By Aaron Ossai
The South East Development Commission (SEDC) has unveiled the winners of the inaugural South East Venture Capital Program (SEVCP) Pitch Competition, reinforcing its commitment to building a globally competitive innovation and enterprise ecosystem across Nigeria’s South East region.
The competition concluded with a high-profile Finals Day and Investment Ceremony that showcased some of the region’s most promising startups and emerging businesses. Participating startups represented diverse sectors including healthcare, artificial intelligence, clean energy, mobility, agriculture, fintech, legal technology, commerce, logistics, education technology, and public infrastructure innovation.
The SEVCP was structured into two categories — the Incubator Track and the Accelerator Track. While the Incubator Track focused on supporting early-stage startups with foundational business support and venture readiness, the Accelerator Track targeted more established startups with scalable business models and stronger market traction.
Following a rigorous selection and evaluation process involving investors, ecosystem leaders, business executives, and industry experts, 10 startups emerged successful in the Incubator Track, while 15 startups were selected under the Accelerator Track to receive strategic support through the programme.
According to the Commission, the accelerator component was initially designed to support 20 startups from an anticipated cohort of 30 finalists. However, after 25 startups pitched before the judging panel, the number of selected startups was reduced to 15 to maintain the competitiveness, quality threshold, and integrity of the process.
Speaking on the significance of the initiative, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of SEDC, Mark Okoye II, said the Commission remains committed to identifying and supporting indigenous entrepreneurs capable of building scalable businesses that can drive industrialisation, create jobs, attract investment, and reposition the South East as a leading innovation hub in Africa.
He described the South East Venture Capital Program as more than a startup competition, noting that it is a long-term economic development strategy aimed at unlocking the entrepreneurial potential of the region and strengthening the pipeline of investable businesses emerging from the South East.
“The South East Venture Capital Program is not merely a startup competition but a strategic initiative designed to catalyse innovation-led growth and enterprise development across the region,” he said.
The selected startups will benefit from financial support, business advisory services, mentorship, investor access, technical support, ecosystem partnerships, and post-programme growth opportunities designed to help them scale sustainably and become investment-ready enterprises.
SEDC also reaffirmed its commitment to continued collaboration with venture capital firms, development institutions, innovation hubs, academic institutions, corporate partners, and ecosystem stakeholders to deepen entrepreneurial opportunities and innovation-driven economic growth in the South East.
The Commission commended participating founders, judges, mentors, investors, sponsors, and ecosystem partners for their contributions to the successful execution of the inaugural edition of the programme.
The startups selected under the Incubator Track are Health Vault NG LTD, VIBET BIO, Wattmuse Energy, KoboTrac, Simsak, Growdex, Farmi AI LTD, CNG Protect, Linia Finance, and Keke Ride.
Those selected under the Accelerator Track include Ondigo Technologies Limited, Skilladder, KIRA AI LIMITED, RapidMedicare Limited, SmartAirs, Bra-X, Stur Africa, Nigenius, SpaceOps, FLOF CO, Case Radar, Smart Transport Grid Ltd (STRAG), 8Bit Digital Systems Limited, CLIMAX GREEN (AGROFUXION), and Afiari.
SEDC noted that the SEVCP marks the beginning of a broader long-term strategy to catalyse innovation-led growth, strengthen enterprise development, and build a more prosperous and globally competitive South East economy through strategic investment in talent, technology, and entrepreneurship.
