Vatebra Tech Hub is an innovation hub funded by the Bank of Industry to support startups and technology development in Nigeria. The Hub was officially launched by the Governor of Lagos state, His Excellency Babajide Sanwo-olu in September 2019 represented by the Commissioner for Science and Technology Hakeem Fam.
Vatebra tech Hub partnership with Bank of Industry has set up innovation hubs across 4 geopolitical zones and since the launch of the inaugural hub in Lagos, the partnership have led to the set of Bayelsa tech Hub, Bank of industry – University of Africa, Toru-Orua Incubation center (BOI- UAT), Kebbi Innovation hub and Kada hive innovation and tech hub located in Kaduna.
Since the launch of the hub, we have partnered with organizations like Agora, Lagos Innovates Lenco, AWS, Hubspot, Embassy of Finland to support startups in our network.
As a way to continue to provide mentorship and funding linkages for startups in our community we recently partnered with the University of Wisconsin Madison Law School & PUNUKA Attorneys & Solicitors to organize a Pitch Event.
The featured Startups included:
-Guava - Guava is building a payment that helps wholesalers and manufacturers improve sales and increase cash flow by offering their business customer credit at the point of purchases so that they can buy now and pay later. (BNPL)
-LearnAli - Learnali provides an on-demand online skill acquisition and talent development platform for students and graduates to acquire the skills needed to increase their employability, and land their dream job.
-KoinWa - KoinWa is a cross border peer to peer trading platform where you can exchange Bitcoin for your local currency and vice versa. KoinWa makes it safe and easy to buy, sell and store cryptocurrencies in Nigeria
-AvivWallet - Aviv allows individuals and businesses to easily become mobile money agents from the comfort of their homes and offices and matches them with users who need instant and affordable cash. Providing a better alternative to the POS and ATM systems without any of their limitations and accelerating financial inclusion in Africa.
-Earlybrite - Earlybrite is a revolutionary and innovative Edtech ecosystem/platform designed on breeding innovative solutions to upskill the knowledge base of the next generation through shared learning and hands-on activities.
-Gasmonkey - Gasmonkey is providing access to cheaper and more efficient energy sources for domestic purposes. They also build smart gas cylinders that tell the fuel quantity in it and how long it will last.
The founders pitched to a panel of U.S - based Angel Investors, who were also joined by representatives from PUNUKA Attorneys & Solicitors who presented on Legal Issues related to International Angel Investment.
As a followup to the pitch event, in order to continue to provide mentorship for startups in our community Vatebra Tech hub, in Partnership with all the hubs powered by Bank Of Industry launched Idea Lab.
The Idea Lab program which is for a duration of 9-weeks is designed to give insights on how start-ups work, and for participants to learn what determines start-up success and to get the chance to start working on world-changing ideas.
Participants must have an idea or concept that they believe can develop into a transformative business that will leverage technology to drive significant impact in Nigeria. University students, young graduates and unemployed youth or anyone that has an idea to test are encouraged to apply.
The Program focus seeks to answer the important questions, I have an idea but is it a business? Experienced entrepreneurs and business professionals will serve as the Mentor for each team/individual assisting them in defining feasibility, desirability & viability of their early-stage idea.
We are looking for entrepreneurs with Passion, Commitment and Curiosity.
The curriculum will have elements around Idea formation by actively engaging in research, receiving expert advice & insight from subject matter experts, and identifying the resources required to turn the concept into a viable product.
During the program, selected teams/individuals will have access to Shared Office,
Hand on Business advisory support, AWS Credits, up to 10,000 USD, Agora Tools (Up to 1,000,000 free minutes) and more
The program mode of delivery is hybrid ( Virtual/In-person). Selected entrepreneurs will have access to the coworking space of all the implementing partners during the program.
The Application Deadline is March 21st, 2022.
The program Launch date is March 28th, 2022.
The Vatebra Tech Hub is committed to promoting skills development, youth entrepreneurship, and job creation in new technology and innovations.
Participating hubs Include Bayelsa Tech Hub, Kebbi Innovation & Tech Hub, Kada Hive and BOI UAT.
Interested participants can apply here: https://bit.ly/startuplabbyvatebra
