The competition which is now officially underway with the emergence of seven finalists out of a fiercely competitive pool of over ninety applicants. The successful contenders will proceed to training with seasoned professionals in technology and business, preparing them for the an epic finale at which they will present their ventures to an experienced panel of judges as well as an audience of press, investors and the general public.
TechCabal’s Founder and Editor, Bankole Oluwafemi believes that Nigeria’s next generation of technology start ups are about to emerge and will likely outdo their successful predecessors – the iROKOs, Jobbermans, Paga and Kongas of the ecosystem. Technology entrepreneurship is not only now mainstream but is now a key driver of the economy, as ICT now constitutes 8.5 percent of Nigeria gross domestic product. This is the generation that will not only solve local problems using technology, but will also play a huge role in lifting Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa out of poverty.
The TechCabal Battlefield finale is slated to take place on Friday 21st of February 2014, and is free to attend by technology enthusiasts, investors and all excited about innovation in Nigeria and Africa. There will also be a global livestream that can be viewed all over the world. More information about the event, and attendance registration details can be found on TechCabal.com.
Out of 92 applications and a fiercely competitive shortlist of twenty, the final seven startups have emerged. They are:
500Shops
500Shops is an e-commerce as a service platform that allows any business owner to setup a complete online store in minutes — www.500shops.com
Adugbo
Adugbo is a digital platform that enables the contextually relevant discovery and promotion of products/services offered by local merchants/small businesses. Via a suite of web/mobile apps offering specific location-based services, Adugbo aims to become the digital interface to your city — www.adugbo.com
Callbase
Callbase is a telephone system for modern distributed teams that makes it easy, affordable and more efficient for organizations to manage and measure voice communication with customers, partners and others — www.callbase.com
CasaGrupo
CasaGrupo is an online real estate crowdfunding platform that provides exclusive, well curated, safe and profitable real estate investment projects to its members. By aggregating funds over the internet, CasaGrupo is able to reduce monetary exposure per deal to a minimum of N100,000 — www.casagrupo.com
Decoded
Decoded is a music platform that aids in the discovery of African music with a focus on the lyrics. Decoded provides users with the ability to experience the diverse and intricate cultures within Africa through the unique lens of musical and literary composition — www.decodedlyrics.com
GoKool
GoKool is an online shopping platform offering Nigerians genuine auto parts and electrical accessories, a need which is currently underserved in Nigeria’s growing e-commerce industry. GoKool’s aim is to provide their customers the assurance of high quality in a market filled with substandard products — www.gokool.com.ng
Prepclass
Prepclass is an online portal that helps students prepare for popular examinations. The startup’s initial focus is on the nationwide JAMB exams — www.prepclass.com.ng
The seven finalists are going on Battlefield Academy — each startup will be paired with a mentor from the Faculty that will help them think through their product, business and presentations. Members of the TechCabal Battlefield Faculty include Tomi Davies (Lagos Angel Network), Editi Effiong (Anakle), Femi Taiwo (INITS), Mark Essien (Hotels.ng), Ojoma Ochai (British Council) and more.
TechCabal Finale Details
Date: Friday 21st February 2014
Time: 6:30PM
Venue: Four Points by Sheraton, Victoria Island, Lagos
The TechCabal Battlefield finale will have a panel of five judges, including Jason Njoku of iROKO Partners, Akin Oyebode of Stanbic IBTC, Ayodeji Adewunmi of Jobberman, Gbenga Sesan of Paradigm Initiative Nigeria, and one mystery judge to be revealed soon will decide which start up will leave the arena with glory, fame and the ultimate prize of $20,000.
The TechCabal Battlefield is proudly sponsored by Stanbic IBTC Bank, iROKING, Jobberman, Konga, Etisalat, with support from VC4Africa, Ventureburn, Capital Square, Easy Taxi, Ebonylife TV, YNaija, BellaNaija and RELOADED Magazine.
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