AyaHQ x Lisk Report 2 — Cohort 2 Kickoff
27 May, 2025.
Introduction
The AyaHQ x Lisk Incubation Program is a collaboration between AyaHQ, whose mission is to grow the African Onchain Builder Economy as a trusted ecosystem, and Lisk, a provider of efficient Layer 2 solutions for high growth markets. Following a successful first cohort with 25 projects selected (24 incubated, 18 funded), the second cohort of the program commenced on the 27th of May, 2025.
We want the community to follow these projects journey and also support them along the way. Only 12 of them will made it to the end and we will also get a sentiment analysis from the DAO as to which projects you believe should make the final mark to DEMO DAY!!!. In the meantime kindly follow them all on twitter and retweet their post. The honest truth is no magic will happen if Lisk won’t build its app ecosystem and we are grateful to be walking that journey with you all.
Selection Process
The selection process included from 259 applications received for the cohort included the following stages:
- Shortlist: 56 projects were shortlisted based on viability scores. The Viability Score is a weighted composite metric designed to evaluate the overall readiness and potential of a startup across five dimensions as given in the table below:
| Dimension | Weight |
|---|---|
| Product Maturity | 40% |
| User Adoption | 15% |
| Market Need & Industry Potential | 20% |
| Team Commitment | 15% |
| Revenue & Financial Readiness | 10% |
Each startup was assigned a score (on a scale from 2 to 10) for each category based on application data, and the final viability score was computed using the formula:
Viability Score = (Product Maturity × 0.40) + (User Adoption × 0.15) + (Market Need & Industry Potential × 0.20) + (Team Commitment × 0.15) + (Revenue Readiness × 0.10)
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Interview: The selected projects were subsequently interviewed to determine founder fit and team alignment. The interviews were perception-based determinations based on elicited responses of each founder’s vision and value – a qualitative judgement rather than a scoring system like the viability assessment. This process yielded 31 projects.
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Final Review: Lisk team conducted an independent review of applications for strategic alignment, with their recommended projects aligning with the shortlist from the interview stage.
Selected Projects
The 31 selected projects spanned various industries and verticals from financial services and mobility, to Web3 infrastructure, creative commerce, governance, health, and education, demonstrating the breadth of innovation within the cohort. A breakdown is given below.
| Project Name | Description | Industry | Vertical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clapmi | A blockchain-powered freelance marketplace connecting creatives to clients with transparent work verification and fair pay. | Creative Economy | Freelancing & Talent |
| CraftLink | A decentralized gig marketplace connecting artisans with global clients via escrow and verifiable credentials. | Creative Economy | Freelancing & Talent |
| Tokenated | An NFT marketplace helping African artists reach global buyers through tokenization and digital branding. | Creative Economy | NFTs & Digital Art |
| Ticket Daddy | A blockchain-native event platform enabling stablecoin payments and collectible NFTs for creators and travelers. | Creative Economy | Ticketing & Collectibles |
| TriviaPesa | A gamified learning app rewarding users with crypto for completing trivia and engaging with educational content. | Education | Gamified Learning |
| DexPay | A stablecoin payment protocol facilitating instant and low-fee crypto payments and remittances across Africa. | Financial Services | Payments & Remittances |
| Tethry | A gasless stablecoin wallet offering email-based onboarding, tap-to-pay, and Web2-style crypto experiences. | Financial Services | Payments & Remittances |
| Element Pay | A mobile-friendly stablecoin payment system offering USSD, virtual card, and mobile money integration for inclusive financial access. | Financial Services | Payments & Remittances |
| ChainPal | An AI-enabled blockchain payment gateway simplifying crypto-to-fiat transactions for global freelancers and businesses. | Financial Services | Payments & Remittances |
| Nexus Pay | A borderless payment app that enables instant, low-cost transactions using stablecoins and local currencies, allowing users to spend, send, and receive money without needing a bank. | Financial Services | Payments & Remittances |
| SenCoin | A stablecoin-based platform enabling instant, low-cost currency exchange and cross-border transfers in West Africa. | Financial Services | Payments & Remittances |
| Konnadex | A Web3 payment and invoicing gateway with multi-chain support and built-in fraud detection for African businesses. | Financial Services | Payment Infrastructure |
| Planbok | A programmable wallet infrastructure enabling businesses to integrate blockchain-based treasury, payroll, and payments. | Financial Services | Payment Infrastructure |
| Koan Protocol | A DeFi platform combining Uniswap V3 liquidity with ve(3,3) tokenomics to optimize incentives and governance. | Financial Services | Decentralized Finance (DeFi) |
| FVP | A smart contract tool that lets users time-lock crypto assets to curb impulsive spending and promote savings discipline. | Financial Services | Decentralized Finance (DeFi) |
| BlockCoop | A decentralized finance infrastructure transforming SACCOs through automated guarantor pools, share trading, and liquidity systems. | Financial Services | Decentralized Finance (DeFi) |
| Veres Rounds | A smart contract-powered SACCO platform automating rotational savings with transparent fund management. | Financial Services | Decentralized Finance (DeFi) |
| Pool Lens | A dashboard aggregating DeFi liquidity data across chains to support smarter staking and yield decisions. | Financial Services | Decentralized Finance (DeFi) |
| Localme | A USSD blockchain platform enabling cross-border payments and financial access for Africa’s unbanked populations. | Financial Services | Payments & Remittances |
| Peerly | A Telegram-native escrow platform for gasless, secure peer-to-peer crypto trading on Starknet. | Financial Services | P2P Crypto Trading |
| MetaVote | A decentralized, gasless voting platform enabling secure, transparent, and tamper-proof elections. | Governance | Decentralized Voting |
| All of Health | A blockchain-based platform that enables and incentivizes users to control, manage, and share their medical records across borders. | HealthTech | Health Records & Incentives |
| Chain Move | A DeFi mobility platform offering vehicle financing and income opportunities for drivers while providing asset-backed returns to investors. | Mobility & Transport | Decentralized Finance (DeFi) |
| Chaapa Ride | A decentralized ride-hailing app offering crypto payments, zero commission, and peer-to-peer price negotiation. | Mobility & Transport | Ride-hailing |
| Lucky Motors | A blockchain lottery platform offering electric vehicles and financial tools to promote mobility and inclusion in underserved communities. | Mobility & Transport | Mobility Incentives |
| Trust Chain | A blockchain solution providing product authenticity and supply chain traceability through tamper-proof digital IDs. | Supply Chain | Product Traceability |
| QuikDB | A decentralized, real-time database for Web3 apps offering secure, compliant, and user-owned data storage. | Web3 Infrastructure | Data & Developer Tools |
| Surdatics | A blockchain and AI-powered platform for secure, incentivized, and privacy-first data collection and monetization. | Web3 Infrastructure | Data & Developer Tools |
| Safe Haven DAO | A Web3 platform providing identity, aid, and job access tools for refugees and displaced individuals. | Web3 Infrastructure | Digital Identity & Inclusion |
| Paj | A wallet-native off-ramp solution allowing users to convert tokens or NFTs to fiat without exchanges. | Web3 Infrastructure | On/Off-Ramping |
We appreciate you all for your continued support for Lisk and AyaHQ.
