IRETI, a health-tech startup dedicated to bridging gaps and managing breast cancer in women, emerged victorious in Wema Bank’s Hackaholics 4.0. The announcement of the winner took place during the Wema Bank/ALAT Hackaholics Digital Summit and Grand Finale, themed ‘Re-imagine: Disrupting the Ecosystem for Scale,’ held in Lagos on Friday.
IRETI secured the top spot, winning the N15 million cash prize for the best-pitched business. Following closely, GRIP, a fintech startup, claimed the first runner-up position and was awarded N10 million, while Trakka secured the second runner-up spot, receiving N7 million.
In addition, Outsidee received N5 million for the Women Led Award, a prize specifically designed to support women in the tech industry. Other notable winners include Naijabox in the best energy startup category, PUP Industries for the best climate subset, MumAlive in the health startup category, Chao in the e-commerce category, and University-X in the edutech category.
The 10 finalists for Hackaholics 4.0 included IRETI, GRIP, Trakka, Outsidee, Chao, Raptor, Pup Industries, University-X, Naijabox, and MumAlive.
Furthermore, three universities were recipients of the Wema Bank Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) endowment fund. Babcock University received N10 million, Afe Babalola University received N7 million, and Nile University was awarded N5 million.
Jane Agbaohwo, founder and creative director of IRETI, expressed her commitment to reaching both urban and rural women by partnering with NGOs to raise awareness about breast cancer. She emphasized the importance of early detection and timely treatment in increasing chances of survival.
Moruf Oseni, MD/CEO of Wema Bank, highlighted the bank’s unique blend of traditional banking expertise and technology, emphasizing its support for the growth of the tech ecosystem in Nigeria. Oseni emphasized the significance of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education for sustainable economic and social development.
Olugbenga Agboola, founder and CEO of Flutterwave, commended Wema Bank for fostering innovation in the fintech ecosystem through events like Hackaholics 4.0. Tunde Mabawonku, ED of retail and digital business at Wema Bank, emphasized the summit’s role in uniting digital innovators, visionaries, and industry leaders to redefine possibilities in the digital age. He underscored the theme’s essence, stating that Wema Bank’s innovation program embodies a belief in a world where change is a constant, and the ability to reimagine and disrupt the status quo sets them apart.
