About the opportunity
What this programme is offering
Call for applications for Startup Innovation Challenge 2026 by Startup Abuja is open now!!
Startup Abuja is the premier platform dedicated to accelerating innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic growth in Africa. Startup Abuja is a social enterprise and accelerator platform dedicated to empowering founders, innovators, and small businesses across the NIgeria and Africa. They exist to strengthen the startup ecosystem by providing access to training, mentorship, expert guidance, ecosystem events, and investor exposure. They bridge the gap between ideas and opportunities—helping founders build, scale, and grow sustainably.
Their mission is to create a vibrant ecosystem where innovation flourishes, ideas are nurtured, and startups are empowered to reach their full potential. By bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, mentors, and industry experts, they aim to catalyze innovation, fuel economic growth, and create lasting impact in Abuja and beyond.
Get the Youth Opportunities iOS App here for the fully-funded opportunities.
High-powered gatherings that connect founders, investors, mentors, policymakers, and industry leaders. Their Hands-on trainings covering: Business model development, Pitching & fundraising, Digital transformation, Market and product development, Growth & scaling strategies. Their guided mentorship from industry leaders helps refine your business model, validate your product, and position your startup for investor readiness.
They connect startups to: Investors, Grant opportunities, Corporate partners, and Government innovation programs. Startup Abuja does not directly fund startups but prepares and positions you for global and local investment pathways. A growing database of Africa-based startups, ecosystem players, data insights, and research tools designed to help founders make smarter decisions.
Startup Innovation Challenge 2026 – An online innovation challenge and business growth experience designed for startups, SMEs, tech innovators, and entrepreneurs across Nigeria. This is over ₦100 million worth of prizes (cash + AWS credit + mentorship + resources/business support), A chance to access at least ₦1,500,000 in AWS credit from Transnet Cloud, her Nigerian partner which enables you to host your platform on the cloud with zero upfront fees, mentorship, visibility, and investor-readiness support, A free AWS-powered environment to continue building your tech-enabled solution.
The application is open and will close on Friday, 31st May 2026, by 11:59 pm.
Please ensure that your domain, website, and custom email remain active throughout the duration of the innovation challenge.
If you qualify for the next stage, they will reach out to you after the application closes.
This is beyond competition—it’s a gateway to funding, mentorship, visibility, and the tools you need to build something truly impactful.
Apply now and take the bold step towards scaling your tech-enabled solution!!
Location:
African Countries
Benefits
The benefits include:
1st Place: ₦10 million worth of value – ₦5M Cash, ₦4M AWS Credits, ₦1M Business Mentorship/Training
2nd Place: ₦8 million worth of value – ₦3M Cash, ₦4M AWS Credits, ₦1M Business Mentorship/Training
3rd Place: ₦7 million worth of value – ₦2M Cash, ₦4M AWS Credits, ₦1M Business Mentorship/Training
10 Runner-Ups: ₦8 million worth of value – ₦200,000 Cash, ₦1.5M AWS Credits each person/team
All selected participants: ₦500,000 worth of AWS credits
Eligibilities
Both genders (age is not a restriction)
Nigerians or any other Africans
Non-Africans building for the African market
Your solution is tech-enabled
You have at least a working prototype/MVP for your solution (
How to apply