Lisk Launches $15M EMpower Fund to Back Web3 Startups in Emerging Markets

Lisk, a growth platform for Web3 founders, has unveiled the Lisk EMpower Fund, a $15 million venture initiative aimed at supporting Web3 startups in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. The fund's focus is on bridging the capital gap and unlocking outsized returns in regions where Web3 adoption is already mainstream. The early recipients of the fund include Lov.cash, Afrikabal, IDRX, and SigraFi, who are working on various solutions spanning from digital supply chain platforms to stablecoins and onchain loan notes. Gideon Greaves, Head of Investments at Lisk, emphasized that the current focus of global VCs on speculation has led to overlooked opportunities in high-growth markets, where real problems are being solved with real utility.

Lisk sees significant growth potential in high-growth markets, where emerging technology is leveraged to develop innovative solutions for local challenges. The Lisk EMpower Fund aims to address the knowledge gap in opportunities to invest in these regions and capitalize on the consistently outperforming nature of emerging markets. According to Cambridge Associates, emerging markets have delivered 9-11% annualized venture returns over the past 10-15 years. Lisk believes that this signals the beginning of a generational bull run in emerging markets, driven by innovation and rapid technology adoption. In contrast, the U.S. seed-stage venture has become oversaturated, leading to an opportunity for Lisk to back high-growth founders in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia at fair valuations while generating uncorrelated, venture-scale returns.

The Lisk EMpower Fund model integrates incubation, assessment, and growth capital through a scalable, end-to-end pipeline to accelerate high-potential ventures. Through strategic partnerships with leading local incubators, Lisk gains early access to pre-vetted deal flow across the targeted regions. Selected companies are eligible to receive $250,000 in capital along with strategic support, including investor-grade financial modeling and legal structuring. The fund aims to bridge the capital gap for world-class founders building global companies from these ecosystems. Lisk has been actively involved in the Web3 space since its inception in 2016, and with the launch of the Lisk EMpower Fund, it aims to further support founders in addressing local challenges and developing lasting solutions in emerging markets.