[Proposal setup] Proposal title

Please provide your proposal title

Emaji: Trusted Wallet for Healthcare Workforce Innovation

[Proposal Summary] Budget Information

Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA

90000

[Proposal Summary] Time

Please specify how many months you expect your project to last

6

[Proposal Summary] Translation Information

Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated

No

Original Language

en

[Proposal Summary] Problem Statement

What is the problem you want to solve?

Qualified people and orgs in healthcare can’t easily verify or match skills due to fragmented, analogue systems—blocking access, mobility, and urgent response in local and global labor markets.

[Proposal Summary] Supporting Documentation

Supporting links

• https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1WnIdcERsuSMfPeTN2RWE_ueurjcsNacC?usp=share_link
,
• https://emaji.net

[Proposal Summary] Project Dependencies

Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

Yes

Describe any dependencies or write 'No dependencies'

Access to Cardano DID tools (e.g. Atala PRISM or compatible DID methods); Credential display support (e.g. via NFT standards or metadata rendering); Collaboration with Cardano ecosystem partners (wallets, DID projects, metadata tooling);

[Proposal Summary] Project Open Source

Will your project's outputs be fully open source?

No

License and Additional Information

Selected components of the Emaji infrastructure—such as credential schema definitions, parts of the logic layer, and standards-compliant metadata examples—will be published openly to benefit the broader Cardano and credentialing community.

We believe in interoperability and transparency, but also aim to ensure privacy, security, and long-term maintainability, especially in sensitive sectors like healthcare. Full open sourcing may be considered after the pilot phase.

[Theme Selection] Theme

Please choose the most relevant theme and tag related to the outcomes of your proposal.

Wallet

[Campaign Category] Category Questions

Describe what makes your idea innovative compared to what has been previously funded (whether by you or others).

1. Combines credential issuing, storage, and matching in one flow
2. Targets** real healthcare needs** with actual issuers and employers
3. Enables smart logic (e.g. matching, eligibility, pathways)
4. Uses **open standards **(OB3.0, W3C VC) and Cardano-native tools (CIP-68, DID)
5. Catalyst-related deveopments are fully open-source and modular for reuse
6. Anchored in real partnerships (e.g. German Red Cross, LinkedIn Learning)
7. Builds on a live demo and past Catalyst-funded delivery (UNDP)

Describe what your prototype or MVP will demonstrate, and where it can be accessed.

1. The prototype demonstrates how verifiable credentials in healthcare can be issued, stored, and matched to job opportunities using Cardano-native infrastructure.
2. It includes a working digital wallet that displays credential metadata, a logic engine for matching and eligibility checks, and an onboarding flow for users.
3. The MVP will be tested with real users and partner organizations in a healthcare staffing scenario.
4. A demo is already accessible at https://emaji.net/wallet, and source code for selected components will be published on GitLab.

Describe realistic measures of success, ideally with on-chain metrics.

Success will be measured by issuing at least 3 verifiable credentials to real users, publishing metadata on-chain using CIP-68, and matching at least one user to a defined role.

On-chain success includes valid transaction hashes and retrievable credential metadata. Additional success metrics include user and partner feedback, logic flow completion, and reuse interest from other projects or Cardano builders.

[Your Project and Solution] Solution

Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem

Solution

Emaji’s digital wallet is being developed to solve pressing problems in the healthcare workforce: fast, reliable verification of qualifications, skills-based matching, and direct pathways for upskilling.

Scenarios

1. A hospital in Germany faces acute nursing shortages. HR posts a job role on Emaji, and can instantly view verified credentials—including German language certification and clinical hours—of applicants. Placement is streamlined and compliant, without reliance on paper or manual checks.
2. For a vaccination campaign in rural Kenya, an NGO needs to quickly assemble a mobile medical team. Emaji allows field workers to present trusted credentials from local training partners, so the organization can verify and mobilize staff in days instead of weeks.
3. A newly arrived healthcare worker in Europe needs to fill gaps in their qualifications to access regulated jobs. Through Emaji, the worker receives a clear overview of missing credentials, is directed to accredited training, and has new skills added to their wallet immediately upon completion.

The Emaji wallet works as a secure, user-controlled digital portfolio for healthcare professionals and organizations:

• All credentials - degrees, certifications, language proofs, specialty badges - are added by trusted training institutions or issuing bodies and cryptographically secured via Cardano’s decentralized identity layer.
• Employers and NGOs publish open credential requirements (“what do we need for this job or campaign?”). The system matches these profiles against verifiable wallets, so only fully qualified individuals are presented—improving both transparency and efficiency.
• If users lack any required qualification, Emaji guides them to recognized educational partners and updates their profile seamlessly after completion—making skills progression actionable and visible.
• All flows and data structures are based on international standards (Open Badges 3.0, W3C VC, CIP-68) and are fully open source, allowing others in the ecosystem to adopt or adapt the approach.

