Co-hosting a Pitch Fest for Cardano Catalyst Fund 15!
- Hiroshi Yokoyama
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
Axcel Africa is dedicated to solving social issues in Africa through the acceleration of local startups. Our efforts are particularly focused on supporting business development leveraging Web3 technology and expanding the Web3 ecosystem.
For instance, we are cultivating Web3 talent through the "Power Learn Project (PLP)," which aims to train one million software engineers across Africa. Additionally, we collaborate with "Wada Global," a pioneer in building the Cardano ecosystem in Africa, to provide business development support for local projects.
Last year, our three organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand the Web3 ecosystem in Africa—an initiative we proudly announced at TICAD9.
Currently, the voting period has begun for Fund 15 of "Project Catalyst," Cardano's decentralized innovation grant fund.
To mark this occasion, we have organized the "Cardano Project Catalyst Fund 15 Pitch Fest" on X (formerly Twitter) Spaces. Hosted jointly with Wada Global and PLP, this event will take place on Thursday, January 15 and Friday, January 16, 2026, featuring pitches from approximately 23 organizations aiming for Fund 15 funding.
What is Project Catalyst?
Project Catalyst serves as the "innovation engine" for Cardano and stands as one of the world's largest decentralized innovation grant funds.
Its structure is unique: rather than a central authority deciding how funds are allocated, the community (ADA holders) votes to determine which projects receive funding. Designed to accelerate ecosystem expansion and collaborative innovation, it functions as a "decentralized research and development (R&D)" platform.
It connects individuals with groundbreaking ideas to necessary funding, bringing concepts to life more efficiently than traditional corporate-led models.
Unique Proposals from Around the World
Project Catalyst attracts numerous proposals that go beyond mere speculation, aiming instead to solve social issues using blockchain technology.
A key attraction of Catalyst is witnessing how Cardano's technology is applied to diverse challenges globally.
Across the previous 14 rounds, over 2,222 projects have secured funding, sparking innovation in 114 countries.
In the current Fund 15, a total of 20 million ADA will be distributed to selected projects to further accelerate this innovation.
Fund 15 accepted proposals in the following four categories, tailored to the purpose and scale of the projects:
Cardano Partners (Tier-1 Enterprise Integrations): For projects aiming for partnerships with global enterprises or large-scale real-world implementation.
Cardano Use Cases (Prototype & Launch): For developers and engineering teams building actual products. Supports everything from prototyping to launch.
Cardano Open (Ecosystem): Supports initiatives that expand Cardano's awareness through non-technical activities (education, community management, marketing, etc.).
[NEW] Midnight (Compact DApps): A newly established category sponsored by the Midnight Foundation. Supports the development of applications (DApps) utilizing privacy features.
Cardano Project Catalyst Fund 15 Pitch Fest 開催！
A joint initiative by WADA Global, PLP, and Axcel Africa! We are hosting a pitch session introducing promising Fund 15 projects focused on Africa and emerging markets.
This round features numerous entries combining social impact with practical blockchain utility.
This is a valuable opportunity to hear directly from project owners about their business overviews and visions before casting your votes. We look forward to seeing you there!
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