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The Group Managing Director/CEO, Zenith Bank Plc, Ebenezer Onyeagwu (1st Right); Deputy Managing Director, Zenith Bank Plc, Dame, Adaora Umeoji, (1st Left); Founder/CEO, Foris Lab, Onuigbo John Chukwubuikem (2nd Left); Founder/CEO, Ecotutu, Babajide Oluwase (3rd Left); and Founder/CEO, Finva, Oluwatomisin Kolawole (2nd Right) during the presentation of cash prizes to the winners of the Hackathon at the Zenith Tech Fair 2.0 held at Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotels & Suites, last week Wednesday in Lagos.
A total sum of N53 million in prize money was won at the end of a keenly contested hackathon session at the Second Edition of the Zenith Tech Fair, themed “Future Forward 2.0”, which was held last week Wednesday, November 23, 2022, at the Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The prize money was shared among eleven finalists who emerged from the over 500 contestants who took part in the hackathon, with Ecotutu, a cleantech company making cooling affordable and accessible for businesses, especially in the agricultural sector, emerging as the overall winner and taking home the grand prize of N20 million.
This is in addition to a mentorship programme with Seedstars, a company dedicated to implementing high-quality capacity-building programmes for entrepreneurs in emerging markets.
The first runner-up, Foris Labs, an app-based platform that allows students to conduct science experiments individually and in groups interactively via their mobile phones, won N15 million and a mentorship programme with Seedstars, while the second runner-up, Finva, a start-up which helps creditors offer credits at low risk, won N10 million as well as a mentorship programme with Seedstars. Other finalists who took home N1million each include; Sanwo, Itinu -Ev, Eduvacity, Green Bii, Zion Robotics, Sono Care, Base, and I grow Africa.
Speaking during the presentation of the prize monies, the Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank Plc, Ebenezer Onyeagwu, congratulated all the finalists for coming this far in the competition. He reiterated the bank’s readiness to provide all that is necessary to make the budding entrepreneurs succeed.
According to him, “all finalists would be enlisted into our incubation lab for grooming and mentorship. Our expectation is that we are going to scale and grow them just like the zenith brand. So, looking at what we have gone through, I can tell you that so much iron has been loaded on fire.
“The only thing left is to activate the digital talents, tech skills and entrepreneurship that would culminate in a new digital economy for Nigeria”.
Described as a huge success by participants, the two-day Tech Fair featured presentations on the leading technological innovations that cut across different aspects of life, such as Artificial Intelligence, Computing, Machine Learning, Blockchain, Robotics, Big Data, FinTech, Augmented Reality, Data Analytics…
5G and Communication Technologies, with the keynote address, “The Future of Banking: Digital Transformation Journey”, delivered by Brett King, the renowned futurist, bestselling author, award-winning speaker, Founder of Moven and Author of Bank 4.0.
The event also featured a goodwill message by Jim Ovia, Founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank and opening remarks by Onyeagwu, Group Managing Director of Zenith Bank Plc and Chairman of Body of Banks’ CEOs, Nigeria.