By focusing Emaji’s first deployment on healthcare, we target a sector with immediate needs, regulatory complexity, and broad societal relevance. The infrastructure is designed for expansion, but will be validated first where its value is proven daily: in the safe, efficient staffing of hospitals and health campaigns.

Planned Proof of Concept (PoC)

For the planned proof of concept, Emaji will focus on a real healthcare staffing challenge:

A provider (such as a hospital) defines a specific role and composes an exact list of required credentials—such as degrees, certifications, and language qualifications—reflecting local regulatory and employer standards.

For each credential, Emaji will identify and integrate with trusted issuing entities in a selected country (for example, through partnerships with organizations like IHK, Speex, LinkedIn Learning, and other network partners).

In collaboration with a partner NGO - several promising discussions are underway - eligible individuals will be recruited and onboarded onto the Emaji platform. These users will follow a guided pathway, acquiring and verifying every required credential through recognized entities.

Once all credentials are successfully issued and reflected in the user’s Emaji wallet, the platform will confirm a direct, end-to-end match between job demand and qualified talent. This process not only verifies the technical feasibility of digital credentialing and automated matching, but also demonstrates real-world stakeholder engagement and paves the way for a scalable, live pilot with employers and credential partners.

An initial Emaji demo is already available, illustrating core functionalities such as credential storage and matching logic; this serves as the technical basis for further development and the planned pilot (https://emaji.net/wallet)..) The demo leverages existing infrastructure, and we have already identified and engaged major partners for most key stages of the credentialing and matching pathway.

Core Product Features

Self-Sovereign, Decentralized Wallet

Every user receives a secure, blockchain-based wallet tied to a decentralized identifier (DID), not a traditional account or email. This wallet holds an individual’s verified credentials and serves as an active interface for presenting and leveraging those skills.

Open Standards & Verifiable Credentials

Emaji supports credential frameworks such as Open Badges 3.0 and W3C Verifiable Credentials, with on-chain metadata structured using Cardano standards (notably CIP-68 for NFTs/metadata). This ensures interoperability, transparency, and long-term trust.

Accredited Credential Issuers

Trusted partners—such as training centers, certifying bodies, and recognized employers—can define required qualifications for specific roles and issue credentials into the network. Our ongoing relationships include the German Red Cross, with leadership roles in the International Council on Badges & Credentials ensuring compliance and legitimacy.

Pathway Mapping & Skill Gap Navigation

Users can not only store existing credentials but see what qualifications are required for their goals, identify any skill gaps, and receive recommendations for achieving additional credentials through accredited learning partners (such as LinkedIn Learning and others).

Smart Matching & Logic Layer

The system implements a logic engine that actively compares credential profiles against dynamic demand signals—from employers, campaigns, or sectors—enabling personalized matching, recommendations, and eligibility checks (“credential stack triggers job match”, “credential X unlocks opportunity Y”).

Open Source, Community-Driven, Extensible

All code for credential issuance, wallet, and logic modules will be open-sourced under MIT or similar licenses. The platform is designed for modular integration—welcoming new features, pilot deployments, and governance innovations contributed by the community.

Architectural Highlights

• DID-based user identity (compatible with Atala PRISM and other Cardano-based methods)
• Open Badges 3.0 and; W3C VC standards compliance
• On-chain credential metadata leveraging Cardano’s CIP-68
• Modular wallet, credential display, and logic execution components
• Integration and validation with leading Cardano wallets or custom interfaces

Emaji’s architecture and approach are specifically designed to maximize transparency, empower individuals, and create value for both talent and organizations—building a truly global, trusted opportunity network.

[Your Project and Solution] Impact

Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

Delivering a project with real-world impact and reliability requires more than vision—it demands relevant expertise, strong partner networks, and robust methods for validation. This section outlines why the Emaji team is uniquely equipped to execute the proposed solution with high levels of trust, and how we will systematically test and demonstrate its feasibility in close collaboration with leading partners.

Emaji’s ability to deliver with trust and accountability is anchored in four core dimensions:

Demonstrated delivery in Cardano and international projects

Robin and Jan have collaborated on a successful Cardano Fund 12 proposal with the United Nations Development Programme (Project ID 1200240), providing a track record for transparent, milestone-driven delivery in a blockchain and social impact context.

