LEDGER , a venture builder programme that empowers developers, researchers and entrepreneurs to achieve human-centric solutions to transform digital governance in Europe has launched its first open call to offer direct grants of up to €200,000 euros each to 32 projects building decentralised solutions where citizens retain control over their data.

LEDGER is looking for effective enterprise ideas that respect data sovereignty and operate in alternative space to the concentration of data in a few proprietary platforms. The EU will invest in this by accelerating these projects into companies with a solid human-centric values business model.

“Our venture builder will provide mentorship, guidance and direct grants of up to 200.000 euros each to 32 projects building decentralised solutions where citizens retain control over their data”, declared Xabier Chao, Project Coordinator of LEDGER and CIO at FundingBox.

Participants will be selected to fit 6 verticals (Health, Finance, Mobility, Public Services, and Energy and Sustainability plus a generic one named ‘Open Disruptive Innovation’).

“Europe needs to be ahead in research and innovation. The 5 verticals we are focusing on and the technologies that will be implemented are a top priority in that agenda”, confirmed Géraldine Andrieux, CEO of BLUMORPHO.

LEDGER is part of the Next Generation Internet initiative from the EC, and aligns with the objectives of the European Blockchain Partnership signed on April 2018. “In the future, all public services will use blockchain technology”, said Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, during the signature of the declaration.