Three Nigerian startups have won a combined N52 million in seed funding at the iHatch Cohort 4 National Demo Day in Abuja. The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) organised the event in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The showcase featured 12 teams building products across energy, fintech, agritech and digital services.
Winners Claim Top Spots After Five-Month Training
The iHatch programme runs for five months and helps young founders refine ideas through coaching, lectures and weekly reviews. Because of this support, many teams leave the programme with stronger and more scalable business models.
Interface Africa claimed the top prize of $15,000 for its solution that provides affordable solar financing to small businesses.
Ahiaoma won $12,000 for its marketplace that links food producers directly to retailers.
Linia Finance earned $10,000 for its budgeting-banking platform that helps users track spending and manage everyday banking in one place.
Winners Plan to Expand Their Impact
Al Amin Idris, Founder of Interface Africa, said the funding will help train 1,000 agents who will promote affordable solar energy in underserved communities. In addition, he said the initiative could unlock investment for more than 100,000 small businesses in rural markets.
Other participants included Ficore Labs, Cohortle, Eventro, PPTLinks, Garden in a Box, Easy Buy 4 Me, Soft Drop and Grabb Livestock.
Government Reaffirms Support for Nigerian Startups
Permanent Secretary Nadungu Gagare said the Federal Government will continue to support Nigerian startups through policies that encourage innovation. Furthermore, he noted that iHatch strengthens Nigeria’s talent pipeline and boosts job creation.
NITDA Expands iHatch Across All States
NITDA Director-General Kashifu Inuwa said the programme began in Abuja but now runs across all 36 states. Represented by Victoria Fabunmi, he explained that the goal is to build a nationwide innovation ecosystem.
Therefore, NITDA plans to support founders at both grassroots and national levels, ensuring that talented innovators receive the tools they need to scale.
