STARTUP RESOURCES LIST

  • Startup Media: Centralized local information, listings, and news. (i.e. startup blogs/ publications/ lists/ FB groups/ newsletters, Startup Digest)
  1. CFAmedia.ng 
  2. ConnectNigeria
  3. Disrupt Africa
  4. Entrepreneurs.ng
  5. EntrepreNEWS
  6. Innovation Village
  7. Lagos Innovates News
  8. Memeburn
  9. MSME Africa
  10. Newmedia.ng
  11. Nigeria Communications Week
  12. SME peaks
  13. Startup AfricaStartup Digest Lagos
  14. Startup Plug
  15. Stearns
  16. Techativeng
  17. Techbuild Africa
  18. TechCabal
  19. TechCityNG
  20. Techcrunch
  21. TechCultureNG
  22. TechEconomy.ng 
  23. Technext.ng
  24. Techpoint.Africa
  25. Ventureburn
  26. WeeTracker
  • Inspirational Events: Open, inclusive, beginner startup events (i.e. Startup Weekend, idea fairs, and inspirational meetups) 

  1. Africa Arena Event
  2. Art of Technology Lagos
  3. Blockchain Technology Initiative
  4. Cardano Lagos
  5. CFA’s Startups Hangout 
  6. EDC Annual SME Conference 
  7. Figma Africa
  8. Lagos Startup Week
  9. Meet up (Lagos Startup Founder 101)
  10. Nigeria Innovation Summit
  11. SMEPEAKS BBG
  12. Social Media Week Lagos
  13. Startup Weekend Lagos
  14. TechCabal TownHall 
  15. Techpoint Build
  16. Tribers Tech hub
  17. Women Who Code Lagos

Educate

  1. Best Practices: Beginner knowledge-sharing events. (i.e. beginner events that serve to educate more than inspire, like Startup Founder 101, etc).
    1. Daystar Business Academy (DBA)
    2. Digitalise Africa Lagos
    3. Entrepreneurs Collective Lagos
    4. Forbes Digital Startup Accelerator
    5. Hashnode IRL Lagos
    6. JAMStack Lagos
    7. Lagos Fintech week
    8. Lepsta Developers Lagos
    9. NetSquared Lagos
    10. Nigeria Fintech week
    11. SMEtoolkit
    12. Startup Founder 101 Lagos
    13. Startup Grind Lagos
    14. StartupLagos
    15. StartupNG
    1. Training & Feedback: Skill & Idea development. (Ex. bootcamps and comprehensive training programs, like Founder Institute, etc)

      1. .NET Nigeria
      2. Agile Nigeria Meetup
      3. Agrilab bootcamp and incubation programme
      4. Ahyoxsoft
      5. Andela
      6. AngularJS2 & WebDev Nigeria Meetup
      7. Audax
      8. Ausso Leadership Academy
      9. AWELE ACADEMY
      10. Cedar STEM & Enterprise Meetup
      11. Decagon 
      12. DigitalOcean Lagos
      13. Dufuna
      14. Enterprise Development Center
      15. FATE Foundation 
      16. fofx Academy
      17. Founder Institute
      18. GDG Ikorodu
      19. GDG Lagos
      20. Golang Nigeria
      21. IBM Developer Nigeria
      22. Lagos Startup Academy
      23. Lagos Startup: Idea to IPO
      24. Lagos WordPress Community
      25. Lean Startup Lagos
      26. Lean Startup Machine Lagos
      27. Learn to Code
      28. MEST Training Program
      29. MOAT Academy
      30. NaijaSecForce
      31. NaijaStartups
      32. ODSC Data Science Lagos
      33. Product School Lagos
      34. ProductTank Lagos
      35. She Hacks Africa
      36. Startup Nigeria
      37. Startup Pitch Bootcamp: Learn from Lagos's Top Entrepreneurs
      38. Startup Sisters Africa
      39. Tech Studio Academy
      40. Techpoint Startup School 
      41. TechQuest
      42. Unicorn Incubation Programme
      43. VC4A Startup Academy
      44. WomenWIll Lagos 
      45. Xaine Ingenius
  1. Validate

    1. Team Formation: Resources for teaming up. (i.e. events or other resources that facilitate early-stage recruitment and cofounder matching”)

