In a promising move for Nigeria’s growing tech scene, global payments platform Verto has awarded $15,000 to three ambitious Nigerian startups — offering more than just cash: a shot at global trade, growth, and visibility. This support could be a game-changer for early-stage ventures struggling with funding, market access, and the challenge of expanding beyond Nigeria’s borders.
Helping Real Startups Solve Real Problems
At the inaugural award ceremony held in Lagos, Verto handed out the funds as follows:
- Dingpay — received the grand prize of $10,000 for its “offline-first” digital-wallet product that bundles bank cards, identity documents, transport tickets and payments — a tool especially relevant for users in areas with limited internet access.
- Aquatrack — an agritech startup building an AI-powered farm-management platform for fish farmers — was awarded $3,000, helping it expand and reach more farmers.
- Growwr — an AI-driven platform for hiring, managing, and paying pre-verified African tech talent — won $2,000 to help scale operations.
By picking these winners, Verto signaled its interest in supporting ideas that tackle real Nigerian challenges: connectivity issues, farming productivity, and bridging Africa’s talent-global demand gap.
Why This Matters — For Nigeria and African Startups
Early-stage startups in Nigeria face many obstacles: lack of funding, limited access to international markets, weak payment infrastructures, and difficulty scaling beyond local borders. Verto’s intervention goes beyond a one-time cash infusion — it provides credibility, visibility, and tools to help these companies plug into global trade and finance networks.
For entrepreneurs, this kind of backing can mean the difference between staying small and becoming global players. For Nigeria — and Africa more broadly — it can spark innovation, create jobs, and help build a digital economy that competes on a worldwide stage.
What Verto—and Investors—Are Betting On
Verto launched the initiative earlier in 2025 with a clear goal: to break down cross-border trade and payment barriers for African startups. The award isn’t sector-specific, and targets early-stage ventures with global ambition.
By giving this grant and spotlighting promising founders, Verto aims to nurture a generation of African entrepreneurs capable of scaling beyond the continent — transforming young ideas into scalable, exportable, tech-driven solutions.
According to Verto’s CEO, this first edition of their awards underscores just how much innovation and potential exist in Africa’s startup ecosystem.
What This Means for You — And What to Watch
If you are an aspiring entrepreneur in Nigeria (or Africa): this shows that support networks exist — both financially and structurally — to help build scalable digital businesses. Solutions tailored to Nigerian realities (like offline-compatible wallets, agricultural tools, or African talent marketplaces) are increasingly being valued.
For investors and stakeholders: this signals a maturing startup ecosystem — one that’s beginning to see serious backing, which could pave the way for larger investments, reinvestments, and sustainable growth across fintech, agritech, talent marketplaces, and more.
For the economy: the growth and success of such startups can broaden employment, drive innovation, and reduce dependency on traditional sectors; they help push Nigeria — and Africa — toward a more diversified, digital, globally competitive economy.
Looking Forward: Can This Spark Broader Change?
The biggest question now is whether this is more than a one-off prize. Can Verto’s move inspire other global players — investors, fintech firms, international partners — to commit more resources to African startups? Can it trigger a chain reaction of funding, mentorship, infrastructure support, and policies to support tech innovation across Nigeria and Africa?
If yes — the continent could be witnessing the early days of its own Silicon Valley-style boom. If not — many promising startups could still struggle to survive.
Either way, the spotlight is on — and for those ready, the stage is set.
