Web3Bridge shifts focus from developer training to startup incubation

Web3Bridge, a Nigerian organisation known for training blockchain developers since 2019, is broadening its scope to include startup incubation. The organisation will introduce a founder residency programme aimed at helping African entrepreneurs build sustainable businesses.

This move comes as Web3Bridge faces challenges securing grants following the shutdown of Lisk, one of its major funders, and amid a selective early-stage startup funding environment. The residency programme will charge participation fees and is set to start on 12 November, with registration closing on 28 November.

Alongside the new residency, Web3Bridge is launching a training cohort capped at 150 participants. The cohort will cover software engineering (Web2), blockchain development, Rust programming, and Zero Knowledge (ZK) development, which supports secure digital payment and identity verification systems. On-site learning options will be available across all tracks.

Web3Bridge’s founder Ayodeji Awosika said training developers alone is insufficient. The organisation aims to cultivate builders who understand product creation, business operations, and how technology can address real-world problems. Africa’s Web3 and wider tech ecosystem needs more businesses capable of hiring developers as well as more skilled engineers.

The expansion into startup incubation places Web3Bridge in a market where CV Labs, the accelerator arm of Swiss blockchain venture capital firm Crypto Valley VC, already operates. The move follows seven years of developer training amid blockchain project closures, funding declines, and limited job opportunities for engineers.

In October, Awosika revealed that Web3Bridge invested nearly ₦700 million ($520,630) in physical infrastructure without recovering the costs, highlighting the difficulty of sustaining operations on grants alone. The residency programme will introduce fees for eligible founders to help build a sustainable revenue model.

African Web3 startups raised $90.1 million across 28 deals in 2025, a 26.6% drop from the previous year. Funding remains concentrated among a few startups, with the five largest deals accounting for 58.3% of investment. This concentration illustrates the challenges emerging founders face in accessing capital to develop viable businesses.

Web3Bridge’s shift to supporting startups could help address this gap by equipping entrepreneurs with the skills and resources needed to attract customers and raise capital.

The organisation will continue its developer training alongside the incubation programme, aiming to create a pipeline of both skilled engineers and viable startups.

Sources

• TechCabal: After seven years training developers, Web3Bridge is turning to startups

Source: TechCabal