The 2024 Ecobank Fintech Challenge has identified 12 finalists, including Nigerian firms Sawport Video Banking and Sproutly Africa, following the first semifinal event held on Wednesday at the Ecobank Pan African Centre, Lagos. The announcement was made by Ecobank Nigeria’s Director/Regional Executive, Bolaji Lawal, and Executive Director/Chief Risk Officer, Niyi Olagbami.
Other finalists in the competition include Buupass (Kenya), MiaPay (Togo), EasyEquities (South Africa), PaySika (Cameroon), Exuus (Rwanda), Daba Finance (Cote D’Ivoire), PROBOUTIK (Senegal), Melanin Kapital Neobank (Kenya), YMO Africa (Guinea), and VaultPay (Democratic Republic of Congo).
Jeremy Awori, Chief Executive Officer of Ecobank Group, praised the finalists for their exceptional talent and innovation, stating, “We look forward to welcoming them to the finale. At Ecobank, we are committed to collaborating with these business builders to develop products and services that will benefit our customers and contribute to our continent’s progress.”
Isaac Kamuta, Ecobank Group’s Head of Payments Service, Cash Management & Client Access, emphasized the significance of the challenge, noting, “This is more than just a competition. It is an African initiative designed to identify, nurture, support, and collaborate with innovative businesses that want to scale across Africa. Ecobank is proud to offer comprehensive support, including potential commercial partnerships, technical integration with our platforms, and market access across our 35 African markets.”
Djiba Diallo, Senior Fintech Advisor for Ecobank Group, assured semifinalists across the continent that the bank remains open to further collaboration.
The finalists will compete in the grand finale in Lomé, Togo, in September, where they will vie for a $50,000 prize and a place in the Ecobank Fintech Fellowship programme.
The Ecobank Fintech Challenge, launched in 2017, received over 1,550 applications from 70 countries this year, including submissions from outside Africa. The challenge is organized in partnership with international advisory firm Konfidants and supported by partners such as Huawei, Proparco, TechCabal, BlueSpace, Afrilabs, Africa Fintech Network, MEST Africa, Naija Startups, Expand in Africa, and Founders Africa.
