Lagos State Government in collaboration with EKO Innovation Centre, has sponsored 15 Nigerian startups to the recently concluded 42nd edition of The Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) Global and North Star 2022 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The GITEX is an annual consumer computer and electronics trade show and conference that takes place in Dubai at the Dubai World Trade Centre. It brings together thought leaders, inventors, innovators, and other key players in the technology sector, making it one of the most significant gathering spots on the globe.
Over 10,000 investors from across the world attended the GITEX Global 2022 event, which also availed entrepreneurs with over 25,000 leads for investment meetings and partnership opportunities.
In previous years, participants would have had to travel to Dubai to compete in the tournament for a chance to win $200,000 in funding and a mentorship prize. But on the May 12, 2022, the GITEX, in partnership with the Lagos State Government and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) organized the pitch event in Lagos at the Eko Innovation Centre.
The judges at the pitch event were Technical Assistant to Lagos State Governor on Innovation and Technology, Akeem Hassan; the special adviser to the Governor on Innovation and Technology, Tunbosun Alake; Co-founder, Fund the Gap Alliance, Segun Cole; representative of NITDA, Amos Udok; Head of Startups, Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, Ireayo Oladunjoye; Unit head, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship ONDI, Oguntade Adeseye, and Co-Founder, Seedbuilders Innovation and Foundation, Olorunnisomo Olaoluwa, which had about 27 startups pitch their ideas.
Two Nigerian technology start-ups, Paddy Cover and Pricepally.com evolved winners and received from Dubai World Trade Centre an all-expenses paid trip to Dubai to compete in the tournament for a chance to win $200,000 in funding and a mentorship reward.
The two winners, Paddy Cover and PricePally, joined by 13 additional teams for a complete, all-expenses-paid opportunity to compete in GITEX, making the total delegation from Lagos State 15 startups, the largest in the history of the Lagos State Government.
The list of the 13 additional startups includes: truQ, Quadloop, and Imperial EdTech, which are the second, third, and fourth-place finishers in the GITEX Lagos State pitch session; Wellness Health Technologies, D’Aggregate, and LiveBic, which are currently enrolled in the EIC acceleration program; AppZone, Kodobe, Farmz2U, Cdial, RxAll Inc, Curacel, and Evolvestack.
Five out of the 15 startups supported by the Lagos State Government advanced to the semifinals of the competition. Paddycover, Pricepally, LiveBic, Wellness Health Technologies, and Evolvestack are the startups.
