The Idea Hatch (iHATCH) has produced three startups that emerged as winners out of 12 others at this year’s Cohort 4 technology demonstration, with the firms going home with a cumulative seed fund prize of over N52 million.
The iHatch Cohort 4 National Demo Day was organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Abuja. The initiative is a free five-month incubation programme designed to help Nigerian entrepreneurs refine their business ideas.
Interface Africa, a startup that enables small businesses to access affordable solar financing, won the first prize of 15,000 dollars. The second prize of 12,000 dollars went to Ahiaoma, a user-friendly marketplace focused on trust in the food supply chain by connecting food producers directly to retailers. The third prize of 10,000 dollars was awarded to Linia Finance, a budgeting bank that combines everyday banking services with tools that help users manage spending.
The iHATCH programme is built around coaching sessions, structured lectures and boot camps aimed at generating viable and scalable business models, with emphasis on youth participation, innovation, entrepreneurship and technology nationwide programme.
Other startups that participated in the Cohort 4 programme included Ficore Labs, Cohortle, Eventro, PPTLinks, Garden in a Box, Easy Buy 4 Me, Soft Drop, Linia Finance and Grabb Livestock.
Reacting to winning the first prize, Mr Al Amin Idris, Founder of Interface Africa, said the funding would be used to train about 1,000 agents on affordable solar energy solutions.
“Our target is to use this money not just to train them, but to use the resources to unlock investment in about 100,000 businesses, especially in rural markets,” he said.
Speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, Nadungu Gagare, said the federal government would remain committed to creating an enabling environment for startups and innovators to grow.
Represented by Emmanuel Udoidiok, an official of the ministry, Gagare described the programme as an affirmation of Nigeria’s drive to build a competitive, innovation-led digital economy.
“The startups we celebrate today are proof that Nigeria possesses the talent and ambition to compete on the global stage because they are developing high-impact solutions across key sectors from fintech to health, tech and agritech solutions,” he said.
“These ventures are the direct outcome of deliberate government strategy and programmes like iHatch are national priorities, strengthening our innovation pipeline and contributing to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product and job creation goals.
“The Federal Ministry of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy is unwavering in its mandate to create the most enabling environment for these innovators,” he added.
The Director General of NITDA, Malam Kashifu Inuwa, represented by Victoria Fabunmi, National Coordinator, Office for National Digital Innovation (ONDI), said the federal government was building an inclusive innovation ecosystem from the grassroots to the global stage.
He explained that the iHatch programme started as a pilot in Abuja before being expanded to cover all 36 states.
“When we launched the iHatch programme, it began as a pilot in Abuja, but we quickly saw the potential of taking it deeper into states and communities, where talent is abundant.
“Today we are witnessing the emergence of founders on a national stage, ensuring that no founder is left behind,” he said.
