The crucial challenge of bridging the funding gap for early-stage African tech ventures received a massive boost as 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 significant total of N140 Million in prizes, was attended by dignitaries, including the founder and chairman of Zenith Bank Plc, Jim Ovia CFR, as well as Lagos State Governor Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, underlining the government’s interest in leveraging homegrown ingenuity.
The 2025 edition reinforced Zecathon’s status as a critical startup launchpad, highlighted by the strategic introduction of a rigorous Hackathon track. Out of hundreds of applications, twenty selected teams of developers and designers participated in an intense three-day sprint, focusing on rapid problem-solving and technical execution across critical sectors.
Group MD/CEO of Zenith Bank, Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, OON, framed the event as a necessary strategic investment: “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
The Innovation Hackathon saw TrustLoop, a seamless digital KYC and liveness verification solution, claim the top prize of N30 million. Finalist teams Konfam, The Very Hacked Men, Zenith IntelliScore, and ZeraX also secured N10 million each for their work.
The Startup Pitch
The Startup Pitch Competition, featuring early-stage founders in fintech, edtech, and healthcare, delivered compelling innovation, with Cubbes, an edtech venture, emerging as the overall winner, also taking home N30 million. Four creative runners-up: Venille, Sowota, Invopay, and Flow, each received 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 & Entrepreneurship Programs, Beyond Limits Global.
The real value for these founders begins now. All finalists will benefit from a six-week, intensive accelerator programme. This post-competition phase is crucial, designed to refine business models, strengthen technical execution, and provide guided mentorship and investor visibility, the essential elements needed to scale a promising solution from a competition win into a sustainable enterprise.
Zecathon 5.0 underscores Zenith Bank’s commitment to nurturing African grit and converting ingenuity into scalable commercial success, injecting vital capital directly into the ecosystem.
For more updates, visit https://beyondlimits.global/zecathon5/ and follow @zenithbankplc and @the_beyondlimits on social media.
