Port Harcourt, October 6, 2023 – #StartupSouth8 Conference came to a close in style on October 6, 2023, with the Startup Awards Gala, where outstanding contributors to innovation and entrepreneurship were celebrated.
The Startup Awards by #StartupSouth honoured individuals and organisations that have made a verifiable impact in deepening the Innovation ecosystem in Nigeria with specific reference to the South-South/South-Eastern regions, with the goal of strengthening their commitment to driving economic prosperity and national development.
In his welcome address, Owen Shedrack, Senior Associate at #StartupSouth and Program Lead for the Startup Awards, emphasised the importance of collective efforts in achieving economic prosperity and development. “Whether directly or indirectly, we have seen the impact in our work at #StartupSouth. The Award is a way to show gratitude, inspire, and motivate them to continue the good work.”
The 2023 edition of the Startup Awards witnessed significant growth, with over 300 nominations received and an impressive 4,000 votes recorded. The evaluation criteria included Public Vote (20%), National Spread (National Impact/Relevance – 20%), Venture Backing (For Startups – 20%), Regional Impact (20%), and Jury Decision (20%).
In his speech before handing over awards to winners, Engr. Yakubu Musa, Acting National Coordinator, Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI). National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) commended the organisers of the Awards and pledged NITDA’s support and willingness to work with the team in subsequent editions.
Similarly, Ms Nkechi Obi, Chairman Nigeria National Female Football League & CEO of Sports Nigeria LTD/GTE was elated at the introduction of Sports Tech to the conversations at #StartupSouth8 and pledged her partnership for future events.
Big Winners
A breakdown of the winners’ list shows that TechCabal (in three categories), HouseAfrica (in two categories) and Channels TV (in two Categories) were the biggest winners of the night.
Notable guests at the Awards Gala:
Some of the distinguished guests at the Awards gala includes, Ms. Nkechi Obi (CEO of Sports Nigeria Ltd/GTE and Chairman of the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL)), Kehinde Ogundare (Country Manager (Nigeria) at Zoho), Olufemi Abioye (Founder/CEO of Dekaizen), Engr. Yakubu Musa ( Acting National Coordinator, Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI)), Ms Tessy Ewuzie, Facility Manager at Aradel Holdings and Ikechukwu Anachemba, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Anambra State on Innovation & Incubation.
The audience was serenaded with melodious Jazz tunes from Pius Silver, Port Harcourt foremost visually impaired Jazz Artiste.
In his closing remarks, Uche Aniche, Convener of #StartupSouth thanked all the nominees and the winners for their relentless commitment to the #StartupSouth ethos. He emphasised that everyone who made it to the nomination table deserved to win the award and urged them to see the awards as an invitation to do more.
Full List of Winners
- Startup of the Year – National – HouseAfrica
- Startup of the Year – Regional – Foris Labs
- Inspirational Founder of the Year – National – Nnamdi Uba & Ndifreke Ikokpu
- Inspirational Founder of the Year – Regional – Aaron Esumeh
- Public Institution of the Year – National – NITDA
- Public Institution of the Year – Regional – Skill-up Imo (MInistry Digital Economy & e-Government)
- Best Startup Coverage (Radio) – Regional – Nigeria Info PH
- Best Startup Coverage (TV) – National – Channels TV
- Best Startup Coverage (TV) – Regional – AfiaTV Enugu
- Best Startup Coverage (Non-Technology) New Media – National – Nairametrics
- Best Startup Coverage (Non-Technology) New Media – Regional – Naira Diary
- Startup Journalist of the Year Regional – Peter Oluka (Tech Economy)
- Most Inspirational Technology Hub – Regional – OlotuSquare, Port Harcourt
- Best Startup/Technology Show (TV) – The Beam (Channels TV)
- Best Startup Coverage (Print) – BusinessDay
- Best Startup Ecosystem Newsletter – TechCabal Daily
- Best Startup Ecosystem Podcast or Vlog – Growing Africa Podcast (Daniel Ose)
- Most Inspiring Startup Community – Onitsha Business Connect
- Most Active #StartupSouth City Community – Port Harcourt
- Next Rated Startup – Bellum (Port Harcourt)
- Best New Media Platform (Technolog) – TechCabal
- Best Startup/Technology Show (Radio) – The Entrepreneur (WaveFM Port Harcourt)
- Best Startup Ecosystem Intelligence Platform – TechCabal Insights
ABOUT #STARTUPSOUTH
StartupSouth Enterprise Development LTD/GTE is a Startup (Digital/Creative economy) ecosystem development and advocacy organisation and a Community of next generation Founders building high scale ventures in Nigeria – especially out of the South-South/South-East regions.
It is a Community of Communities with affiliations spanning across 11 States in the South and beyond. #StartupSouth members are building some of the most iconic venture backed projects you probably have encountered. We are a social enterprise registered as a Non-Profit Foundation which believes in the power of entrepreneurship for development. Visit www.startupsouth.org to learn more.
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