      1. CoFoundersLab

      2. DropQue
      3. Founder2be
      4. FounderDating
      5. Global Entrepreneurship Network Nigeria
      6. Goodtalent
      7. Jobberman
      8. Lagos Ethereum & Bitcoin Crypto Currency Meetup
      9. Lagos Professional SME Business Network
      10. Lagos Tech Entrepreneur's Meetup
      11. Nigeria Cyber Security Professionals
      12. Nigeria Youth Entrepreneurship Network
      13. Seamless HR
      14. Slatecube
      15. TalentQL
      16. Tribers Tech Hub
  2. Build First Product: Hackathons & resources to build. (i.e. hackathons and other builder-focused events and resources)
      1. Android Nigeria Community
      2. Bincom Dev Center Hackathon
      3. CcHUB American Corner
      4. Ceedcap
      5. Climathon
      6. CodeLagos Hackathon
      7. Discover X
      8. Lagos Unreal Engine Meetup
      9. NaijaHacks
      10. Techpoint Build

2. LAUNCH-STAGE

In this stage, entrepreneurs establish and formalize the company, develop the product, get feedback from customers, and prepare for the next step.

  1. Start

    1. Establish: Law firms & banks for startups  

      1. ABO Law
      2. Access Bank
      3. AELEX
      4. Aliant Law
      5. Aluko & Oyebode
      6. Balogun Harold
      7. Benchmac & Ince
      8. Black and Grey Attorneys
      9. Bloomfield Law
      10. Citi
      11. DOA
      12. Duale, Ovia & Alex-Adedipe
      13. FCMB 
      14. Fidelity Bank
      15. First Bank of Nigeria
      16. GTBank
      17. Heritage Bank
      18. Infusion Lawyers
      19. Jackson, Etti and Edu
      20. Keystone Bank
      21. Kuda Bank 
      22. Nobilis Solicitors
      23. OlaniwunAjayi
      24. PAC Solicitors 
      25. Polaris Bank
      26. Providus Bank
      27. Retainer Solicitors
      28. Stanbic IBTC Bank
      29. Standard Chartered
      30. Sterling Bank
      31. Stillwaters Law Firm
      32. The Longe Practice
      33. The New Practice (TNP)
      34. Udo Udoma
      35. Union Bank of Nigeria
      36. Unity Bank
      37. Vazi Legal
      38. Wema Bank
      39. Zenith Bank
  1. Workspace: Co-working and flexible workspaces (note: “official” office space goes in 3.1.a. Infrastructure) 

      1. 360 Creative Innovation Hub
      2. 8thGear Space
      3. 989 Workspaces
      4. Ally Hub Space
      5. Avalanche Spaces
      6. Battens Hub
      7. Brainiacs Innovation Hub
      8. Bulk Africa
      9. CapitalSquare
      10. Cranium One
      11. CubeHub
      12. eeSPACE
      13. Enterprise Hubs
      14. Exponential Hub
      15. GCL Hub
      16. GoDo Hub 
      17. Hub Aspire
      18. Hub30 Coworking Space
      19. Impact Hub Lagos
      20. Itanna Enterprise Factory
      21. Lagos CoWork
      22. Leadspace
      23. Musterpoint
      24. Naija Startups
      25. Plus Innovation Hub
      26. Red Dahlia Workspaces
      27. Seedspace
      28. Smart X Business Hub
      29. Stage 5 Creative Space
      30. The Bunker Lekki
      31. The Village
      32. TVC Labs 
      33. V8 Valley Workspace
      34. Vatebra Tech Hub
      35. Venia Business Hub
      36. Workcity Africa
      37. Workstation
  2. Develop

    1. Formalize: Accounting, development and HR for early-stage startups. 

      1. Accounteer
      2. Accountinghub
      3. Acumen Digital
      4. AFMRecruit
      5. Aitechma
      6. Alabian Solutions
      7. BDO
      8. Cyhermes
      9. Deloitte
      10. DIIMTECH
      11. Dominion Consulting
      12. Doppler
      13. eRecruiter Nigeria
      14. Ernst & Young
      15. Firstlincoln Technologies
      16. FOURANS
      17. Fuel Communications
      18. FSC Professionals
      19. HR Leverage Africa
      20. KPMG
      21. Learning Solutions Nigeria Ltd
      22. Marcforte Business Consulting 
      23. Muyideen Rufai & Partners
      24. My Placement Africa 
      25. Optisoft
      26. Oscar Temple
      27. Palment
      28. Pedabo
      29. Pillarcraft
      30. PKF
      31. Proftouch Consulting
      32. PWC
      33. SIAO
      34. Stresert Integrated Limited 
      35. Touchcore
      36. Truvia Media
      37. Verraki
    1. Prepare for Seed: Incubators and advanced mentorship. (i.e. advanced knowledge sharing, later stage events and resources for startup TEAMS)

