A total of N140 million has been awarded to ten African innovators by Zenith Bank to scale their transformative technology solutions. The prizes were presented during the Fifth Edition of the Zenith Tech Fair, themed “Future Forward 5.0: Tech for Success – Innovate, Adapt, Accelerate”, held last Thursday.
The 2025 edition featured an expanded dual competition format, including a Hackathon focused on product engineering and a Startup Pitch Competition for early-stage ventures. More than 2,000 participants drawn from across Africa competed, with the ten highest-scoring finalists receiving funding.
Two major winners emerged at the final stage, each earning N30 million. Trust Loop won the Hackathon category with a digital identity solution offering seamless KYC and liveness verification. Meanwhile, Cubbes Technologies Limited clinched the Startup Pitch prize with an AI-driven EdTech platform designed to enhance learning and employability.
The remaining eight finalists—Venille Ltd, Sowota, FLOW, InvoPay, Zenith Intelliscore, The Very Hacked Men, Konfam, and Zerax—each received N10 million in non-dilutive funding. All ten teams will also participate in a six-week incubation and mentorship programme from December 2025 to February 2026 to support scalability and market readiness.
Speaking at the event, Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank Plc, Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, expressed appreciation to Founder and Chairman Jim Ovia for establishing the Tech Fair. She described the theme as timely, noting the accelerating pace of global innovation. “The next technological breakthrough will not take a lifetime. It will emerge sooner than we expect and could come from any one of you,” she said.
Jim Ovia reaffirmed Zenith Bank’s commitment to talent development and innovation. “This fifth edition reflects our unwavering commitment to create value through technology and empower the youth with the hope that one day we will produce the likes of Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos,” he stated.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, delivering a goodwill message, called for increased investment in youth-focused technology development to prepare Nigeria for a digital future. He noted that global youth demographics will place Africa—and particularly Nigeria—at the centre of future talent demand.
Part of this year’s fair included masterclasses led by industry leaders including McKinsey & Company, Huawei, Check Point and Microsoft, covering cybersecurity, cloud computing, and disruptive digital solutions.
