The AfricArena Lagos Fintech, Mobility & Logistics Summit, held on April 30, 2025, at Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos, Nigeria, was a vibrant celebration of West Africa’s rapidly evolving tech ecosystem. The summit highlighted the region’s strength in fintech, mobility, and logistics, culminating in six awards recognizing exceptional startups and one standout investor.
Hosted in collaboration with AWS Startups, GIZ, Redington, VonTech Group, and Methys, the summit brought together global venture capitalists, tech innovators, and high-potential startups for a day filled with pitching sessions, strategic networking, and opportunities for investment and partnership. It also ran alongside the 21st AVCA Conference and VC Summit, adding further significance to the gathering.
Lady Kay, Head of Communication and Social Impact at Salad Africa, served as the Master of Ceremonies, infusing the event with powerful storytelling. Deepankar Rustagi, founder and CEO of OmniRetail Technology, delivered a keynote titled “Narrating the Fintech Journey: From Headlines to Hustle,” drawing attention to the real-world efforts behind fintech success stories.
According to Jane Egerton-Idehen, CEO of Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited and founder of VonTech Group, the summit reinforced how African startups are leveraging technology to solve critical challenges. “With over 20 startups showcasing innovation in fintech, logistics, and mobility, this year’s summit proved the value of connecting startups with investors and strategic partners,” she said.
Daniel von Ritter of GIZ/Digital Transformation Center Nigeria emphasized the summit’s importance for startups emerging from the Techmybiz acceleration program: “This partnership fulfilled all expectations and gave these startups a powerful platform to showcase their growth.”
Dan Mabbyalas, AfricArise Director and AfricArena Head of Product & Programs, added, “This year’s summit was more than an event—it was a movement, bringing together Nigeria’s boldest founders, investors, and ecosystem builders. The collaboration, innovation, and ambition we witnessed proved that Africa’s tech ecosystem is not only rising—it’s unstoppable.”
Award Winners
Out of the 20 startups that pitched, six were recognized with awards:
- Best Fintech Startup: PaySika (Roger Nengwe Ntafam, Cameroon)
- Best Logistics Startup: Retail Loop (Emeka Ehinze, Nigeria)
- Best E-Commerce Startup: Kamel (Aminu Ibrahim Hashim, Nigeria)
- Best Energy Startup: Koolboks (Lolade Alonge, Nigeria)
- Best Seed Startup: Vetsark (Blessing Mene, Nigeria)
- Most Promising Entrepreneur: Adashi (Ahmed Idris, Nigeria)
- Most Attractive Investor: Al Mada Ventures (Morocco)
Each winner earned up to $25,000 in AWS Activate credits and secured a spot at the AfricArena Grand Summit in Cape Town, South Africa, later this year.
Voices from the Winners
- Ahmed Idris, Adashi: “Winning is a powerful affirmation that African-built solutions can transform communities through technology.”
- Aminu Hashim, Kamel: “This award boosts our confidence and visibility as we work to make e-commerce more accessible across Nigeria.”
- Lolade Alonge, Koolboks: “This recognition validates our work in the energy sector. The AWS credit will allow us to scale our predictive IoT platform and expand our impact.”
Looking Ahead
AfricArena continues its commitment to showcasing African innovation on a global scale. Next up is the AfricArena Europe Scale Tour 2025, with summits in London and Berlin this May, where top African startups will connect with European investors and partners.