      1. Accelerate Labs
      2. CcHUB
      3. Fastlaunch Africa
      4. Future Hub
      5. Google Launchpad Accelerator
      6. Meetup
      7. MEST Incubator
      8. Orange Corners
      9. Passion Incubator
      10. SPARK
      11. Startpreneurs 
      12. Startup Grind
      13. Startup Southwest
      14. The Bulb Africa
      15. Vatebra Tech Hub
      16. Vatebra Tech Hub Incubation Program
      17. Village Capital Accelerator
      18. Wennovation Hub
  1. Launch

    1. Seed Accelerators: Seed funding mentor programs (Techstars-style programs that provide funding)

      1. 500 Startups
      2. CcHUB
      3. FbStart Accelerator
      4. FI Funding Lab
      5. Founder Institute Startup Accelerator
      6. Founders Factory Africa
      7. Itanna
      8. Labs by ARM 
      9. Leadpath
      10. Seedstars
      11. Startupbootcamp Afritech
      12. Techstars
      13. Unconventional Capital
      14. Ventures Platform
      15. Wennovation Hub
      16. Y combinator
    1. Pitch & Demo: Show local startups for investment (i.e. demo days for companies seeking seed investment)

      1. AfricArena Tour
      2. AlphaLab Gear Hardware Cup
      3. CapitalSquare Demo Day
      4. Connect Nigeria Business Fair
      5. DAAYTA
      6. Founder Hotseat: Pitch Your Startup to Lagos Startup Experts
      7. ICTEL Startup Pitch 2019
      8. Itanna Demo Day
      9. Ivery Arie Inc. Pitch Competition
      10. Lagos Angel Network
      11. Lagos Startup Week
      12. NaijaHacks Hackathon Demo Day
      13. NESG Startup Pitch Competition
      14. Seedstars Lagos
      15. Startup Bootcamp
      16. Velocity by Founder Institute Lagos: See Great Startups Pitch

3. GROWTH-STAGE

Here, a startup proves their utility, receives recognition, and scales up. This usually requires funding, angels, VCs, and ways to connect them to startups.

  1. Recognition 

    1. Investor Networking Connect professional investors with founders. (i.e. events or groups that facilitate connections with professional investors)

      1. African Business Angel Network
      2. Emerging Africa
      3. Endeavor Nigeria
      4. Lagos Angel Network
      5. Lagos Innovates
      6. Nigeria Investment Network
      7. PEVCA
      8. Rising Tide Africa
      9. SPARK
      10. Tony Elumelu entrepreneurship program(TEEP)
  2. Major Media: Mainstream local business press. (i.e. major local or regional publications that frequently champion local businesses)

      1. Afridigest
      2. Benjamin Dada 
      3. Business Day
      4. Business Times Africa
      5. Channels Television 
      6. CNBC Africa
      7. Nairametrics
      8. New Telegraph
      9. Newswire NGR
      10. Startup Lagos 
      11. Techcabal
      12. Techpoint
      13. The Africa Report
      14. The Guardian
      15. The Nation
      16. The Punch
      17. This Day
      18. Vanguard
      19. YNaija
  1. Funding

    1. Angels / Micro-VCs: Seed-stage investors (search AngelList, Gust, Crunchbase)

      1. African Angels Network
      2. Ayoola Daramola
      3. Chinenye Mba-Uzoukwu
      4. Chinook Capital
      5. Collins Onuegbu 
      6. Diran Otegbade
      7. eVentures Africa Fund
      8. Femi Kuti
      9. Idris Ayodeji Bello
      10. Jason Njoku
      11. Kairos Angels
      12. Kola Aina
      13. Kolapo Olabintan
      14. Lamide Adeosun
      15. Olutosin Oni
      16. Pacer VC 
      17. Rasheed Olaoluwa
      18. Shecluded
      19. Tomi Davies 
      20. Trium 
      21. Yemi Keri
    1. Venture Capitalists: Series A and beyond

