SID Techstars Startup Weekend in Awka Ignites Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Anambra State, an Indication of Governor Soludo's Commitment

The Techstars Startup Weekend Awka, organized by the Solution Innovation District (SID), was a 54-hour event aimed at fostering and encouraging startups in Anambra State.

During the welcome address, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Business Innovation and Business Incubation, Ms. Chinwe Okoli, expressed gratitude to Governor Prof. Charles Soludo for his commitment and support in enhancing digital and technology awareness in the state. She emphasized the importance of events like Techstars Startup Weekend in inspiring innovation and entrepreneurship and highlighted the Governor's vision of transforming Anambra State into the digital and creative capital of Nigeria and also building the next Silicon Valley of Africa.

The event was attended by notable personalities and experienced facilitators, including the Commissioner for Industry, Mr. Christian Udechukwu; Mr. Daniel Chinagozi, the CEO of Innovation Growth hub (ighub); Mr. Emmanuel Mimshach, CEO Telesoftas Nigeria; and Oyin Solebo, MD at ARM labs Lagos Techstars Accelerator. These experts collaborated to ensure the success of the program.

During the final pitching process, Commissioner Christian Udechukwu provided participants with advice on refining their ideas and scaling their products. Mr. Emmanuel Mimshach encouraged participants to remain flexible and open to change, stressing the importance of building viable business structures and products.

Chief Facilitator Oyin Solebo conducted an in-depth session on pitching and its intricacies. Mr. Daniel Chinagozi focused on handling competitors and the necessity of effective collaboration while Barr Ifedy Eze Esq, who was also a facilitator gave the participants a peep into the realities of business incubation

Throughout the event, various mentors, including Oguegbe Chinamerem, Imelda Kosisochukwu, Mr. Jude Obikwe, Ifechukwu Okoye, Mr. Aneto Samuel Onyema, Engr. Chito Onuzulike, Mr. Bill Achusim and Isika Chidinma Ukpai were actively involved, offering guidance and advice to help teams improve their solutions.

The initial pitching process featured 15 unique ideas, which were narrowed down to six outstanding ones through a transparent voting process. The selected ideas were Study IQ, Plastic Kash, MedLog, School Connect, Qikraize, and Agro-flo. Participants were then divided into six teams to develop and refine these startup ideas over 52 hours. Ultimately, Study IQ, a community focused, interactive, and engaging platform for students to reinforce their understanding through practice questions and key point summaries of their course materials, emerged as the winner, receiving a cash prize of 500,000.

We extend our sincere thanks to Governor Prof. Charles Soludo for his unwavering support in advancing Anambra's digital community and for facilitating this remarkable program for Ndi Anambra. We also deeply appreciate Ms. Chinwe Okoli's visionary leadership in aligning with the Governor's vision.