Nigeria’s startup scene gained renewed traction at the iHatch National Demo Day as emerging ventures attracted funding and investor interest, with Interface Africa emerging as the top winner and securing a $15,000 prize to scale its clean energy financing solution.
The event marked the culmination of the fourth cohort of the NITDA–JICA-backed iHatch accelerator, which brought founders, policymakers, and venture ecosystem players together in Abuja to spotlight innovations addressing some of the country’s most pressing economic and social challenges. The showcased solutions spanned clean energy financing, digital food commerce, financial management tools, education technology, and logistics, underscoring the growing depth and diversity of Nigeria’s innovation pipeline.
Participating startups advanced through multiple stages, beginning with state-level selections before progressing to regional competitions, a process designed to identify scalable, market-ready solutions from across the country. This structure reflects a deliberate effort to decentralise innovation opportunities and ensure that promising ideas from different regions can access visibility, mentorship, and capital.
Interface Africa clinched the highest prize of $15,000 for its work in expanding access to solar energy through structured and affordable financing, a model with strong implications for small businesses seeking reliable power alternatives amid rising energy costs. Ahioma followed with $12,000 for its digital marketplace that connects consumers directly to trusted food vendors, a solution aimed at improving food access while supporting small traders and producers. Linia Finance received $10,000 for its personal finance tools that help users budget, track spending and plan smarter, addressing financial literacy and money management gaps that affect many micro and small enterprises.
Two other startups, Chapta and Softdrop, received laptop awards in recognition of their innovations. Chapta is building an offline-capable school application to ensure consistent learning access regardless of connectivity challenges, while Softdrop is tackling logistics bottlenecks through a modern delivery platform focused on speed, convenience and operational efficiency for businesses.
Launched in 2021, iHatch was established as a strategic partnership between NITDA and JICA to create an enabling environment for young Nigerians to develop and scale innovative solutions. Through structured acceleration, mentorship and competitive pitching, the programme is designed to position homegrown startups as contributors to economic diversification and digital transformation. For Nigeria’s MSMEs, the solutions emerging from platforms like iHatch signal not just innovation, but practical tools that can lower costs, expand markets and improve productivity across key sectors.
