Lisk, a leading growth platform for Web3 founders in high-growth markets, has launched the Lisk EMpower Fund, a $15 million venture initiative aimed at accelerating the growth of startups leveraging blockchain technology to solve real-world challenges in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. The fund targets early-stage Web3 companies developing practical applications in areas such as payments, remittances, identity, and supply chain, bridging a major funding gap that has long limited innovation in these regions.
The EMpower Fund has already begun making strategic investments in pioneering startups including *Lov.cash, a South African digital supply chain platform; **Afrikabal, an African Agritech company; **IDRX, an Indonesian stablecoin initiative; and *SigraFi, a venture that finances small gold producers through gold-backed onchain loan notes. Through these investments, Lisk aims to foster digital transformation and financial inclusion in regions where entrepreneurs are creating impactful, technology-driven solutions to local challenges.
According to Gideon Greaves, Head of Investments at Lisk, the fund is designed to shift the focus of venture capital from speculation to tangible utility. He emphasized that while global venture capital markets have become oversaturated, high-growth regions such as Africa and Southeast Asia continue to produce innovative founders solving real-world problems. These markets, he noted, have consistently delivered strong venture returns—9% to 11% annualized over the past decade—highlighting their potential to drive the next wave of global innovation.
The Lisk EMpower Fund goes beyond providing capital. It integrates incubation, advisory, and growth support to help founders refine their business models, strengthen governance structures, and secure future institutional funding rounds. The fund’s tokenized structure also introduces liquidity and accessibility for retail investors—traditionally excluded from venture funds—while streamlining LP subscriptions and providing transparency through blockchain technology. By combining capital and mentorship, Lisk aims to serve as both an investor and strategic partner to emerging founders.
Dominic Schwenter, Lisk’s COO, noted that emerging markets are no longer the future of Web3—they are the present. The EMpower Fund represents a long-term commitment to supporting innovative founders at the intersection of local impact and global scalability. By investing in the essential digital infrastructure of emerging economies, Lisk is helping to unlock a new generation of startups that can deliver both meaningful social change and venture-scale returns, reshaping how Web3 innovation grows across the Global South.
