On January 1, 2020, Techpoint Africa opened preliminary nominations for its inaugural Techpoint Awards (Nigerian edition) ceremony scheduled to hold on Sunday, July 19, 2020, as part of a 3-day line-up of activities for Techpoint Build 2020.
Techpoint Build is West Africa’s largest gathering of innovators, startup founders, thinkers, programmers, and investors, among others.
Preliminary nominations for the awards closed on February 29, 2020, after which valid entries for each category were screened and shortlisted by an in-house committee.
The awards are grouped under three categories: Externally Judged, Users’ Choice, and Techpoint Editorial Choice.
Below are the shortlisted finalists under each award category:
Externally Judged Categories
Based on preliminary nominations by the Nigerian startup ecosystem, awards in these categories will be judged by an independent team of external judges.
Most Outstanding Startup Driving Financial Inclusion – 2015 to 2020
This category is for startups that were most active in the drive for financial inclusion between January 2015 and January 2020.
Finalists
- Paga
- OPay
- Kudi
- Riby Finance
Most Outstanding Electronic Payments Startup – 2015 to 2020
This award category is for startups that were most active in making electronic payment seamless for Nigerians between January 2015 and January 2020.
Finalists
- Paystack
- Flutterwave
- OPay
- Paga
Most Outstanding Mobility Startup – 2015 to 2020
This award category is for startups that were most active in overcoming mobility/transportation challenges in Nigeria between January 2015 and January 2020.
Finalists
- Bolt
- Uber
- MAX Okada
- Gokada
Most Outstanding Logistics Startup – 2015 to 2020
This award category is for startups that were most active in overcoming logistics challenges in Nigeria between January 2015 and January 2020.
Finalists
- MAX Logistics
- GIG Logistics
- Africa Courier Express
- Kobo360
Most Outstanding Agro-crowdfunding Startup – 2015 to 2020
This award category is for startups that were most active in empowering farmers through online crowdfunding in Nigeria between January 2015 and January 2020.
Finalists
- Farmcrowdy
- Thrive Agric
- Agropartnerships
- Payfarmer
Big Tech Company Most Supportive of the Startup Ecosystem – 2015 to 2020
This award category is for big tech companies that were active and had the most far-reaching impact on the local ecosystem between January 2015 and January 2020.
Finalists
- Microsoft
- Mastercard
- Visa
Most Impactful Independent Tech Community – 2015 to 2020
This award category is for independent technology communities (not affiliated with corporates or big tech) that were active between January 2015 and January 2020, and have had the most far-reaching impact on the local ecosystem.
Finalists
- ForLoop Africa
- DigiClan
- Startup South
- Startup Arewa
- Tech Skills Hack
Techpoint Editorial Choice Categories
Awards in these categories will be judged by the Techpoint editorial team, having extensively covered the Nigerian tech startup space over the last five years.
New Startup of the Year – Jan 2019 to Jan 2020 (Techpoint Editorial Choice Award)
This award category is for startups that launched between January 1 and January 30, 2020, with impressive traction and milestones.
Finalists
- 54gene
- Chaka
- PlentyWaka
- uLesson
- Eden Life
Most Active VC – 2015 to 2020 (Techpoint Editorial Choice Award)
This award category is for venture capital firms that are active and have had the most far-reaching impact on the local system within the last five years.
Finalists
- Ventures Platform
- Y Combinator
- CRE Venture Capital
- Omidyar Network
Users’ Choice Award Category
The award is exclusive for users and is completely judged by the audience, based solely on votes.
Best Nigerian App (Users’ Choice Award
This award is for a user-favourite app built by Nigerians for Nigerians. This is the only category completely judged by the audience. With voting already closed, the winner will be revealed on Sunday, July 19, 2020 at the award gala night to be held in Lagos.
The top voted apps, in no particular order are:
- Carbon
- PiggyVest
- Cowrywise
Aside from these categories, Techpoint will also be recognising certain individuals by inducting them into the Techpoint Hall of Fame. This award is to recognise people with the most influence and impact on the growth of the technology startup ecosystem since inception. Individuals to be inducted will be in the following categories:
- Communities & Events
- Incubators & Accelerators
- Infrastructure
- Policy
- Governance
About Techpoint Africa
Techpoint Africa is a technology company that amplifies the best innovations out of Africa through its media, data, events and tech focused platforms.
Founded in 2015, Techpoint Africa has grown to become one of the most notable brands across Africa’s tech, startup and business ecosystem, having reached over 11 million investors, startups, developers, professionals and African tech enthusiasts.
Techpoint Africa hosts the largest tech and startup event in West and East Africa — Techpoint Build.