Summary
- Techstars held its second pan-African Demo Day in collaboration with ARM Labs in Lagos, Nigeria.
- The event showcased presentations from the second cohort of startups that participated in a three-month accelerator program.
- The twelve startups in the ARM Labs Lagos Techstars Accelerator received $120,000 each in investment, comprehensive training, and mentorship, presenting achievements and future plans.
Techstars recently hosted its second pan-African Demo Day in collaboration with ARM Labs. The ARM Labs Lagos Techstars Accelerator Demo Day took place on the 20th of February in Nigeria, featuring presentations from the second cohort of startups that participated in a three-month accelerator program.
The event brought together players in the African tech and Venture Capital ecosystems. Notable panelists, including Olumide Soyombo, Biola Alabi, and Ovo Emorhokpor, engaged in a lively discussion exploring the current state of VC funding and innovation in Africa. With over 480 industry leaders and investors in attendance, the event also attracted a virtual audience of 2,500 viewers via YouTube and LinkedIn.
The ARM Labs Lagos Techstars Accelerator second cohort showcased a diverse range of innovations. The startups – 24Seven, Beauty Hut, Eight Medical, GetEquity, JumpnPass, One Plan, PBR Life Sciences, PressOne Africa, Rana, Surge Africa, Swoove, and Veend – presented their achievements, future plans, and aspirations to Techstars’ extensive network of investors, mentors, and ecosystem leaders.
Over the past 13 weeks, each startup received $120,000 in investment, along with comprehensive training and mentorship. Workshops covering Go-to-Market Strategies, Financial Modelling, Customer Acquisition, and more were conducted by industry experts. The startups gained access to over 300 perks valued at over $4 million in savings and will continue to benefit from lifetime access to the Techstars worldwide network.
What They Said
Oyin Solebo, Managing Director of ARM Labs Lagos Techstars Accelerator, stated, “At Techstars, we are committed to empowering entrepreneurs through our accelerators, venture funds, and network of investors, corporates, and mentors across various cities. We firmly believe that entrepreneurs are the driving force behind a better future for all, and our mandate is to ensure they succeed. As the world’s most active pre-seed investor, we are also proud to have become the most active startup investor in Africa. Teaming up with ARM, we’ve developed a program aimed at showcasing the remarkable innovation and talent on the continent. We’re excited about the 12 companies we’ve backed, each leveraging technology, data, and intelligence to serve a population growing in size, youth, income and digital access”.
The event featured a keynote address by Adetayo Bamiduro, Co-founder of Max.ng, the first African startup selected for a Techstars program. Bamiduro highlighted the impact Techstars had on his startup since 2015. The U.S. Consulate Deputy Political and Economic Chief, Kenise Hill, also affirmed the U.S.’s commitment to trade with Africa, focusing on technology, healthcare, renewable energy, and food security.
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