Richard Houldsworth and realXhub
CastleDAO – for two weeks Superteam Ireland ran a developer residency at Slane Castle – here is one of the voices from Demo Day (read here for more)
Richard Houldsworth has been researching and building in Web3 for more than six years. Originally a mechanical engineer, he spent ten years at Coca-Cola, where he moved into software development while optimising the batch production of soft drinks. He later helped deliver an automated warehouse facility attached to a production factory before leaving the company.
For the past four years, Houldsworth has been building a team, protocol and suite of dApps designed to help people climb Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. After three years in the Polkadot ecosystem, the team is now building on Solana. A Dublin-based member of the extended team introduced him to Alejandro and the Superteam Ireland community, bringing him to the CastleDAO Demo Day at Slane Castle to pitch realXhub.
Tell us about the project you pitched at Slane. What is the idea, what problem are you trying to solve, and who is it for?
Our project is called realXhub. It will provide the transaction layer for decentralised, community-owned renewable cold-chain storage. Local operators are trained through the realXhub educational pathway, while producers can store their products with a minimal upfront payment. An AI platform tracks inventory and transactions, and the capital used to establish each hub is repaid from revenue generated through product sales on the digital marketplace.
Agricultural producers in many emerging markets lose between 30 and 50 per cent of highly perishable produce after harvest. Access to reliable cold-chain infrastructure is limited, while fragmented coordination between buyers and sellers, poor market visibility and high unemployment make the problem worse.
What did you actually build during the two weeks? Did you start from scratch at Slane, build on something you were already working on, or complete a project that was already underway?
We focused on the onboarding process for farmers and producers from a front-end UX and UI perspective. We also built Solana programs that allow hub operators to own the equipment through hub tokens, which they could subsequently resell on a marketplace.
Where is the project now? What worked, what changed during the two weeks, and what still needs to be built?
We still need to build the digital marketplace through which consumers can buy the products. We also need to build the AI agents that will support the hubs.
What is your longer-term vision for the project? If everything goes according to plan, what could it become over the next year or two?
We plan to build a physical proof-of-concept hub at the University of East London under an MOU. We are also exploring a 24-hub pilot programme in partnership with Nigeria’s Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs. Within two years, we would like to have more than 200 operational hubs across several regions.
What did you think of the Slane experience itself? What was the best part of spending two weeks building alongside the other founders?
I loved it. I only wish I could have spent more time there. The event was extremely well organised, and the quality of the builders was exceptional.
What was the funniest, strangest or most unexpected moment at Slane? We want the story that probably did not make it into the final pitch.
On the final night, after the party in the castle basement, which was wild enough, we saw a person lying motionless at the side of the road as we travelled back to the farm. We stopped and tried to help the woman, but she was very drunk and unable to speak. Fortunately, our coach driver called the police, who arranged for an ambulance. It was frightening, but we were fortunate to come across her and help her receive support when she needed it.
Finally, what happens next? What are you looking for now: users, investment, collaborators, technical support, introductions, or simply time to keep building?
We are seeking £250,000 in investment to build everything required for the initial proof of concept and to establish the pilot programme in Nigeria.
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