Stephen is a co-founder and partner at DFS Lab, leading its investments in early-stage digital commerce startups in Africa. He has also spent time advising global clients on the growth of fintech and ecommerce in frontier markets such as those in Africa, China, and Indonesia.
DFS Lab in collaboration with the Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) has launched a call for applicants for a Blockchain Bootcamp, designed to give early to mid-stage startups in Africa an opportunity to build on Stellar, an open-source blockchain network for financial services and products.
The bootcamp is a three-day design sprint allowing participating companies to answer critical business questions with hands-on technical support and guidance from DFS Lab and SDF. Companies will define a problem, storyboard a solution, and develop a rapid prototype of their innovation. This is an exciting opportunity to support the blockchain-oriented ideas of African developers and startups, equip them with practical tools and education, and provide support to create viable solutions that fit local needs.
The most promising solutions will be awarded prizes from 5,000 to 20,000 USDC. There will be opportunities for follow-on funding for additional grants, including potential investment from SDF’s Enterprise Fund and other investors who will be present at the demo day. Interested fintech companies, blockchain native companies, and crypto-curious companies operating in Africa and looking to advance existing services or embed digital asset solutions into their models for the first time are all encouraged to apply before August 20, 2021.