Three Nigerian technology startups were awarded N3.5 million to boost their enterprises at the She Leads Africa (SLA) Accelerator entrepreneurship programme in Lagos.
She Leads Africa is a community organisation that helps young African women achieve their professional dreams. It promotes and uplifts local talent by identifying promising African experts and practitioners and providing them a platform to grow.
Supported by the Work in Progress! Alliance and Guaranty Trust Bank, the SLA Accelerator worked with 10 promising companies looking to grow and scale their businesses.
At the Demo Day, the closing ceremony of the 6 month program, five of the companies were able to pitch their businesses in front of business leaders to win cash and prizes.
The three startups that emerged top winners, Fresh Direct NG, DeliveryBros, and Medsaf.com, competed for over N3,500,000 in cash prizes.
The winning startup was Fresh Direct NG, an agricultural technology company in Abuja which grows produce within shipping containers. Founded by Angel Adelaja, Fresh Direct NG received a N2,000,000 cash prize presented by Guaranty Trust Bank.
The second place winner was DeliveryBros, a motorbike delivery service which aggregates individuals and SMEs who need pickups with riders from various delivery companies who are in the area. The DeliveryBros system aims to reduce the stress of moving packages around Lagos, Abuja and Accra. The startup won N1,000,000 to invest in building the technology and mobile app to optimize the process.
In third place was Medsaf.com, an online platform built for medical service providers such as hospitals, pharmacies and clinics, to purchase and manage medication. Vivian Nwakah, co-founder of Medsaf.com received N5,000,000 as the prize for the third position.
The judges included Dr. Ndidi Nnoli-Edozien, Founder and President of the Growing Business Foundation; Ben White, Founder of Venture Capital for Africa; Ololade Fadoju, Head of Guaranty Trust Bank’s SME MarketHub e-commerce platform; and Eloho Omame, CEO of Amari Ltd.
Speaking about the event, Afua Osei, She Leads Africa’s co-founder said “since July, it has been absolutely amazing to see the growth and development of these entrepreneurs.”
The Demo Day of the SLA Accelerator entrepreneurship development program was supported by Filmhouse Cinema Lekki, media partners Bella Naija, YNaija and Pulse NG, and public relations support from LSF PR.
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