Nigerian Startups Win TotalEnergies Startupper Challenge

Three Nigerian startups with innovative solutions addressing problems in Nigeria have emerged as the winners of the TotalEnergies Startupper Challenge 2024.

TotalEnergies awarded the winners the sum of N24 million to scale their ideas.

The challenge targets startups that are less than three years old or pioneering a business idea with a positive impact on their communities and/or the planet.

The three Nigerian startups emerged out of the 100 startups  selected across 32 African countries. 

According to the records,1500 of the 14,000 applications  submitted, were from Nigeria.

Each of the startups went home with N8 million at the end of the grand finale of the contest held in Lagos on Tuesday.

The startups 

The three startups include ;

1.   Waste2light, a company producing electricity from wind and hydro sources by converting plastic waste into 3D printed wind and hydro components; 

2.   Coconto, a recycling startup that transforms the coconut value chain for a greener more sustainable future; and

3.    Farmci, which is deploying Interkool, a portable solar-powered solution for preserving and transporting farm produce.

The Categories 

The startups featured in different categories of the challenge.

Emmanuel Abah of Waste2light emerged as the best entrepreneur in the “Power Up” category of the challenge.

Jacob Abiodun of Coconto won in  the “Cycle Up” category, as the best project relating to the circular economy.

Yakubu Temtope of Farmci was the best entrepreneur in the “Innov Up” category.

Speaking on the initiative, the Country Chair of TotalEnergies Nigeria, Dr Matthieu Bouyer, said this fourth edition of the startupper challenge, aimed to ;

• support the country’s local economic fabric .and
•  create an entrepreneurial ecosystem where youths would be visibly mentored.

According to him,the winners in the three categories were painstakingly selected by a jury made up of experts and successful entrepreneurs.

The criteria for assessed were:

• innovative character, 
• feasibility, and 
• development potential in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, as defined by the United Nations.

“TotalEnergies is committed to working closely with its host communities and would continue to support many projects in areas of health, education, and environmental conservation. 

“We wish to promote innovation and entrepreneurship, lend its support to the socio-economic development of the countries in which the company operates, by supporting the most innovative young entrepreneurs in the realization of their projects,” he said.

The company would train the winners for three months on how to use the N8 million to grow their businesses.