Nearpays, a full-service financial payment platform that
acts as an end-to-end financial service for all our clients, beat out stiff
competition to scoop the $10 000 prize.
Speaking to TechCabal after the win, Nearpays founder Victor
Daniyan put into perspective what winning the competition means to his company
and its future. “I’m super excited that it brings opportunities for start-ups
in Nigeria, and we all have access to a better future. It shows that we can get
to the top with the right platform,” Daniyan said. “This means more work.
The Gitex Africa Supernova Challenge is the biggest pitch
competition in Africa, with a total cash prize of $100 000 for categories such
as Cybersecurity, AI and Digital Cities, Health Tech, and Sustainability and
Agritech.
“The competition was very tough. One thing I know for sure,
especially for start up in Nigeria, is that we need a lot of mentorship to get
to a productive stage. I’m sure that with the right mentorship, we can all do
better,” Daniyan said.
“I came with the intention to win all the way from Nigeria.
I was determined; I was ready. It was a surprise, but I was also very
determined to win,” Daniyan said. “I took the time to understand the people
hearing the pitch. I took the time to research them, what businesses they were
operating in, and a little bit about their personality from their LinkedIn
page. I was able to make them understand our business in a very short space of
time – just going straight to the point.”
Daniyan said the prize will go a long to helping Nearpays get its payment card system licence, which costs around $15 000.
Nearpays simplifies online payments based on the principle
that payments should be seamless. The company has developed a way to put
point-of-sale transactions back into the hands of users. The company says, “The
experience is simple, on the go, and comes with no extra bank charges for all
our users.”
“I’ve been in telecommunications for about five years now. I
started with Huawei and then moved to Nokia, where I helped set up the 5G space
in Nigeria. My team has helped me come up with the right decisions and product.
We have continuous development.”
By most accounts Gitex Africa was an overwhelming success,
bringing start-up, founders, investors, telecoms and IT companies from all over
Africa and the globe together in Morocco to outline and develop the future of
tech in Africa. Organisers welcomed over 900 big tech companies, government
entities, start-ups and participants from more than 100 countries across ten
halls and 45 000sqm of exhibition space in a purpose-built super venue at Place
Bab Jdid, Bd Al Yarmouk in the Red City of Marrakech.
JUST IN!
— NITDA Nigeria (@NITDANigeria) June 2, 2023
Nigerian Startup, Nearpays, emerges winner at Supernova Challenge Competition in Fintech and Blockchain Technology Category at GITEX Africa, in Morocco. pic.twitter.com/2XZJSPmGlw
“It’s an awesome platform; it’s an awesome opportunity. I
have not seen anything this big in a long time. I’m super excited that we have
this in Africa. I’m reminded of one quote from Google that said Africa will
have the next set of billions of users to appear on any tech platform in the
world,” Daniyan explained. “It’s an opportunity for start-ups to connect, have
mentors and show their products to the world.”
“The competition has allowed me to connect with good
mentors,” Daniyan said. “Of course, I’m still young, and I need mentors who
have come before me, as well as give us publicity so more people get to know
about our product in Abuja because most of the start-ups that are thriving are
coming from Lagos, but it’s an opportunity for people to see that Abuja is also
thriving in the start-up space in Nigeria as well, coming up with the best
products and new technologies coming out from Nigeria and not coming from
abroad. This will inspire more start-ups and show them an opportunity for
start-ups in Abuja.”
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