Rebuilding the Web with Purpose: Deep Tech Award 2025 Finalists in Web3 – DLT, Blockchain, NFT & Metaverse

As the Deep Tech Award marks its tenth year of honoring breakthrough innovation made in Berlin, the 2025 Web3 finalists are proving that the decentralized web is more than just hype, it’s infrastructure for a fairer, more transparent, and more inclusive future. These three Berlin-based companies, AFTS, NYALA, and Peachz, are reshaping defense, finance, and culture with cutting-edge blockchain technologies. Each one demonstrates how deep tech, when applied with intention, can address some of society’s most urgent challenges. From geopolitical security to equitable access to capital and creative autonomy.

AFTS: Blockchain for Defense-Grade Trust

Andreas Hofmann, CEO AFTS GmbH

AFTS (Advanced Future Technology Solutions) stands at the intersection of military logistics and cryptographic innovation. The Berlin-based startup is using blockchain infrastructure to secure and streamline NATO’s most sensitive supply chain processes – turning weeks of paperwork into real-time, tamper-proof digital transactions.

The idea for AFTS was sparked when co-founders Christoph Langewisch and Andreas Hofmann, both veterans in supply chain and blockchain tech, came face to face with NATO’s outdated, paper-based Form 302 customs processes. As Andreas recalls, “We realized our blockchain expertise could transform defense logistics security. This wasn’t just about efficiency, it was about strengthening the infrastructure that protects democratic values across the alliance.”

Their platform replaces vulnerable paper trails with decentralized ledgers that offer full traceability, eliminate single points of failure, and meet NATO-level security standards. The societal impact? Faster deployment of critical assets, enhanced operational readiness, and a stronger democratic defense infrastructure. Based in Berlin, AFTS benefits from proximity to EU and NATO stakeholders, and draws on the city’s deep tech talent and security ecosystem. For AFTS, Web3 is not just about digital ownership, it’s about safeguarding democratic integrity at the highest level.

Nyala: Tokenizing Finance for All

Dr Johannes Schmitt & Daniel Wernicke, Co-CEOs NYALA

In the world of capital markets, Nyala is building the rails for a tokenized future – one where access to funding isn’t limited by geography, size, or bureaucracy. Born from Berlin’s fintech scene, the company provides fully compliant infrastructure for issuing and managing digital securities in accordance with Germany’s eWpG legislation.

Nyala’s co-founders were initially focused on solving a problem in the crowdfunding space, where smaller platforms struggled to access traditional financial infrastructure. “We saw tokenization as the answer,” they explain. “A way to issue real financial instruments faster, cheaper, and more transparently.”

Their platform allows companies, especially small and mid-sized enterprises, to issue, distribute, and manage tokenized securities without intermediaries. From startup equity to solar farm financing, Nyala’s infrastructure opens up investment opportunities previously out of reach. As they put it:
“We believe in a capital market where technology removes barriers instead of reinforcing them.”

With seamless API integration, a growing network of partners, and backing from Berlin’s vibrant deep tech ecosystem, Nyala is positioning itself as a key player in the next generation of capital markets. For them, Web3 isn’t about speculation, it’s about systemic access and economic inclusion.

Peachz: Redefining Music Ownership in Web3

Christopher MacDonald, Co-Founder Peachz

Peachz is where deep tech meets deep culture. Built in Berlin for the global electronic music community, the platform is creating a new operating system for creators – one that puts ownership, earnings, and autonomy back into the hands of artists.

Frustrated by the streaming status quo and inspired by hundreds of conversations with DJs and producers, the Peachz team designed an alternative rooted in co-ownership and community. Their Pledge to Play™ system turns passive streaming into active patronage, fans allocate subscription credits to the artists they love, and creators keep 90% of what they earn. The entire system runs on the Solana blockchain and Arweave, ensuring transparency and permanence.

As the team explains: “Today’s platforms favor volume over value—leaving the artists behind. At Peachz, we believe the people who make culture are culture, and deserve more than just pennies per play.” Peachz isn’t just a streaming platform, it’s a blueprint for a fairer creative economy. With deep roots in Berlin’s music scene and active collaboration across tech, art, and community spaces, the startup is showing how Web3 can be used not just to monetize culture, but to protect and empower it.

Deep Tech for a Decentralized Future

This year’s Web3 – DLT, Blockchain, NFT & Metaverse finalists for the Deep Tech Award prove that decentralization isn’t an abstract concept, it’s a powerful tool for societal transformation. Whether it’s enabling real-time defense readiness, unlocking capital for underserved businesses, or giving creators control over their work, AFTS, Nyala, and Peachz are demonstrating that the values of transparency, ownership, and resilience are more than technical features, they are the foundation of a better digital society.

As Berlin celebrates ten years of deep tech excellence, these companies show that the future of Web3 is already being built – securely, equitably, and with purpose.