Ecobank, the pan-African Bank, has announced the top finalists for the first-ever and inaugural 2024 Ecobank Fintech Challenge Hybrid Semi-Final event held at the Ecobank Pan African Centre in Lagos, Nigeria.
The finalists were selected from a cohort of 40 Fintechs that made it to the semi-final stage of the competition. This year’s challenge attracted over 1,550 applications from 70 countries in Africa and other global regions.
The finalists will showcase their innovative solutions at the Ecobank Fintech Challenge Grand Finale, scheduled for 27 September 2024, at the Ecobank Pan African Centre in Lomé, Togo. The event will be streamed live on Ecobank Group’s social media channels, allowing a global audience to participate. Finalists of the challenge will compete for the US$50,000 ultimate prize during this highly anticipated event.
Speaking at the Semi-Final, Jeremy Awori, Chief Executive Officer of Ecobank Group, remarked,
“The finalists in this year’s Ecobank Fintech Challenge have showcased exceptional talent and innovation; and we look forward to welcoming them to the Finale. At Ecobank, we’re committed to collaborating with these business builders to develop products and services that will benefit our customers and contribute to our continent’s progress”.
The finalists of the 2024 Ecobank Fintech Challenge:
- BuuPass, Kenya
- Daba Finance,Ivory Coast
- EasyEquities, South Africa
- Exuus, Rwanda
- Melanin Kapital Neobank, Kenya
- MiaPay, Togo
- PaySika, Cameroon
- PROBOUTIK, Senegal
- Sawport Video Banking as a Virtual Branch, Nigeria
- Sproutly, Nigeria
- Vaultpay, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- YMO Africa, Guinea
The Ecobank Fintech Challenge, a flagship initiative of the Ecobank Group, organised for seven consecutive years, continues to serve as a premier continental platform for promoting innovation and collaboration between Fintechs and the pan-African Bank’s cross-border markets spanning 35 countries.
It provides a unique opportunity for fintech entrepreneurs to address challenges such as reaching scale, navigating an uncertain regulatory environment, and managing scarcity of funding. In addition to financial rewards, the challenge offers Ecobank’s expertise in diversified market operations and the right solutions to scale across its pan-African footprint and international presence.
Since inception, 60 fintech startups have been inducted into the Ecobank Fintech Fellowship.