Battlefield 2014 - The quest to discover next generation of entrepreneurs of Nigeria is on
Early-stage startups in Nigeria are on the battlefield. The TechCabal Battlefield finale, a closely-fought competition for startups that are bootstrapped or have received less than $200,000 in funding, is going to take place on 21 February 2014. Out of 92 applications and a fiercely competitive shortlist of 20, the final seven startups have been picked already. They will now battle it out to win a prize of $20,000.
These startups have a chance to pitch their products and businesses to an audience of users, geeks and investors at Sheraton hotel in Lagos.
The judges’ panel of Battlefield 2014 has prominent names from the startup ecosystem: Jason Njoku, founder of iROKOtv, Akin Oyebode of Stanbic IBTC, Ayodeji Adewunmi, President and CEO of Jobberman, and Gbenga Sesan of Paradigm Initiative Nigeria. The prize money for the competition is sponsored by Stanbic IBTC Bank and iROKING.com
TechCabal’s Editor-in-Chief Bankole Oluwafemi told YourStory Africa that out of the 92 applications they received, they’ve chosen 7 best startups. So far, the highlight of the selection process was the number of startups in Nigeria that are working on core technology areas. Adugbo is an example.
www.adugbo.com is a digital platform that enables contextually relevant discovery and promotion of products and services offered by local SMEs. Via a suite of web and mobile apps offering specific location-based services, Adugbo aims to become the digital interface for the city.
www.callbase.co is a telephone system for modern distributed teams that makes it easy, affordable and more efficient for organizations to manage and measure voice communication with customers and partners.
www.casagroupo.com is an online real estate crowdfunding platform that provides exclusive, well curated, safe and profitable real estate investment projects to its members. By aggregating funds over the internet, CasaGrupo is able to reduce monetary exposure per deal to a minimum of 100,000 nigerian naira.
www.decodedlyrics.com is a music platform that aids in the discovery of African music with a focus on the lyrics. Decoded provides users with the ability to experience the diverse and intricate cultures within Africa through the unique lens of musical and literary composition.
www.gokool.com.ng is an online shopping platform offering Nigerians genuine auto parts and electrical accessories, a need which is currently underserved in Nigeria's growing e-commerce industry. GoKool's aim is to provide their customers the assurance of high quality in a market filled with substandard products.
www.prepclass.com.ng is an online portal that helps students prepare for popular examinations. The startup's initial focus is on the nationwide JAMB exams.
www.500shops.com is an e-commerce as a service platform that allows any business owner to setup a complete online store in minutes.
These seven finalists will go for mentorship at the Battlefield Academy. There, each startup will be paired with a mentor from the faculty, who will help them think through their product, business and pitch. The TechCabal Battlefield faculty includes Tomi Davies (Lagos Angel Network), Editi Effiong (Anakle), Femi Taiwo (INITS), Mark Essien (Hotels.ng), Ojoma Ochai (British Council)
We are happy to share that YourStory Africa has partnered with TechCabal for Battlefield 2014. We will be tracking the stories of these young and promising Nigerian startups and will continue to share their progress with you.
