Empowch

Highlights from Flat6Labs X StartMashreq Investor Mixer Suhour in Riyadh!🌙🇸🇦 36 startups from our KSA portfolio and StartMashreq's Growth Track gathered with 50+ investors to discuss potential investment and partnership opportunities. Thank you to all the investors who joined us for this special Ramadan evening. Riyadh Seed Program startups: SARsatX, Maraya, HiRO Health, Darent, WATEER | وتير, UNITS, Unipal, Hollat | حُلَّت, Zamn | زامن, Cybersee, Waada, Blomal, iStoria, CAMION, منحة | MINNHA, Swarm Robotics, DEVSY, Fahis | فاحص, zofa, TABsense, وازن | Wazen, ballurh, Colada, Operate, dPhish, Fezlee, RVIN, Juthoor StartMashreq Growth Track startups: Aumet, DataQueue, Andalusi, GamerG , Empowch, Suppy, Alefredo EdTech #Flat6Labs #StartMashreq #KSA #Riyadh #funding #investmet #techstartups

QUBIC Labs just shared the 12 startups below accepted into their QUBIC Labs Accelerator on F6S. We identify, support and invest in entrepreneurs creating companies around blockchain technology. More on their opportunity at https://lnkd.in/gvh46cBP and meet the startups: Knox Networks www.f6s.com/knox-networks - Next-Gen Infrastructure Software for all Assets Tokenyze www.f6s.com/tokenyze - Revolutionizing Real World Asset Tokenization. Sunereum Labs www.f6s.com/sunereum-labs - Insuring the Future of Clean Energy Euclid Swap www.f6s.com/euclid-swap - Unifying liquidity across the Cosmos and beyond. Doefin www.f6s.com/doefin - A P2P platform offering on-chain derivatives on BTC network hashrate Exchequer Finance www.f6s.com/exchequer - Liquidity Swaps Layer Solaire www.f6s.com/solaire-tech - The safest way to buy/sell/trade on social media Mastermind Adventures https://lnkd.in/gSMRRVBZ - Immersive, scenario based instructional design with AI supports. Empowch www.f6s.com/empowch - An interoperable blockchain wallet & platform for all payment rails Diiclae ww.f6s.com/diiclae - Diiclae® - Connect Your Fine Art To Bluechip AI Management And Monetization INTRFAC3 Platforms Ltd. www.f6s.com/intrfac3 - A gamified loyalty and reward platform paired with tech-embedded products. Vision Studio S.r.l. www.f6s.com/vision-studio - Transform your digital art into something tangible with Vision Studio. Congrats to Manuel Rinaldi, Garett Curran, the founders and the rest of the teams.

We are proud to announce that USDC and EURC are the first stablecoins officially recognized by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA)! With this approval, regulated crypto and financial services firms operating in the DIFC can integrate USDC and EURC into payments, trading, and financial services, further embedding Circle’s trusted digital currency solutions into the rapidly growing local fintech ecosystem. This latest regulatory milestone builds on Circle’s position as the first and only major global stablecoin issuer to comply with European Union (MiCA) regulations and Canada’s new listing rules. “As the first stablecoins to receive this recognition, USDC and EURC continue to set the global standard for transparency, compliance, and utility.” - Dante A. Disparte Read more: https://lnkd.in/gpFcM9wb

Financial inclusion in Africa often turns into financial extraction. That's according to Dr. Milford Bateman, a development studies and economics professor who researches & teaches internationally about the economics of development. "Many innovations, including financial innovations, start out as beneficial to the poor. But the problems start, in general, when such financial innovations are then commercialized and privatized," he notes. "Once private fintech corporations conquer a critical customer base and become oligopolists, or even monopolists — which is the ultimate goal of their scalable data-driven business models — the situation radically changes." According to Bateman, Africa offers a prime example. "M-PESA Africa was started with the help of the UK’s international development agency and everyone involved professed to having good intentions; they hoped that M-Pesa would be 'a great way of helping Kenya’s poor.'" So the mobile money platform launched as a significantly cheaper alternative to informal money transfers, genuinely helping lower-income Kenyans move money. But, in Bateman's view, market dominance changed everything: • M-Pesa started with more affordable transfers, resulting in a dominant market position • Began increasing fees soon after, reaching up to 20% for sending small amounts • Only reduced fees during COVID when forced by government intervention • Continued paying large dividends to foreign investors during the pandemic • Profits became prioritized over financial inclusion • Local entrepreneurs increasingly view M-Pesa as stifling fintech innovation, not enabling it "The poor are no longer the beneficiaries of financial innovation, but increasingly its hapless victims," Bateman argues. And he notes that, "To an extent, the Kenyan government since around 2020 has begun to try to rein in [M-Pesa parent company] Safaricom." This raises important questions about fintech's role in financial inclusion on the continent, and the tech ecosystem's role in development more broadly: Are sustainable solutions that genuinely benefit Africa's underserved being built? Or just new forms of value extraction? Without the right guardrails in place, what's meant as inclusion can easily become extraction. Good intentions aren't enough. Read more from Bateman on fintech, financial inclusion, and development here: https://lnkd.in/eUgMtgj3 Do you agree or disagree with him that M-Pesa has "morphed into one of the most exploitative corporate titans in Africa?" 👇🏽 Let us know in the comments. ________________ 🚨 Afridigest is building the most valuable platform for entrepreneurs in #Africa, starting with ideas, analysis, and insights. Subscribe today: afridigest.com/subscribe

🎉 Introducing QUBIC Labs' Spring 2025 Accelerator Cohort 🎉     We're thrilled to welcome 12 groundbreaking companies into the QUBIC Labs Accelerator Program! These innovative startups are set to make a significant impact in the blockchain and Web3 space, and we're excited to support their journey over the next three months. 🚀    Doefin   Tokenyze   Exchequer Finance  Euclid Protocol  Empowch   Knox Networks   Solaire   Mastermind Adventures   Sunereum Labs  Vision Studio S.r.l.  INTRFAC3 Platforms Ltd.    Diiclae      A huge thank you to our accelerator partners—Kadena, Hacken, Blockchain Security Auditor, and the Algorand Foundation—for their incredible support in providing mentorship, resources, and opportunities to our startups! 🚀    A special thanks to F6S for facilitating the application process and helping connect us with these amazing founders! 🤝     Stay tuned as these startups embark on an exciting three-month journey filled with mentorship, workshops, pitch nights, and more growth opportunities. We're proud to support and accelerate their path to success! 🌟      #QUBICLabs #BlockchainInnovation #Web3 #StartupSuccess #BostonBlockchainWeek #Kadena #Algorand #Hacken #BlockchainAccelerator