Swiss Investment Company Crypto Valley Venture Capital will use its new Cape Town office to look for early-stage startups in Africa.
More and more blockchain applications are being implemented across the African continent. According to the 2020 Global Crypto Adoption Index, South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria have the highest rates of crypto and blockchain adoption worldwide. It was highlighted that there is a very high understanding of the potential of this technology in South Africa in particular.
Crypto Valley Venture Capital’s goal in Africa, together with partners from the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and local stakeholders, is to invest in 100 startups that have the potential to tackle the challenges of the African continent over the next four years. The SECO signed a special agreement with Crypto Valley Venture Capital.
The joint project aims to support the development of an independent ecosystem in South Africa by transferring know-how and experience from Swiss Crypto Valley to serve as a hub for Africa.
Crypto Valley Venture Capital is seeking to leverage upon the aspirations of the Swiss Government, which is setting a foreign policy focus on its Africa Strategy.
“The region is becoming increasingly important, also for Switzerland,” says Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, referring to Africa’s significant political, economic, cultural and scientific potential.
For this reason, Crypto Valley Venture Capital is opening an office in Cape Town in close cooperation with local stakeholders, such as co-working spaces, entrepreneurs, investors, authorities and universities.
“We are happy to start our Africa chapter with an initial foothold in South Africa, a thriving hub for entrepreneurs, developers and creatives and an already well-established startup and technology ecosystem. With the experience and know-how from Crypto Valley, including infrastructure providers, an enabling regulatory framework and our global network, we will be able to accelerate growth for blockchain startups and grow the blockchain ecosystem in all of Africa”, said Mathias Ruch, CEO and founder of Crypto Valley Venture Capital .
Crypto Valley Venture Capital has appointed Gideon Greaves as its new Managing Director Africa, located in Cape Town.
“I’m incredibly excited to be a part of Crypto Valley Venture Capital ‘ journey into Africa. Being a leapfrog population, we are in a prime position to adopt this disruptive technology and I believe this continent can lead the crypto and blockchain charge”, commented Gideon Greaves.
Managing Director Africa, CV VC
In close cooperation with the University of Zurich, the Swiss Embassy in South Africa will establish a blockchain chair at the University of Johannesburg in September, financed in equal parts by Switzerland and South Africa.
To promote the blockchain startup ecosystem in Africa, the Crypto Valley Venture Capital Africa Advisory Board will be launched with high-profile individuals from the sub-Saharan region (South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Congo and other countries).
As its first member, Cape Town-based entrepreneur and co-founder of Proof of Impact, Fleur Heyns, will help connect Crypto Valley Venture Capital with business, political, academic and community figures. Crypto Valley Venture Capital already has a Global Advisory Board, chaired by Philipp Rösler, former German Vice-Chancellor and Director of the World Economic Forum
Application for the startup incubation program in Switzerland
Early-stage startups building applications based on blockchain technology will join the global CV Labs incubation program in Zug, Switzerland. The next program starts at the end of September. Applications are open via cvlabs.com/incubation.
The five most promising projects will be invited to the program in Switzerland or virtually, depending on the pandemic situation. The selected startups will receive an investment of up to $125,000 or R1.8 million.
In addition, investors can participate in the growing startup portfolio of the Zug-based company through investment products launched in cooperation with Swiss Asset Manager partners. The first “Technology for Tomorrow” certificate has just been launched.
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