A total of 10 finalists have emerged in Wema Bank’s youth and startup-focused hackathon and will battle in the grand finale for N75m worth of prizes.
In a statement on Wednesday, the bank announced the finalists to include University X, Empayment AI, BloomBeauty, Aceede, Fegor, Northino, Nimsy, MyTherapist, GbalePrime, and MyItura.
Hackaholics is Wema Bank’s youth and startup-focused hackathon. Dubbed Hackaholics 5.0, the fifth edition of Hackaholics kicked off on April 18th, 2024, touring campuses across Nigeria and charging Nigerian youth to pitch tech-driven ideas across agriculture, finance, education, healthcare, sustainability, and artificial intelligence. This year, the organisers said that they received over 3,500 applications.
The statement from the lender said, “The pre-pitch ceremony is the precursor to the highly anticipated Hackaholics 5.0 Grand Finale, scheduled for Wednesday, with the theme, ‘Meta idea: Catalysing Africa’s growth through innovation’.
“Following their shortlisting to the top 10, the finalists are set to prove their mettle, battling for N75m worth of prizes in the Hackaholics 5.0 Grand Finale. This N75m prize package includes N30m worth of prizes for the grand prize winner, N20m worth of prizes for the first runner-up, N15m for the second runner-up, and N10m for the top women-led team.
“Beyond the prizes, winners will gain mentorship, networking opportunities, and resources to scale their innovations globally, potentially boosting Nigeria’s economy and contributing to the advancement of the African continent on the global scale.”
Highlighting the unique potential that Hackaholics hold for African development, the Chief Transformation Officer of Wema Bank, Babatunde Mumuni, said, “Hackaholics embodies Wema Bank’s commitment to driving innovation and fostering youth empowerment.
“The enthusiasm demonstrated by the youth across the many institutions visited is evidence of the creativity and determination of young Nigerians and tech enthusiasts, seeking a platform to hone their skills and maximise their creativity. This is why we birthed Hackaholics.
“Hackaholics not only underscores the role of technology and entrepreneurship in addressing Africa’s macroeconomic challenges and accelerating its socio-economic progress but also takes the important step of providing a platform and enabling environment for this technology and entrepreneurship to thrive.
“These top 10 teams represent the next generation of game-changers who will shape Africa’s tech-driven future. We are proud to provide a platform that nurtures their groundbreaking ideas while empowering them to catalyze Africa’s growth through innovation. We look forward to seeing their ingenuity come to life at the grand finale,” Mumumi concluded.
