Thousands of applications and a total prize pool of N140 million defined the 2025 edition of Zenith Bank’s Zecathon 5.0, which brought together developers, designers, and early-stage founders through hackathon and startup pitch competitions.
Zenith Bank concluded the 2025 edition of its flagship innovation competition, Zecathon 5.0, at the Zenith Tech Fair.
The event, which received thousands of applications and deployed a total of N140 million in prizes, was attended by dignitaries including the founder and chairman of Zenith Bank Plc, Jim Ovia CFR, and Lagos State Governor Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, highlighting the government’s growing interest in leveraging homegrown innovation.
The 2025 edition reinforced Zecathon’s role as a critical startup launchpad, marked by the introduction of a more rigorous Hackathon track. Out of hundreds of applications, twenty selected teams of developers and designers participated in an intense three-day sprint focused on rapid problem-solving and technical execution across key sectors.
Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Bank, Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, OON, described the initiative as a strategic investment, saying, “Our mission is to empower innovators with the resources and support they need to build ventures that can solve real challenges and accelerate Africa’s digital and economic growth. Zecathon continues to be the essential platform where bold ideas are transformed into market-ready solutions.”
The Innovation Hackathon saw TrustLoop, a digital KYC and liveness verification solution, win the top prize of N30 million. Finalist teams Konfam, The Very Hacked Men, Zenith IntelliScore, and ZeraX each received N10 million for their work.
In the Startup Pitch Competition, Cubbes, an edtech venture, emerged as the overall winner, taking home N30 million. Four other startups—Venille, Sowota, Invopay, and Flow—each secured N10 million.
“This edition proved the power of investing in platforms that bring visionary institutions and entrepreneurs together. The teams delivered solutions with real potential to advance digital transformation across the continent,” said Fikun Aluko, Head, Tech and Entrepreneurship Programs, Beyond Limits Global.