Sector leadership and deep technical knowledge

Jan’s role as Vice President of the International Council on Badges & Credentials places Emaji at the center of global digital credentialing standards. This ensures that system design and execution reflect current best practices and maintain institutional trust.

Access to high-level partnerships and stakeholder networks

Both founders possess strong relationships with essential implementation partners—from NGOs (UNDP, WWF, Welthungerhilfe) to credentialing bodies (IHK, German Red Cross), to training providers (Speexx, LinkedIn). These network connections enable Emaji to recruit trusted issuers, validate against real demand, and bring diverse perspectives into piloting and scaling.

Practical approach to feasibility validation

Emaji will not develop in isolation: every critical workflow and matching pathway will be validated with input from actual employers, issuers, and NGOs. Through co-design, pilot testing, and direct on-platform user journeys, we ground our technical approach in operational reality instead of assumptions. Partner feedback will inform course corrections early and transparently.

Transparency and auditability

Open documentation, regular milestone reporting, and community engagement (including publishing pilot results) ensure that progress and impact are visible for Cardano ecosystem stakeholders and beyond.

By combining hands-on technical skill, ecosystem access, and direct stakeholder collaboration, Emaji is positioned to reliably deliver, iterate, and scale a solution that meets both Cardano’s and the real world’s standards for trust and effectiveness.

[Your Project and Solution] Capabilities & Feasibility

What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

Emaji is **uniquely positioned **to deliver this project with high levels of trust, transparency, and accountability. The core team brings both blockchain delivery experience (including Cardano Catalyst-funded work with UNDP) and deep sector expertise in digital credentials, with access to influential partners across the healthcare, education, and NGO ecosystems.

Rather than relying on theoretical models or isolated technical demos, we work directly with real institutions, credential issuers, and demand-side actors (hospitals, NGOs, training providers). This ensures that each design and implementation step is grounded in operational reality and can meet the trust requirements of the healthcare sector.

We follow these principles for delivery:

• Milestone-based execution: Each phase has clear outputs, acceptance criteria, and public evidence of completion.
• Transparent publication: All prototypes, code, and documentation will be published to GitHub and linked on the Emaji platform.
• Open-source tooling: Key modules (credential issuing, wallet, matching logic) will be released under permissive licenses for full reuse and auditability.
• Real stakeholder engagement: We work with credentialing bodies (e.g. Red Cross, IHK), platform providers (e.g. LinkedIn Learning), and NGO partners to co-design and validate each step of the process.
• **Responsible budgeting: **All project funds are allocated with clear work packages, and we hold a reserve of 10,000 ADA that will be transparently reported or returned if unused.

The team has already proven its ability to deliver with integrity in high-stakes contexts. In Fund 12, the same team led a successful Catalyst proposal in collaboration with the UNDP, delivering results across multiple countries and publishing its outcomes publicly.

Feasibility Validation

Our approach to feasibility is deliberately incremental and evidence-based. At each stage, we validate assumptions through real-world testing and external feedback:

• Cedential Issuance & DID Integration: We will demonstrate issuing credentials from real partner organizations (e.g. training centers, certifying bodies) to real users, tied to a decentralized identifier (DID) rather than an email or centralized account.
• On-Chain Publishing Using Cardano Standards: Credential metadata will be published on-chain using CIP-68 or comparable Cardano-native metadata standards. We will publicly share transaction hashes and data schemas.
• Live Matching Flow: At least one user will complete an end-to-end qualification pathway and match to a defined job or opportunity, verifying that the system can bridge skills and demand reliably.
• User and Partner Feedback: All test phases will be documented with feedback reports from both credential holders and institutional users. This ensures that usability, compliance, and trust requirements are met.
• Interoperability & Extension Potential: The project will be built using standards like Open Badges 3.0 and W3C Verifiable Credentials to ensure integration potential with other ecosystems, tools, and Cardano-based identity frameworks.

Risk Mitigation & Adaptability

Emaji is designed to be modular, standards-driven, and easily extensible. Should technical or partner-side changes arise, the team is equipped to adapt:

• Our broad professional network allows us to onboard alternate credential issuers or shift pilot geographies quickly.
• The system design supports fallback credential flows using mock credentials or simulated issuers for testing logic in parallel.
• Development is staged with regular checkpoints, allowing early identification of blockers and redirection if necessary.

