Afrik introduced its decentralised financial and governance platform at the Global AI Summit in Rwanda, an exclusive gathering hosted by president Paul Kagame and the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR)
Designed to drive Africa’s Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), Afrik enables the financing of green energy and AI-driven projects by leveraging blockchain and artificial intelligence. The platform creates a transparent funding mechanism through a globally tradable digital asset, opening up access to capital from both institutional and individual investors.
Empowering African innovation
“Africa is poised to lead global sustainability in the Fourth Industrial Age. The continent holds 30% of the world’s mineral resources, vast renewable energy potential, and a young, growing workforce. Moving beyond the outdated model of extractive economies, The Afrik Foundation aims to unlock capital to accelerate green innovation and energy projects,” commented James Saruchera, co-founder of Afrik. “By providing African nationals with financial leverage in global markets, Afrik fosters prosperity through greater transparency, governance, and security in investments.”
Afrik’s model empowers communities and governments to fund development on their own terms. “The Global AI Summit highlights the need for Africa to take ownership of its technological and economic destiny. AI, blockchain, and decentralised finance will define the continent’s next growth phase. Afrik is a solution that integrates these technologies to empower communities and governments to finance development on their own terms,” Saruchera adds.
Co-founder Jean-Marc Bourreau emphasised the platform’s innovation, “Afrik enables funding through a digital asset that is globally tradable, that includes innovative features, such as smart contracts, and that will help African economies to direct more resources towards the private sector involved in 4IR. The objective is to boost productivity in Africa and close the economic development gap with the most advanced economies. Afrik is about developing Africa at the speed of AI.”
Afrik has received support from prominent figures across fintech and policy. Arlinda Peixoto, CEO of Pagali, said, “Afrik aligns strongly with the need for African self-reliance and economic independence, leveraging digital transformation to break dependency on external financial structures. By integrating technology and finance, it positions Africa to take advantage of AI-driven economic models, blockchain technology, and decentralised financial systems. Crucially, the emphasis on broad discussions, feedback, and inclusivity suggests an effort to create a grassroots movement rather than imposing a top-down solution.”
Patrick Sergant, a leading lawyer in Dakar, called it “the most innovative instrument I have seen for the financing of Africa’s development.”
“Africa has the potential to lead in AI and digital infrastructure, but it must control the economic frameworks that power these sectors. Afrik offers a borderless financial model that allows African innovation to be funded by African capital. Afrik marks a pivotal shift toward an Africa-driven economic model built on financial sovereignty and equitable access to capital. The insights gained from the Global AI Summit will further inform Afrik’s mission as it prepares to introduce its funding platform to the market,” concluded Saruchera.