The program will support winners of the Hedera Africa Hackathon through incubation to seed-readiness from October 2026 to January 2027 

[Schwyz, Switzerland] – October 21st, 2026. Dar Blockchain, in partnership with The Hashgraph Association, Wiki Startup, and UGFS North Africa, today announced the launch of The Web3 Incubation Program, a milestone-driven venture-building initiative designed to transform promising Hedera Africa startup winners and projects into investment-ready startups through a structured, evidence-based methodology. Softstack joins the program as Security Partner. 

Running from October 1, 2026, through January 2027, the Web3 Incubation program will guide 18 selected ventures, with a target of graduating at least five seed-ready companies by the investor Demo Day during the week of January 18, 2027. 

A percentage of the USD 900 K, prize pool allocated to the winners of the hackathon have been set towards supporting those same winners with product development, technical implementation, market validation and execution throughout the Web3 incubation program.  

The intention is moving beyond prize allocations to giving founders the technical and commercial support to build businesses capable of attracting follow-on capital. The Web3 Incubation program is a continuation of the Hedera Africa Hackathon with a focus on converting the hackathon projects into investable companies. 

Building On the Hackathon 

The program builds on the Hedera Africa Hackathon, which wrapped up in April as the world’s largest Web3 hackathon. It drew 13,000+ developers, generated 1,300+ project submissions, and reached 45,000+ participants through education and certification across 20+ African hubs and online, with a $1 million prize pool. 

The incubation program tackles the gap between winning a hackathon and building a sustainable venture. Its 19 selected teams span four continents, with founders from Nigeria, Egypt, India, Brazil, the United States, and beyond. 

“Most hackathons stop when the winners are announced. For us, that’s where the real work begins,” said Jaafar Saied, Co-Founder of Dar Blockchain and Regional Director within the Hedera ecosystem. “This program helps founders turn prototypes into investable companies through clear milestones, technical support, and disciplined capital deployment.” 

Measurable Milestones & Mentorship 

The Hashgraph Incubation Program is a milestone-driven journey from venture assessment to investment readiness. Across four sprints and five jury-audited gates, teams will work against a Seed-Ready Scorecard through 21 workshops, tailored execution roadmaps, one-on-one expert support, and introductions to ecosystem partners and investors. 

Wiki Startup will support venture structuring, execution, go-to-market strategy, and founder readiness. UGFS North Africa will lead investment-readiness support and connect teams with relevant financing pathways. Through its deal platform, Softstack will provide AI credits, product discounts, and deals, alongside security support. 

The curriculum will help teams strengthen their architecture, improve security, and deploy production-ready products on the Hedera mainnet, including its native token and consensus services. 

By the third milestone gate, the program aims for more than 60% of ventures to secure signed letters of intent or launch active pilots. 

Kamal Youssefi, President of The Hashgraph Association, said: "The Web3 Incubation Program reflects our long-term commitment to supporting builders throughout their entrepreneurial journey. By extending support into venture creation, we're helping founders transform innovative ideas into production-ready solutions capable of delivering real-world impact on Hedera."