, refine tokenomics and legal structures, shape their go-to-market strategies, and pitch to VCs – all within Zug’s thriving Crypto Valley network.
This program builds on CV Labs’ legacy of turning early-stage blockchain projects into investable ventures since 2018, while strengthening Cardano’s global momentum in decentralized innovation.
“This program represents Cardano’s evolution – from academic roots to real-world adoption in finance, identity, and sustainability,” said Janis Aguilar, Head of Acceleration at CV Labs.
“It’s not just about building blockchain. It’s about building where blockchain matters most.”
Previous promises and attemps by Cardano and its partners to identify viable and investible startups from Africa have not been successful. Speaking at an Emurgo Africa event organized by BitKE in late 2022, Adaverse, a Cardano accelerator, said it was looking to invest in 300 African startups in the following 3 years.
Adaverse Looks to Invest in 300 African Startups in the Next 3 Years @Adaverse_Acc set up operations in Africa in 2021 and has invested in 25 companies in 2022, all in a space of six monthshttps://t.co/5ZY3Qtp43F @Cardano @emurgo_io
— BitKE (@BitcoinKE) November 25, 2022
This however has not materialized. Instead, Adaverse reported that by December 2024, it had invested in approximately 40 Web3 startups across the continent, far below its target 2 years later.
FUNDING | @Cardano Accelerator, Adaverse, Urges Patience as it Fails to Hit its 300 Startups Investment Target @Adaverse_Acc has invested in approximately 40 African Web3 startups across the continent, way below the 300-target in 3 years.https://t.co/SDZ75XJ2Yq @emurgo_io pic.twitter.com/3XMOmUa9WQ
— BitKE (@BitcoinKE) December 27, 2024
The latest collaboration, backed by CV Labs record across the African continent, is expected to see more success in this regard.
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