The Second Edition of the Zenith Tech Fair with the theme “Future Forward 2.0” has produced 11 finalists to share the N53 million in prize money for grabs.
Held in Lagos recently, the 11 finalists emerged from over 500 contestants that pitched at the annual hackathon.
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Ecotutu, a cleantech company making cooling affordable and accessible for businesses, was adjudged the overall winner to take home the grand prize of N20 million.
The startup will also benefit from a mentorship programme from Seedstars, a renowned company dedicated to implementing high-quality capacity-building programmes for entrepreneurs in emerging markets.
Other winners include 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. Foris won N15m and a mentorship programme with Seedstars.
The second runner-up, Finva, a start-up which helps creditors offer credits at low risk, won N10 million. It will also benefit from a mentorship programme with Seedstars.
Other finalists took home N1m each. They are Green Bii, I grow Africa. Zion Robotics, Sono Car, Sanwo, Itinu -Ev, Eduvacity, and Base.
The two-day Tech Fair featured innovations from various verticals including artificial intelligence (ai), computing, machine learning, blockchain, robotics, big data, fintech, augmented reality, data analytics, 5G and communication technologies.
Brett King keynoted the event with focus on: ‘The Future of Banking: Digital Transformation Journey.’, King is a renowned futurist, author of award winning Bank 4.0, and Founder of Moven.
Speaking during the presentation of the prize monies, the Group Managing
“All finalists would be enlisted into our incubation lab for grooming and mentorship,” Director/CEO of Zenith Bank Plc, Mr Ebenezer Onyeagwu, assured as he congratulated all the finalists.