Social Media Week Lagos (SMWLagos) was much more than inspiring speakers and digital knowledge-based conferences and masterclasses on ways technology is disrupting many sectors and how businesses can leverage, it was also about upcoming entrepreneurs with innovative ideas seeking opportunities for funding.
The SMWLagos brought together thousands of people ranging from members of the public just seeking knowledge to entrepreneurs in need of funding, organizations and groups leveraging the platform to project their course. There were also investors serious about putting money in the next viable enterprise that will guarantee returns.
The organizers did not disappoint the last segment of participants. One of the platforms it created in the 2018 edition was #STAGE15 which gave enterprising entrepreneurs with viable business ideas or even thriving businesses the opportunity to speak directly to potential investors.
Thus, every day of the event, different startup founders climbed the #STAGE15 deck to trumpet their ideas and why they are the best investment vehicles.
On the fourth day of the event, a start-up founder by the name Juliet was able to convince a panel of judges to secure N150, 000 investment in her business. The first-runner up Sola took home a N50, 000 grant courtesy of Isoko Africa.
On Friday, the final day of the event, nine of some Nigeria’s most innovative early-stage businesses were at the Innovation Stage to pitch their ideas to a parked audience. The session was themed “Launched in Africa Pitch Day”.
The nine start-ups were JaraMobile, a service that rewards people for their shopping routine; Aidah Bot an artificial intelligence based service that helps people receive orders and ensure that the orders are delivered without delay; Vibeoo a radio-on-demand service that wants to provide radio listeners with content that is measurable; Zebullon, a software developers recruiters that hopes to ease the stress companies go through recruiting talents; SDM Communications an ideation company; Tringoo Universe.
Others include Soshalife which has a goal of enhancing the way people socialize and share their ideas and passions; Awoof9ja and Cameraman.
Four of the start-ups were selected from pitch competitions during the weeklong SMW Lagos.
The nine start-ups were judged by a well-known panel that included Tomi Davies president of African Business Angels Network (ABAN), a non-profit association that seeks to promote a culture of angel investing across Africa; Collins Onuegbu, founder of Signal Alliance and director at Lagos Angels Network, Seni Sulyman, CEO of Andela-Nigeria.
Vibeoo, a subscription-based service with 500 people already signed up, told the audience that its objective is to create as much as 12 original series of its radio content before the end of 2018. Aidah Bot on the other hand has only been launched on the beta marketplace. It is targeting formal launch before the end of the year.
Aidah bot was declared the winner of the pitch contest.
