Lisk has unveiled the EMpower Fund, a $15 million venture initiative designed to bridge the capital gap for Web3 startups across Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. The fund targets post-incubation ventures building real-world solutions in high-growth economies, where blockchain adoption has shifted from speculative interest to necessity. With this launch, Lisk aims to address systemic underfunding while preparing founders for global scale.
Addressing a Persistent Capital Gap
Emerging markets have long been overlooked by traditional venture capital despite their rapid technology adoption and resilience. According to Crunchbase and AVCA, less than five percent of global venture funding reached Africa and Latin America in 2022, leaving many Series A–ready startups stuck at the seed stage. Lisk sees this mismatch between demonstrated product traction and limited funding access as a major opportunity for investors and founders alike.
Strong Returns in Emerging Economies
While Western venture markets have cooled, emerging regions have outperformed public benchmarks over the last decade. Data from Cambridge Associates shows funds in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America have consistently delivered 9 to 11 percent annualized net returns, surpassing U.S. venture performance, which has recently turned negative. Lisk believes this trend signals the start of a generational bull run, driven by the adoption of fintech, stablecoins, and blockchain-based infrastructure.
A Structured Model for Growth
Unlike one-off grants or hackathons, the EMpower Fund is structured to help founders progress from incubation to institutional fundraising. Startups may receive up to $250,000 in initial funding alongside advisory services covering governance, financial modeling, and investor readiness. By providing this hands-on support, Lisk positions its portfolio companies to attract follow-on capital and compete globally.
Web3-Native Approach
The EMpower Fund focuses on high-utility Web3 applications that address challenges in payments, remittances, supply chains, and digital identity. Companies backed by the fund will also integrate with Lisk’s Layer 2 network, an Ethereum-aligned ecosystem optimized for emerging markets. This approach not only finances startups but also embeds them into a scalable technological framework designed for long-term growth.
Tokenized Fund Structure
A distinctive feature of the EMpower Fund is its tokenized structure, which allows for streamlined LP subscriptions and secondary liquidity. This model opens venture investing to a broader class of limited partners, including retail investors who are traditionally excluded from the asset class. For LPs, the fund offers early exposure to undervalued startups, reduced risk through structured support, and liquidity typically unavailable in early-stage investing.
Early Beneficiaries of the Fund
The first four companies selected for investment highlight the diversity and potential of Web3 innovation in emerging economies. Lov.cash, a South African digital supply chain platform, is building transparency and efficiency across logistics. Afrikabal, an agritech marketplace, connects African smallholder farmers to global buyers and investors. IDRX, based in Indonesia, offers a stablecoin solution expanding financial access for the unbanked. SigraFi enables financing for small-scale gold producers through gold-backed on-chain loan notes. These early investments demonstrate how the EMpower Fund supports ventures with local relevance and global scalability.
Strengthening Founders Beyond Capital
Beyond financing, Lisk operates as a strategic partner for founders. Through its advisory program, the organization helps startups build investor-ready data rooms, strengthen governance, and refine fundraising narratives. This combined model of capital and mentorship is designed to help local entrepreneurs overcome the barriers that often prevent them from attracting global investment.
Looking Ahead
Lisk’s EMpower Fund represents a clear shift in how venture capital approaches emerging markets. Rather than treating them as distant prospects, Lisk sees Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia as the present center of Web3 adoption. By combining structured investment, tokenized participation, and hands-on advisory, the EMpower Fund is positioning itself to unlock both economic opportunity and technological transformation.
The launch of the $15 million EMpower Fund marks a pivotal step in bridging the divide between proven innovation and capital scarcity in high-growth markets. For founders, it represents a pathway to global competitiveness, while for investors, it offers access to underexplored regions with strong historical returns. As blockchain and fintech continue to expand across emerging economies, Lisk’s initiative could help shape the next generation of globally significant Web3 companies.