Cutstruct Technology, Team Solo, Caleb British Int’l School, Others Win N190m at Zenith Tech Fair

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The sum of N190 million has been won by 13 winners across three innovation competitions at the 2026 Zenith Bank Tech Fair 2026: Future Forward 6.0, themed AI: Embrace or Extinct.

At the event held on Thursday, November 5, Team Solo emerged as the winner of the Hackathon category and went home with N35 million. The first runner-up was 10x Brains and got N20 million, while Rumour Hunters was the second runner-up and was given N15 million, and Òmìnira and Team Avera emerged as the third and fourth runners-up, respectively, and received N10 million each.

In the Startup Pitch Competition, Cutstruct Technology Limited clinched first place with N35 million, followed by Sproutly, which received N20 million. PharmaRun secured third place with N15 million, while AUI BRAND and ProDevs completed the top five, receiving N10 million each.

The Future Innovators Challenge, introduced to encourage technology-driven creativity and problem-solving among secondary school students, produced three winners. Caleb British International School emerged first, receiving N5 million, while Queen of the Rosary College, Onitsha, came second with N3 million. Regina Pacis International School secured third place with N2 million.

Among the winning solutions, Cutstruct Technology Limited’s LiveVend platform is transforming construction procurement by connecting developers and contractors with suppliers.

Sproutly uses financial technology to simplify school payments, while PharmaRun makes access to authentic medications more convenient through its network of pharmacies.

Caleb British International School’s ReLearn platform, which won the Future Innovators Challenge, redistributes used textbooks to students in underserved communities, making learning materials more affordable and accessible.

“My vision is to continue empowering young people through technology, with the hope that one day we will produce individuals who make an impact on the scale of Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos,” the founder of Zenith Bank, Mr Jim Ovia, said at the event.

Also commenting, the chief executive of Zenith Bank, Ms Adaora Umeoji, declared that, “The next generation of global AI champions can and should come from Africa. Do not fear AI. Embrace it. Whether you are developing a solution for a farm, clinic, classroom or factory, dare to think big, build ethically and create scalable solutions.”

The Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, assured that, “We are committed to supporting and promoting the technology ecosystem, creating opportunities for innovation and ensuring that Lagos remains at the forefront of this important area of development.”

Business Post reports that beyond the financial rewards, the winners will benefit from a six-week mentorship and incubation programme, providing expert guidance and practical support to refine their solutions, strengthen their business models and scale their innovations.

Conceived by Mr Ovia, the Zenith Tech Fair reflects his vision of empowering young Nigerians through technology and nurturing innovators capable of developing solutions with global relevance.

Previous winners have gone on to develop solutions with practical applications across different sectors.

They include JumpnPass, which developed a self-checkout solution for retail; CreditChek, which uses AI and open banking to streamline credit verification; TrustLoop, the winner of the 2025 Hackathon with its digital identity verification solution; and Cubbes Technologies Limited, the winner of the 2025 Startup Pitch Competition with its AI-powered educational technology platform.