Software Development
HTML, CSS, JavaScript, TypeScript, Rust, React, Next.js, Python and Node.js — from first commit to production.
The first privacy blockchain hub in Africa
Africa's Privacy Blockchain& AI Innovation Hub
Zoerd trains, funds and equips the engineers building privacy-preserving systems on the continent. Through residencies, a developer academy and applied research, we turn raw African talent into the cryptographers, AI engineers and protocol builders the next decade will require.
- 3
- Residency tracks
- 12+
- Programmes a year
- 100%
- Open research
- 1st
- Privacy hub in Africa
Technology tracks
Eight tracks. One ecosystem.
Zoerd trains across the full modern technology stack, anchored in privacy, blockchain and artificial intelligence — the fields that will decide how the next billion people transact, compute and stay private online.
UI/UX Design
Product thinking, design systems and prototyping in Figma for real user problems.
Artificial Intelligence
LLMs, retrieval-augmented generation, AI agents and applied machine learning.
Blockchain & Privacy
Zcash, zk-SNARKs, NEAR-Intent, Solidity, Ethereum, smart contract security and zero-knowledge systems.
Privacy & Security
Privacy-preserving architecture, data protection and secure system design.
Data Analytics
Data literacy, analysis and visualisation for evidence-led decision making.
Robotics & IoT
Connected devices, embedded systems and hands-on hardware projects.
DevOps & Cloud
Version control, CI/CD, containers and deploying reliable systems at scale.
About Zoerd
A technology innovation ecosystem, not just a training centre.
ZOERD Privacy Blockchain & AI Innovation Hub is being developed as an ecosystem focused on privacy, blockchain, artificial intelligence, developer education, talent development, community building, research and technology-driven economic opportunity.
The pathway is deliberate: awareness → community → training → residency → project development → talent development → employment and outsourcing → innovation → economic impact. Our physical facility anchors the residencies, events, workshops and research, while a growing digital presence extends the work beyond geography.
Mission
Advance privacy and blockchain technology in Africa by creating a world-class ecosystem for education, research, technology residencies, talent development, innovation and community.
Vision
To establish Africa's leading ecosystem for privacy, blockchain and emerging technologies, empowering people and organisations to innovate, build and shape a secure and inclusive digital future.
Positioning
A technology innovation hub and talent ecosystem — hub, residency, developer academy, innovation lab, talent pipeline, community platform and research unit in one.
Purpose
Empower individuals and organisations with the knowledge, skills, partnerships and opportunities needed to build secure, privacy-preserving and transformative technologies for Africa and the world.
Residency lab, cohort in session
What we do
The work, end to end
From awareness and training to residency, innovation, talent and economic opportunity — Zoerd covers every stage of the builder journey.
Technology Residency
Immersive, project-based residencies where participants build real products with mentorship, equipment and structure.
Developer Academy
Structured, industry-standard training across software, design, AI, blockchain, data and DevOps.
Privacy & Blockchain Advocacy
Awareness, education and policy engagement on privacy technology and digital rights in Africa.
Innovation Lab
A space to prototype, test and refine ideas into products that address real African problems.
Research
Applied research on privacy, blockchain, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
Community Building
Chapters, study groups, mentor circles and open sessions that keep builders connected.
Events & Workshops
Hackathons, bootcamps, summits and workshops connecting industry, academia and government.
Talent & Opportunity
Portfolio review, placement support, outsourcing and pathways into local and global teams.
Programmes
A pipeline, not a workshop
Each programme feeds the next. Learners become residents, residents become researchers, researchers become mentors.
- 01
Technology Residency
12 weeks · On-site
Selected residents relocate to the hub to build privacy-first products full time, with daily mentorship, hardware and a shipping deadline.
- 02
Developer Academy
16 weeks · Hybrid
Fundamentals through advanced protocol engineering: TypeScript, Rust, Solidity, cryptography and secure system design.
- 03
AI Education
8 weeks · Cohort
Applied machine learning, model evaluation, and privacy-preserving techniques such as federated learning and differential privacy.
- 04
Blockchain Programmes
10 weeks · Cohort
Smart contract development, auditing methodology, tokenomics and deploying to production networks.
- 05
Privacy Workshops
2–5 days · Intensive
Short intensives for institutions and student bodies on zero-knowledge proofs, data protection and secure architecture.
- 06
Community Events
Monthly
Meetups, hackathons and demo nights that connect residents with industry, investors and government stakeholders.
- 07
Research Fellowship
6 months
Funded research on cryptography, decentralised identity and AI governance, published openly for the ecosystem.
Why privacy blockchain
The case is not theoretical
Privacy is becoming the deciding property of digital systems. Africa should be writing that specification, not inheriting it.
Why privacy matters
Financial records, health data and identity are being digitised faster than they are being protected. Privacy technology decides who holds that power.
Why blockchain matters
Verifiable, permissionless settlement lets institutions cooperate without a single point of trust — critical where trust infrastructure is still being built.
Why Africa needs this
The continent has the youngest population on earth and the least representation in protocol design. Both facts must change together.
The opportunity ahead
Zero-knowledge, confidential compute and AI governance are open frontiers. Africa can enter as an author, not a consumer.
Our ecosystem
Six pillars, one continuous loop
Awareness leads to community, community to training, training to residency, residency to projects, projects to talent, and talent to opportunity — then back into the community that produced it.
Education
Developer academy, workshops and structured curricula
Residency
Immersive, project-based technology residencies
Innovation
Labs and prototypes solving real African problems
Talent
A pipeline of job-ready, industry-standard engineers
Community
Builders, mentors, students and institutions
Opportunity
Employment, outsourcing and economic impact
Partners
Built with institutions, not around them
Zoerd works alongside universities, public bodies, foundations and industry to keep programmes accredited, funded and connected to real demand.
Zoerd partners with universities, government agencies, technology companies, research institutions, NGOs, blockchain foundations and investors.
Events
What's happening at the hub
The calendar is the fastest way in. Every event is open to students, developers and partner organisations.
Hackathon
Privacy Build Weekend
48 hours to design and ship a zero-knowledge application, judged by protocol engineers.
Quarterly Zoerd Hub
Residency
Residency Cohort Intake
Applications open for the next full-time residency cycle. Housing, hardware and mentorship included.
Rolling On-site
Workshop
Applied AI Workshop Series
Hands-on sessions on model training, evaluation and privacy-preserving machine learning.
Monthly Hybrid
Meetup
Blockchain Builders Meetup
Open evenings for developers, students and founders working on decentralised systems.
Monthly Zoerd Hub
Community
Open Community Session
Office hours with mentors, project reviews and guidance for first-time contributors.
Bi-weekly Online
Community
Four ways to stand inside the work
Zoerd is carried by people who show up. Pick the role that fits the time and expertise you have.
Join the Community
Get access to study groups, project channels and every open session at the hub.
Join nowBecome a Volunteer
Help run events, curriculum operations and outreach across campuses.
VolunteerBecome a Mentor
Guide residents through code review, architecture and career decisions.
Mentor with usBecome a Partner
Sponsor a cohort, host a hackathon or co-fund research with your institution.
Start a partnership