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By Chinelo Obogo
A health-tech startup that helps women bridge the gap and manages breast cancer, has emerged winner of Wema Bank’s Hackaholics 4.0.
IRETI, the start up which emerged winner, took home the N15 million cash prize for the best pitched business, while GRIP – a fintech startup won N10 million as the first runner-up and Trakka won N7 million as the second runner-up. Outsidee won N5 million for the Women Led Award which was formed to support women in tech.
Naijabox emerged the best energy startup; PUP Industries won the award for the best climate subset; MumAlive won in the health startup category; Chao won the e-commerce category, while University-X won the edutech category.
Three universities, Babcock, Afe Babalola and Nile University won the Wema Bank Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics endowment fund, taking N10 million, N7 million N5 million respectively.
The winners were announced during the Wema Bank/ALAT Hackaholics Digital Summit and Grand Finale tagged ‘Re-imagine: Disrupting the Ecosystem for Scale’ held in Lagos at the weeked.
Expressing gratitude to Wema Bank, founder and creative director, IRETI, Jane Agbaohwo, said: “ We are grateful for this honour. Going forward we will be able to reach out to women in urban communities and also women in rural communities because we are partnering with NGOs. We are reaching out to them; helping them to create awareness about breast cancer – it kills, but you stand a chance to live if you detect early and start treatment on time.”
ED, retail and digital business, Wema Bank, Tunde Mabawonku, said the digital summit transcends boundaries to unite digital innovators, visionaries, and industry leaders from across Nigeria. “It’s all about harnessing the collective potential of startup founders to redefine the boundaries of what’s possible in the digital age”.
MD/CEO, Wema Bank, Moruf Oseni, said what has afforded them the opportunity to support the growth of the tech ecosystem in Nigeria, is a unique blend of traditional banking expertise, and technology embedded deeply in the bank’s system.
“We also recognise that any economy that is serious about sustainable economic and social development must pay serious attention to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education. Entertainment and sports have put Nigeria on the global landscape in a positive light; but they cannot help to predict technology and infrastructure deficits that will see Nigeria achieve its true potential,” Oseni said.
Founder of Flutterwave, Olugbenga Agboola, commended Wema Bank for creating structures to support innovation in the fintech ecosystem. He
said that events like Hackaholics 4.0 can provide valuable opportunities to founders who are leveraging technology to solve both local and global challenges.