      1. Adlevo Capital
      2. AfricInvest
      3. Capital Eye Investments
      4. Convergence Partners
      5. EchoVC Partners
      6. GreenHouse Capital
      7. GreenTec Capital Partners
      8. Greentree Investment Company
      9. Growth Capital
      10. IDF Capital
      11. Ingressivecapital.com
      12. Itanna Direct Investments
      13. Kalon Venture Partners
      14. Mbo Capital Management 
      15. Mest
      16. Microtraction
      17. Ripple VC
      18. Secha Capital
      19. Singularity Investments
      20. TLcom Capital
      21. Unique Venture Capital
      22. V8 Capital Partners
      23. Vantage Capital
      24. Venture Garden Group
      25. Ventures Platform
  1. Growth

    1. Infrastructure: Office space, HR, local business insurance. (i.e. office space/ HR/ insurance providers for capital-rich companies to grow and scale) 

      1. Aiico Insurance 
      2. ARK Insurance
      3. AVID HR Consulting
      4. AxaMansard
      5. Coworker
      6. Flatfy
      7. Hub30 
      8. Hub One
      9. Instant Offices
      10. Insurance Brokers of Nigeria
      11. Lead ESC
      12. Leadspace
      13. Libra Insurance Brokers
      14. Lington & Bernie Consulting
      15. Office freedom
      16. Private Property
      17. Property24
      18. Regus
      19. Salve Consulting
      20. Spark
      21. Startup nigeria
      22. Trovit
      23. Union Commercial Insurance Brokers
      24. Wennovation 
      25. Workforce Group
  1. Expansion: Growth accelerators/consultants. (i.e. programs and business consultants for capital-rich companies to grow and scale)
      1. Accelerate Labs
      2. Aon
      3. ArchVision Workgroup
      4. Ashford & McGuire Consulting
      5. Bain & Company
      6. Boston Consulting Group
      7. Burrowes Enterprises
      8. Ceed Cap
      9. Chrysalis Capital
      10. Deloitte
      11. Ernst & Young
      12. Excellence insights
      13. Google LanchPad Accelerator
      14. Grant Thornton
      15. KPMG
      16. Matog Consulting
      17. McKinsey & Company
      18. Novatia Consulting
      19. Pangea 
      20. Phillips Consulting
      21. PwC
      22. Rocket Internet
      23. Seedstars
      24. She Leads Africa
      25. TNS Global
      26. Wennovation hub

4. SUCCESS STORIES

Successful homegrown companies that have raised significant institutional funding, employ a large workforce, or have achieved liquidity.

      1. 54gene
      2. Andela
      3. BudgIT
      4. Carbon
      5. Cars45 
      6. Cowrywise
      7. Farmcrowdy
      8. Flutterwave
      9. Helium Health
      10. Hotels.ng
      11. Interswitch
      12. IrokoTV
      13. Jobberman
      14. Jumia
      15. Kobo360
      16. Konga
      17. Kuda Bank
      18. Life Bank
      19. Livestock Feeds
      20. MDaaS Global
      21. Migo 
      22. Okra Inc
      23. OPay
      24. Paga 
      25. PalmPay
      26. Paystack
      27. Piggyvest
      28. PlentyWaka
      29. Printivo
      30. PropertyPro
      31. Systemspecs 
      32. TeamApt
      33. Thrive Agric
      34. Tizeti
      35. TopCheck
      36. Ulesson
      37. VoguePay
      38. Wakanow

Supporters


To facilitate the steps, every ecosystem needs strong supporters.

1. EVANGELISTS

Successful local founders who lead the ecosystem & frequently mentor newbies.  (i.e. Local leaders who have taken a leadership position, speak at a lot of startup events, mentor all the programs, etc)

