Web3 Corporate Innovation Strikes Geneva, STORM Partners Announces Lightningbox 

STORM Partners announced the launch of a unique Web3 Innovation Sandbox called “Lightningbox” during Web3Fest. This groundbreaking initiative will enable large organizations to harness the power of blockchain technology and drive digital transformation.

The unveiling happened during Decentral House’s Web3-focused Corporate Innovation Day, which attracted an exclusive audience of top industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and representatives from global brands such as eBay, UNHCR, Hublot, BBVA, and UNICEF as well as top blockchains like Cardano, Mina Protocol, MultiversX, and Hedera. 

Enabling Sustainable Innovation

Coined ‘Lightningbox’ as a play on the dynamic blockchain field, the initiative is designed to support the mass adoption of blockchain by creating a trusted environment with institutional-grade tools for large organisations to use Web3 tools to build solutions. 

The endeavour will initially focus on three pillars native to the Geneva landscape: Impact, Consumer, and Finance, with Life Sciences following suit in the coming months. These focus areas were chosen based on the strong demand from local traditional players looking to be further involved in the digital economy.

STORM Partners has selected strong integration partners as enablers of innovation within the Lightningbox. The integrators have so far dedicated substantial internal and technological resources to the program, amounting to values in the mid-six figures of support. Early contributors to the movement include Circle (digital payment solution), Hacken (cybersecurity provider), MultiversX (infrastructure) and Walder Wyss (legal partner).

The Lightningbox plans to transform ideas into reality, giving enough time to all stakeholders to take conscious decisions. This process includes four key phases of development, ranging from brainstorming and workshops (Ideation) to observation and improvements (Iteration), industry and community feedback (Validation), and the final stages of testing and private launch campaigns (Activation).

With this structured approach, alongside the selected blockchain integrators and eager corporate innovators, Lightningbox is set to provide the recipe for successfully enabling the mass adoption of Web3.

Global Vision, Local Approach

Sheraz Ahmed, Managing Partner of STORM Partners, expressed his excitement about the announcement: “We are witnessing a major technical revolution, driven primarily by advancements in emerging technologies, which is reshaping industries on a global scale. Our commitment to strengthening the blockchain industry has led us to create an innovation centre that serves as a hub for the brightest minds and disruptive projects entering the world of decentralized applications.”

STORM Partners, founded in 2021 and recently headquartered in Geneva with active operations in London, Dubai, and Milan has quickly become one of Europe’s leading blockchain solutions providers. The company’s strategic location at Decentral House positions it at the heart of a vibrant ecosystem designed to foster community, collaboration, and the growth of blockchain technology.

“Geneva has a rich history of innovation and global institutions; it is the ideal place to fuel this digital transformation,” said Ahmed, who is also the Founder of Decentral House. “Local organizations that strive for global impact, such as the World Economic Forum, the United Nations, and many private banks, make Geneva the perfect location to steer and amplify the growth of blockchain worldwide.”

Franck Garnier, Head of Digital Innovation of Hublot, expressed: “We’re very excited to explore innovation technology and I’m very happy to be present here for such a Web3 event”. 

The launch event featured high-profile speakers who applauded this initiative. Chris Fabian, Co-Lead Giga (UNICEF), commented: “Giga is very pleased to see more corporate interest in innovation and blockchain in Geneva. We think that the blockchain ecosystem can help propel Geneva to new heights in finance, international relations, and technology –  and we, at Giga, are delighted to be here”.

Philippe Meyer, Head of Digital & Blockchain Solutions at BBVA, commented: “I think it’s important that blockchain technology disseminates through different industries, together with the banking and finance industries, so that we optimize all of the flows that we manage, supporting the emerging Industry 4.0” .

About STORM Partners

STORM Partners is a premier professional services provider within the dynamic blockchain industry. Its expertise spans the globe, and it collaborates with a diverse spectrum of businesses and brands—from nimble startups to flourishing scale-ups and established global organizations.

About Decentral House

Decentral House is dedicated to creating a trusted environment to foster Web3 innovation by creating an ecosystem where the brightest minds and disruptive projects can thrive. The Geneva-based collaborative hub provides the initial resources needed to spark ideas to life.