[Milestones] Project Milestones

Milestone Title

Requirements & Partnership Setup

Milestone Outputs

• Validated pilot pathways including granularity of qualifications, dependency of credentials (e.g. pre-conditions, "next"), leading to a complete qualification for a job / role
• Defined roles (consisting of qualificaitons), and signed commitments with partners.
• Mapping of credential flows (issuance, storage, retrieval, logic execution)

Acceptance Criteria

• Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) or letters of Intention (LoIs) with at least three key partners;
• Credential requirements for pilot roles are clearly mapped and validated.
• At least 3 jobs are represented through qualification requirements.

Evidence of Completion

• Signed agreements, requirements documentation, and a summary of validation with partners.
• Visibility of 3 jobs on emaji.net

Delivery Month

2

Cost

20000

Progress

20 %

Milestone Title

Development & Integration

Milestone Outputs

• Enhanced demo platform with integrated flows from partners for credential issuing and verification;
• Functional onboarding infrastructure.
• Possibility to map jobs to Qualification Taxonomy (e.g. ESCO).
• Possibility to show earned qualification credentials in the wallet.

Acceptance Criteria

• Demo includes a working wallet with the possibility to see job posts and match the applications wallet to it.
• Wallet can show qualification credentials (Verifiable Crededentials).
• At least two partners have their jobs matchable with issued qualification credentials in a trusted container (Verifiable Credentials).

Evidence of Completion

• The demo on emaji.net shows at least 3 job postings from 2 partners.
• The demo on emaji.net shows at least 5 Verfifiable Credentials issued through badgau.net.
• Onboarding report in PDF format.
• Report on partner feedback.

Delivery Month

4

Cost

30000

Progress

60 %

Milestone Title

Field Pilot & User Validation

Milestone Outputs

• Live pathway tested with partner NGO and healthcare provider, and real users (from the healthcare sector).
• Demand-side (employer/NGO) credential validation sufficiently completed.
• Complete matching flow implemented.

Acceptance Criteria

• At least one user completes the pathway end-to-end and is validated by a participating partner or employer.
• At least for one job / role there is a matching between a qualified person and the job / role.

Evidence of Completion

• Usage log data showing the matching of an applicant and a job / role.
• Summary of feedback for job provider and applicant.
• Validation from partners showing the meeting of the qualification requirements.

Delivery Month

6

Cost

20000

Progress

90 %

Milestone Title

Reporting & Open Sourcing

Milestone Outputs

• Public release of documentation and codebase on Gitlab.
• A comprehensive project and impact report, showing applicability and relevancy for partners and applica
• Transparent cost statement including reserve ADA usage.

Acceptance Criteria

• Code and documentation published for public access on Gitlab
• Case study available and published on emaji.net, Gitlab and potentially Social Media.
• Final financial summary that accounts for reserve usage.

Evidence of Completion

• Public GitLab repository including Case Study.
• Published outreach update including Social Media.
• Final report for Cardano / Catalyst.
• Cost statement.

Delivery Month

7

Cost

10000

Progress

100 %

[Final Pitch] Budget & Costs

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Our budgeting is pragmatic and tailored to the realities of collaborative development, regulatory engagement, and ecosystem integration. The majority of costs reflect the labor-intensive nature of requirement validation, technical implementation, and coordination across multiple partners—key areas for a high-impact, real-world pilot.

Research & Validation: 14,000 ADA

For requirements gathering, partnership building, and mapping of pathways and use cases.

Development & Integration: 30,000 ADA

For demo expansion, technical integration of partner systems, and building the onboarding infrastructure.

Field Pilot & User Validation: 18,000 ADA

For recruiting users, onboarding, running real-world pilot testing, and collecting feedback.

Project Management & Coordination: 8,000 ADA

For team communication, coordination, documentation, and open sourcing deliverables.

Outreach & Dissemination: 4,000 ADA

For producing and sharing the pilot case study and engaging with the public and Cardano ecosystem.

Reserve: 10,000 ADA

Held for unforeseen costs. If unused, will be returned or transparently reinvested in the project.

[Final Pitch] Value for Money

How does the cost of the project represent value for the Cardano ecosystem?

This project delivers a high-impact, real-world use case for Cardano beyond finance: a decentralized, learner-controlled hiring and qualification flow for the international healthcare sector via a credential wallet. For 90,000 ADA, it delivers a working demo on emaji.net featuring DID and CIP-68 integration, smart matching logic, and open-source tooling.

The project will attract new communities—particularly in education and social impact—to the Cardano ecosystem and provide **reusable components **for developers working in identity, credentials, and decentralized services. It represents strategic ecosystem expansion at a low cost.

We also plan to present Emaji at relevant conferences as a showcase of Cardano’s real-world applicability.

[Required Acknowledgements] Consent & Confirmation

Terms and Conditions:

Yes