Unilag’s ‘Project I2M’ unveils entrepreneurs for accelerator programme onboarding

… trained 464 out of the 662 onboarded on iBank in two years

The University of Lagos’ (Unilag) project Innovation-to Market (I2M) has unveiled entrepreneurs for its accelerator programme geared towards helping startups scale their solutions and create real impact across various industries.

Abiodun Gbenga-Ilori, the project director and lead speaking at the introduction of the entrepreneurs and their ventures on Monday, February 17, said that Project I2M was created to help innovators move from ideation to commercialisation by providing mentorship, funding, and industry partnerships.

“At its core, Project I2M is designed to bridge the gap between research, innovation, and commercialization, ensuring that ground-breaking ideas translate into market-ready solutions.

“Through this accelerator, we are fostering entrepreneurship, supporting innovators, and driving economic transformation,” she said.

Some of the brilliant entrepreneurs and ventures driving change in sustainability, finance, agriculture, technology, and education that were introduced at the occasion are Pneedles:– The venture is tackling plastic waste by producing sustainable buttons for the fashion industry (SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production).

Ledga:– The firm is simplifying financial management for businesses with an intuitive payment and payroll solution (SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth).

Palmark Syndicate:– The startup is reducing post-harvest losses by transforming surplus tomatoes into long-lasting powder using solar drying technology (SDG 2 – Zero Hunger).

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Niteon Inc:– it is revolutionising African exports through an AI-powered B2B marketplace that connects manufacturers with global buyers (SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure).

Vet Konect: – Providing affordable and high-quality digital animal healthcare solutions across Africa (SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-being).

Cubbes: – Enhancing academic success by giving university students access to organized resources and tools (SDG 4 – Quality Education).

Buyscrap Nigeria:– Promoting sustainability with Nigeria’s first digital marketplace for recyclable materials (SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities).

PNGfitfam Herbals:– Offering personalized herbal-based wellness solutions for lifestyle-related health challenges (SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-being).

Upcycla Technologies:– Converting plastic waste into industrial wax and lubricant grease, reducing environmental pollution (SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production).

VersityEdge:– Using AI to support students on their university admission journey with live classes and exam prep (SDG 4 – Quality Education).

Craft Planet:– Recycling plastic waste into sustainable building components and modular housing (SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities).

SundryAgro Ltd:– Connecting busy urban consumers with fresh farm produce through an efficient eCommerce marketplace (SDG 2 – Zero Hunger).

Gbenga-Ilori explained that the accelerator programme is a key initiative under the project I2M, helping startups scale their solutions and create real impact across various industries.

The project, which is funded by a grant from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) through the Research and Innovation Systems for Africa (RISA) since 2023, aims to address three core challenges that inhibit innovation: Lack of training on how to innovate, lack of a support system for innovators, and lack of a clear pathway from innovation to market.

The project is tackling challenges such as provide a self-paced robust training for innovators and researchers, create a support system by providing funding, resources, equipment, and facilities needed to create innovations.

Others include, creating partnerships and networks that will aid the commercialisation of innovations from the project, and creating a software platform that will enable end-to-end management of innovations from ideation to commercialisation.

She further highlighted that the project partnered with facilitators drawn across academia and industry to develop training on various aspects of innovation and uploaded these on the learning management system of the project’s iBank platform.

Read also: UNILAG connects 362 innovators to marketplace through ‘Innovation-to-Market’ initiative

“The onboarded innovators were to participate in a self-paced training on innovation and its nuances. In the two years of Project I2M, we have 464 innovators who completed our training out of the 662 innovators onboarded on iBank.

“Completing the training was a prerequisite to receiving further support from the Project. Innovators with promising innovation, who could convincingly show a viable plan for the market, were scheduled to pitch for resources from the project,” she said.

Gbenga-Ilori explained that resources such as prototype funding, intellectual property (IP) filing, company and tax registration, access to the incubator programme, and industry linkage towards commercialisation were provided to innovators.

“Specifically, in both Year I and II, Project I2M accomplished the following: 105 innovators received prototype funding, 125 intellectual property applications were filed, 105- startups were incubated, 69 startups filed with the C.A.C, and 60 startups received seed grants,” she noted.

The Project, she said, partnered with Amazon Web Service (AWS) to support innovators on the project. According to her, “Innovators who met certain metrics set by AWS were able to enjoy a $5,000 voucher which enabled them to access AWS offerings. In both Years I and II, 31 startups enjoyed this benefit.”

She called on investors, policymakers, and industry leaders to collaborate with Project I2M in scaling these innovations and unlocking new economic opportunities.

“These startups exemplify the potential of African innovation when provided with the right support. Through Project I2M, we are ensuring that research and entrepreneurship lead to sustainable, market-driven solutions,” she said.