In a bid to stimulate the growth of micro, small, and medium enterprises in Nigeria, the Development Bank of Nigeria has successfully shortlisted 20 tech innovators who will be participating in the final pitch during the bank’s annual tech event, the DBN Techpreneur Summit, scheduled to hold in Lagos.
In a statement made available to The PUNCH recently, the Techpreneur Summit aims to promote and showcase investor-ready technology innovations within Nigeria’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, providing access to a pipeline of investors and subsequent funding for qualified businesses.
The theme for this year’s summit is ‘Catalysing Tech Innovation: Empowering Entrepreneurs for Regenerative Growth.’
According to the statement, over 100 tech companies submitted entries for the pitch competition. A pre-selection session was held in June, where a panel of evaluators, consisting of industry leaders, assessed each submission based on set criteria.
From this process, 20 tech innovators across various sectors, including fintech, health tech, and transport, were selected for the final pitch stage.
The Managing Director of the Development Bank of Nigeria, Tony Okpanachi, highlighted the significance of the pre-selection process, emphasising that it was crucial for narrowing down the best among the entries, saving both time and resources for innovators and evaluators.
Okpanachi said, “Pre-selection of innovators provides feedback on the viability and potential of the innovation and enhances the innovator’s pitch and overall chances. It boosts confidence for the competing teams. Streamlining the selection process also reduces stress and anxiety for innovators that make the shortlist, thereby helping them to focus on the best ways to achieve success at the pitch and in their presentation.”
