Two Nigerian Startups Win $300,000 At LEAP’s Rocket Fuel Pitch Competition in Riyadh
Summary
It is quite a long journey that followed rigorous process until the end; from over 10,000 applications to the final 12, in which three Nigerians took part and two emerged winners.We are delighted that our startups are not only amazing but went through a lot of nurturing and mentorship to be the best in the world, he noted.The Minister stated that Nigeria is on the right track in implementing its National Digital Economy Policy and Strategies to ensure that Nigerian Startups add value to the global tech ecosystem.We are building the ecosystem and making it more conducive for nurturing innovation-driven enterprises. In the space of five months, we have Nigerians that are making us proud on the global stage.The eight entries from Nigeria competed with over 90 Startups in the semi-finals, showcasing their innovative ideas that will transform economies and solve pertinent issues around the world. Therefore, they emerged global best.They did not only pitch to win grants but also attended various knowledge-sharing sessions, conferences and investor meetings that have exposed them to numerous ways to accelerate their products for the best market fit.The startups intracted with the worlds best mentors, angel investors and venture capitalists.It is also noteworthy that eight Startups we brought to this years LEAP, three made it the Grand Finale, two won, and are going back home to add value to our Digital Economy.On behalf of the Nigerian government, we sincerely appreciate the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) Headquarters, Riyadh, for sponsoring our innovative startups to participate and showcase their innovations to the world, he added.Prof. Pantami also said that the successes of Nigerian Startups in GITEX, Dubai, United Arab Emirates in October last year, and today in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is evident that the countrys innovators have accepted the challenge posed to them by the Federal Government to not stell as the African leaders but compute globally.The recent successes are the fruit of policies we put in place to ensure our Startups walk shoulder to shoulder with their counterparts in Europe, Asia and other parts of the world. Under President Muhammadu Buhari, the federal government appreciates the outstanding exploits of startups in the country, which are helping to create jobs, fast-track economic development, and also winning awards and grants amounting to millions of naira, he concluded.This years LEAP brought together breackthrough innovative ideas and emerging developments in technology under one roof.A landmark technology event that galvanised public and private organisations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.Five startups were crowned as category winners, and the sixth, Plastus Biotech, ascended to victory and held the LEAP 2023 Award for the best overall startup.All of this took place in front of seasoned judges, angel investors, tech experts and government stakeholders from around the world!The six awards divided the startup entrants by size, scale, impact on society, amount of funding, years in business, and a number of employees.Judges for the competition include Ghazal Alagh, Co-founder, of Mamaearth and Judge, Shark Tank India, Baroness Karren Brady CBE, Vice Chairman of West Ham United Football Club, James Caan CBE, entrepreneur, businessman, investor, and former Dragon on BBCs Dragons Den, and Steven Bartlett, entrepreneur, investor, podcaster, and current Dragon on BBCs Dragons Den.