CV Labs

January 31, 2025

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min read

Events

Web3 Hub Davos 2025 Thursday Recap: Investor Gatherings, Emerging Markets & Startup Ecosystem Builders

Web3 Hub Davos 2025 Thursday Recap:
Investor Gatherings, Emerging Markets & Startup Ecosystem Builders

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As the final day of Web3 Hub Davos 2025 arrived, we wrapped up an extraordinary week in style. From cutting-edge product demos to deep dives into the growth potential of Cardano’s treasury, day four brought an insightful close to an action-packed event. Here’s a look at what unfolded last Thursday:

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Investor Gatherings & Product Showcases

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Kicking off the day with momentum, Lumia hosted an engaging session showcasing the tokenization of Real World Assets (RWAs). During the live demo, Diego Grassano, Lumia's Chief Product Officer, demonstrated how their innovative suite—Lumia Hub, Lumia Chain, and Lumia Stream—enables seamless asset tokenization. This presentation provided an exciting glimpse into the future of asset management on the blockchain.

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The pre-release showcase highlighted Lumia’s role in bridging traditional and decentralized finance through blockchain-powered RWA solutions. It was an incredible opportunity for attendees to connect, exchange ideas, and get a firsthand look at the transformative power of Lumia’s technology.

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Following a swift venue transition, the Litestream Ventures annual Impact Investor Gathering took center stage. This exclusive event brought together over 100 investors, family offices, and founders to discuss the intersection of technology and climate impact.

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A lineup of distinguished speakers graced the stage, including Paul Fleming (Mercer), Ahmed Nasser Al Nowais (Annex Investments), Richard Farleigh (former Dragons' Den), Pierre Delvaux (Thanda & Danir Group), and Deepak Chopra MD alongside Poonacha Machaiah (Cyberhuman AI Inc.).

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Adding to the excitement, 10 visionary founders pitched groundbreaking solutions to the highly curated audience, followed by thought-provoking Q&A sessions with the judging panel. The event concluded with dynamic networking and an elegant apéro.

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Blockchain Investments, Emerging Markets & AI Launchpads

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The afternoon brought a thought-provoking session hosted by CV VC and CV Labs, diving into blockchain investments, emerging markets, mergers and acquisitions in Web3, and the future of crypto funds. With a packed audience, industry experts shared insights on these evolving topics, offering valuable perspectives on the Web3 landscape.

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The session began with an expert panel featuring Christian Niedermueller (SMAPE Capital), Alan Lau (Animoca Brands), and Lukas Etter (CV VC), who discussed investment strategies, the current state of blockchain funding, and how to foster growth among Web3 startups. Alan highlighted how Animoca Brands cultivates a community of founders in similar stages, enabling shared learning and collaboration.

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When explaining the CV VC investment strategy, Lukas Etter explained that since CV VC invests in very early stage, most often pre-seed stage, founders & and startups, it’s important to deduce whether there is true market potential. Lukas identified that “given that we are often one of the first institutional checks, we ask ourselves: Could or would other investors and VC funds believe in the story as well, to provide opportunities for follow-on investment”.

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Shifting the focus to emerging markets, CV VC's Jarryd Kennedy emphasized Africa’s potential to become a driving force in Web3, citing its youthful population and rapid adoption of emerging technologies as key drivers of growth. Jarryd then joined a panel discussion with Aaron Stanley (Filecoin Foundation), Raja Chakravorti (Stellar Development Foundation), and Dominic Schwenter (Lisk), comparing opportunities in emerging versus established markets. Aaron noted, "Western markets are more homogenous, but LATAM has more diversity, with different lenses for different problems".

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As AI continues to transform the Web3 space, Nicolai Reinbold and Logan Ryan Golema (Eliza Labs) explored how AI agents are reshaping the investment and launchpad space. Logan remarked, "If you're relying solely on human intelligence, you're falling behind. AI-powered agents like ElizaOS are the key to gaining an edge in market intelligence and investment analysis".

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The conversation then turned to mergers and acquisitions in Web3, with Anne-Grace Kleczewski (MME) emphasizing the importance of understanding dependencies within acquisitions—beyond just technology and talent, factors like protocols, licensing, and token structures are integral to success.

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The session wrapped up with a discussion on the evolving landscape of blockchain in asset management and tokenization. While acknowledging progress, Gregory Mall voiced his frustration with the slow adoption of tokenization in TradFi, saying, "By now, I expected more real-world applications benefiting everyday users".

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Unlocking Growth Through Cardano’s Treasury

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To close the week, CV Labs and the Cardano Foundation co-hosted an insightful session on the future of the Cardano ecosystem. Attendees from across Web3 gathered for an evening filled with valuable discussions and a final networking apéro.

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Janis Aguilar (CV VC) opened the session with a keynote detailing the successful Catalyst proposal developed in collaboration with CV Labs. He emphasized the strong partnership between CV VC and the Cardano Foundation, highlighting their joint efforts in screening startups for the Battle of the Builders competitions at the 2023 and 2024 Cardano Summits.

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Janis also announced the launch of a new Cardano-focused acceleration program by CV VC and CV Labs, set to take place later this year. Designed to support founders building on Cardano, the program aims to equip startups with the resources needed to secure funding and build successful projects within the Cardano ecosystem.

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Frederik Gregaard, CEO of the Cardano Foundation, connected the ecosystem's vision with startup innovation. He unveiled the ‘Cardano Ecosystem Guide 2025’, a comprehensive resource highlighting Cardano’s strengths as a public digital infrastructure and its enterprise applications.

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For the final panel of the week, CV VC’s Lukas Etter, alongside Alexandre Maaza & Pierre Kaklamanos (Cardano Foundation), Patrick Tobler (NMKR), and Florian Volery (Liqwid Finance), explored how Cardano’s treasury can empower builders. They examined ways the foundation can leverage its treasury to support projects throughout various stages of development, ensuring long-term ecosystem growth.

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A Heartfelt Thank You to Our Partners

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A huge thank you to our event partners, whose support and collaboration made Web3 Hub Davos 2025 an outstanding success.

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Interested in partnering with us for 2026?

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