Stellar and CV Labs Select 10 Startups for New Accelerator

The Stellar Development Foundation and CV Labs have selected 10 startups for the first Stellar x CV Labs Accelerator, a 12-week programme supporting early-stage companies working in payments, decentralised finance (DeFi) and real-world assets. The selected startups are based in or serve markets across Africa, Europe, the Middle East and the US. Each company can receive up to $150,000 in XLM development funding, along with access to more than $200,000 worth of business perks, mentorship from over 50 industry experts and introductions to investors.

The programme includes an in-person bootcamp in Cape Town in August, followed by a live Demo Day at the Stellar Meridian conference in Lisbon in October 2026. Jose Fernandez da Ponte, president and chief growth officer at the Stellar Development Foundation, said the cohort reflects growing interest in blockchain applications for payments, digital assets and trade finance.

Three African Startups Selected

Three of the 10 selected startups are from Africa.

JoonaPay — Côte d’Ivoire

JoonaPay is a digital finance platform focused on payments, spending and banking services in Francophone West Africa.

Kutana Technologies — Ghana

Kutana Pay provides B2B cross-border payment services in Africa. The company operates across the UK, Ghana and Nigeria and offers tools including multi-currency wallets and Trade Secure. Its Trade Secure service uses escrow to hold funds until agreed transaction conditions are met. The company says payments can settle within four seconds.

Kutana was also selected for JPMorgan’s Financial Futures Programme in 2025.

Yolat — Nigeria

Yolat provides a platform for international money transfers, allowing users to send and receive funds across borders. The company focuses on faster transactions and competitive exchange rates for users sending money to family and other recipients.

Programme Focuses on Building and Fundraising

The 12-week accelerator will run through four stages. The first phase focuses on refining each startup’s vision, developing project roadmaps, matching founders with mentors and setting goals.

The second and third phases will focus on product development and fundraising. Founders will receive support covering technical implementation, tokenomics, marketing, business development and legal matters. The programme will also include pitch development, fundraising strategy and investor introductions.

The final phase will culminate in a live Demo Day at Stellar Meridian in Lisbon, where founders will present their companies to venture capital firms, angel investors and other investors in the cryptocurrency sector. Support will continue after the formal programme ends.

The accelerator is open to early-stage startups based in or serving Africa, the Middle East and Europe, with a focus on payments, DeFi and real-world assets. Startups currently building on other blockchain networks can also apply if they are interested in adopting Stellar’s technology.