[SCHWYZ, Switzerland] The Hashgraph Association, a non-profit organization that promotes the adoption of the Hedera network and supports enterprise transformation to build Web3 use cases and institutional-grade solutions on the Hedera network, has launched the Hashgraph Enterprise Program (HEP). This program aims to accelerate the development and deployment of enterprise use cases on the Hedera network through a well-established and proven innovation framework. The program will be operated by a highly experienced team of professionals who are dedicated to ensuring the successful development and execution of large, sophisticated solutions and decentralized applications, leveraging the Hedera hashgraph technology.
The program, supported with up to USD $22.5M worth of hbar from Hedera, aims to onboard more than forty enterprise projects per year. Projects will be eligible for up to $500k USD equivalent in HBAR funding per participating enterprise, with preference given to those that bring forward co-funding. The program has already qualified a number of initial enterprise projects, including projects with existing members of the Hedera Governing Council. The Hashgraph Association's commitment is to bring more enterprise organizations to join the Hedera ecosystem and build on the Hedera platform.
The Hashgraph Association has expanded its personnel with ten additional new hires in 2023, covering Senior Project Managers and DLT Solution Architects to support the launch and operations of the Hashgraph Enterprise Program. Rob Allen, previously SVP of Ecosystem Growth at The HBAR Foundation, has also been welcomed into the leadership team.
Monique Jeanne Morrow, Independent Board Director for the Hedera Governing Council, said that onboarding enterprises to the Hedera network is not just about growing the Hedera ecosystem, but also about showcasing the value and usability of DLT technology and supporting large players in the technology space as they embrace change in the form of disruptive technology. Kamal Youssefi, President of the Board of The Hashgraph Association, said that the launch of this program aligns with their long-term vision to achieve broad adoption of the Hedera network globally.
In 2022, The Hashgraph Association welcomed over 36 projects around the globe and onboarded more than 18 ecosystem partners, including leading system integrators (IBM, HCL, Orange) and academic institutions (Fraunhofer, University of Zurich, ESSEC). This initial success demonstrates their commitment to enabling the build-up of a vibrant ecosystem for Hedera-powered projects and enhancing the professional environment for the Hedera community.
Rob Allen, Executive Director at The Hashgraph Association, said that he is honored to take up this important new role in the Hedera ecosystem. He added that Hedera is an enterprise-grade public distributed ledger network with a Governing Council made up of some of the world’s greatest companies and institutions, many of which are actively exploring building solutions on Hedera. The HEP is being implemented to accelerate that adoption, and having seen the success that The Hashgraph Association has achieved with its Innovation Program, he believes that he has joined the perfect team to achieve the next stage of growth for Hedera.