      1. Abisola Longe
      2. Abolore Salami
      3. Adaora Ikwuemes
      4. Adeboye Idowu
      5. Adeleye Timothy
      6. Adenike Adeyemi
      7. Adeola Kayode
      8. Adewale Yusuf 
      9. Adeyemi Ajayi
      10. Adeyinka Aderombi
      11. Albert Afolabi
      12. Arinze Anyaeche
      13. Atul Kshetry
      14. Ayo Adegboye
      15. Banke Alawaye 
      16. Bankole Oloruntoba 
      17. Bankole Oluwafemi
      18. Biodun Ogunlabi
      19. Biodun Ogunlabi
      20. Biyi Oladipo
      21. Blessing Abeng
      22. Bolanle Afuye
      23. Bosun Tijani 
      24. Bunmi Teru
      25. Charles Emembolu
      26. Chika Nwobi
      27. Chika Nwogu
      28. Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata Jnr.
      29. Collins Onuegbu
      30. Damola Solanke
      31. David Adebayo
      32. Davidson Oturu
      33. Deepankar Rustagi
      34. Desiree Craig
      35. Dotun Olowoporoku
      36. Dr. Omobola Johnson
      37. Edward Esene
      38. Ehia Erhaboh
      39. Emilia Asim-Ita 
      40. Emmanuel Adegboye
      41. Eze Ifedy
      42. Fasuyi Oluwarotimi
      43. Fayo Williams 
      44. Felix Rwang-Dung
      45. Femi Longe
      46. Fenibo Fubara
      47. Fikunayomi Aluko
      48. Geoffrey Weli Wosu
      49. Gordy Oshoko
      50. Helen Anaogu
      51. Henrietta Onwuegbuzie
      52. Honey Ogundeyi
      53. Ibrahim Salau
      54. Idowu Akinde
      55. Ife Olatunji
      56. Iyin Aboyeji
      57. Jane Egerton Idehen
      58. Jason Njoku 
      59. Jay Alabraba
      60. Jean Marc Ricca
      61. Jean Marc Ricca
      62. John Obaro
      63. Joshua Osunbor
      64. Juliet Ehimuan
      65. Kayode Aladesuyi
      66. Kelechi Nwosu
      67. Kingsley Eze
      68. Kola Aina
      69. Lola Esan
      70. Maya Horgan Famodu
      71. Micheal Essien
      72. Mohammed Aliyu
      73. Mohammed Ibrahim Jega
      74. Nkem Begho 
      75. Nkiru Balonwu
      76. Obi Anusiem
      77. Obi Asika
      78. Obi Ozor
      79. Olamide Afolabi
      80. Olumide Olayinka
      81. Oluyomi Ojo
      82. Ommo Clark
      83. Onyeka Akumah 
      84. Oo Nwoye 
      85. Osarumen Osamuyi
      86. Ovie Adasen
      87. Pius Okigbo
      88. Rebecca Enonchong
      89. Saidu Abdullahi
      90. Sandra Oyewole
      91. Seye Olurotimi
      92. Simeon Ononobi
      93. Solabomi Adedeji
      94. Tomi Davies
      95. Tomiwa Aladekomo
      96. Tosin Faniro-Dada
      97. Tunji Abioye
      98. Tunji Eleso
      99. Uwem Uwemakpan
      100. Victor Adewusi
      101. Victor Asemota 
      102. Wande Adalemo
      103. Weyinmi Egbe
      104. Adewale Yusuf 

2. GOVERNMENT

Public organizations that facilitate local economic development

      1. AOT Lagos
      2. Bank of industry
      3. Digital Skills Initiative Lagos
      4. ICC Nigeria
      5. Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry
      6. Lagos Global
      7. Lagos Innovates
      8. Lagos State Employment Trust Fund
      9. Lagos state Research and Innovation fund 
      10. Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce
      11. Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce
      12. Office for ICT Innovation & Entrepreneurship

 

3. TALENT

Major local business or tech universities and employers that attract and retain local talent.

  1. Local Universities (universities with prominent technical or business programs)

      1. Anchor University
      2. Caleb University
      3. Lagos Business School
      4. Lagos State University
      5. Pan-Atlantic University
      6. University of Lagos
      7. Yaba College of Technology
  2. Local Employers (Major technical employers, like Microsoft or Google or large local companies, with large local offices) 

      1. 9mobile
      2. Airtel
      3. Andela
      4. Cisco
      5. Enye
      6. Ericsson
      7. Etisalat
      8. GE
      9. Globacom 
      10. Google
      11. HP
      12. Huawei
      13. IBM
      14. Interswitch
      15. Jumia
      16. Konga
      17. Microsoft
      18. MTN Business
      19. Nokia
      20. Oracle
      21. Paystack
      22. Samsung
      23. Softcom
      24. Tek Experts Nigeria
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