Zenith Bank Awards ₦190m to 13 Winners at Tech Fair

In Short

Zenith Bank Plc has awarded ₦190 million to 13 winners across three innovation competitions at Zenith Bank Tech Fair 2026: Future Forward 6.0.

The event was held virtually for the first time and ran under the theme “AI: Embrace or Extinct.”

What Happened: How Zenith Bank Tech Fair 2026 Shared Prizes

Zenith Bank Tech Fair 2026 featured three competitions, the Hackathon, Startup Pitch Competition, and a new Future Innovators Challenge.

Zenith Bank said the three competitions attracted over 3,000 submissions from developers, entrepreneurs, and secondary school students. The bank also said the ₦190 million prize pool is the largest in the history of the Tech Fair.

In the Hackathon category, Team Solo won ₦35 million. 10x Brains got ₦20 million, and Rumour Hunters got ₦15 million. Òmìnira and Team Avera placed fourth and fifth, receiving ₦10 million each.

In the Startup Pitch Competition, Cutstruct Technology Limited won ₦35 million. Sproutly received ₦20 million, and Pharmarun received ₦15 million. AUI BRAND and ProDevs completed the top five, receiving ₦10 million each.

In the Future Innovators Challenge for secondary school students, Caleb British International School received ₦5 million, Queen of the Rosary College, Onitsha received ₦3 million, and Regina Pacis International School received ₦2 million.

Zenith Bank also highlighted some of the winning solutions. Cutstruct Technology Limited’s LiveVend platform connects developers and contractors with suppliers for construction procurement. Sproutly uses financial technology, meaning software used to deliver financial services, to simplify school payments. Pharmarun makes access to authentic medications more convenient through its network of pharmacies. Caleb British International School’s ReLearn platform redistributes used textbooks to students in underserved communities.

Why It Matters: Funding Plus Mentorship For Winners

Zenith Bank said winners will also get a six-week mentorship and incubation programme. The bank said this is meant to help refine solutions, strengthen business models, and scale innovations.

In his welcome remarks, Zenith Bank Plc Founder Jim Ovia, CFR said: “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.”