The $15M Bet: Why This Could Be a Turning Point for African Web3

You know how Africa always gets talked about as “the next frontier” in Web3? Someone is actualy showing up with receipts. With the vibrant developer hubs, Web3 co-working spaces & developer grants and incubation programmes everywhere, its probably the golden age for builders.

Especially in Africa.
Yes this is about Lisk.

The Big Move: The EMpower Fund

Lisk just announced a $15 million EMpower Fund — a venture pool dedicated to supporting Web3 founders across emerging markets, with Africa right at the center of the map.

Its designed for post-incubation builders, founders who already have traction, a working product, and a story worth scaling.

Here’s what makes it stand out:

• First cheques around $250K, with follow-ons up to $750K.
• Hands-on advisory
• A tokenized structure, meaning LPs and founders benefit from more fluid participation and secondary liquidity.
• Focus areas with real-world utility: payments, remittances, identity, logistics, and DeFi that actually solves.

How You Could Actually Get It

Alright, here’s the part you came for: how to actually tap into this wave.

1. Be Post-MVP Ready
This is not an ideation fund. Show up with a working prototype, early users, or pilot traction. Data-backed progress beats grand promises every time.

2. Align with Lisk’s Tech
They’re building on an Optimism-aligned stack . That means Solidity, Hardhat, and Ethereum tooling work out of the box. If your product can integrate or deploy on Lisk’s L2, that’s one less friction point in your pitch.

3. Engage Locally
Show up. Attend AyaHQ x Lisk events. Join hackathons. Ask questions. Relationships move faster than emails.

4. Apply Smartly
Initial cheques sit around $250K, with room to scale. Be clear about milestones and realistic about timelines.

5. Think Regional & Global
Don’t stop at Kenya. Build for East Africa, test across borders, and design for scale. Lisk’s network opens pathways into Latin America and Asia too.

6. Brace for the Hard Stuff
Regulation is evolving. Execution is brutal. Competition will get fierce. Tokenized funds come with legal fine print. Don’t over-rely on Lisk; diversify your support systems, investors, and partnerships.

The Bottom Line

Lisk just put $15M on the table and made Kenya a proving ground for serious Web3 adoption.

The pipelines are open:
Roadshows. Hackathons. Builder programs. Incubators.

If you weren’t at iHub when AyaHQ x Lisk kicked off their Nairobi series — don’t stress. More is coming.
What matters is whether you’ll be ready when the next opportunity drops.

Because this time, the frontier isn’t waiting.
It’s building.
And it’s happening right here.