MTN Nigeria is providing Africa’s early-stage startups with a significant boost through its 2025 Cloud Accelerator, offering a combination of infrastructure support, non-equity funding, and investor access to help founders scale more quickly.
The programme culminated in a Demo Day in Lagos, where 20 high-growth startups pitched their solutions to investors, technology leaders and potential commercial partners. The participating ventures received enterprise cloud resources, technical mentorship and business development support, without giving up equity.
The Demo Day marked the end of a 12-week accelerator programme designed to fast-track early-stage innovation across fintech, health, agriculture, artificial intelligence and e-commerce. Applications opened in July and closed on August 15.
MTN said the initiative aligns with its long-term mission to strengthen Africa’s innovation pipeline by equipping entrepreneurs with the infrastructure and tools needed to scale sustainably.
Throughout the programme, startups received cloud credits, access to MTN Cloud, MoMo, and Chenosis APIs, technical guidance, and investor-preparation training. MTN executives also emphasised that the accelerator serves as a launchpad for potential commercial partnerships.
Delivering his keynote, Ayham Moussa, MTN Nigeria’s Chief Operating Officer, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to enabling digital transformation across Africa. “The goal is not just to train founders. Africa’s innovators need infrastructure that truly fits the continent’s realities. MTN is committed to supporting solutions that are both globally competitive and locally relevant,” he said.
The cohort featured innovative ventures including: Regxta, led by CEO Bello Rukayat, which offers micro-loans and savings products to underserved individuals and SMEs in rural communities using data-driven risk models that keep default rates below one per cent.
Pipeops, represented by Samuel Ogbonyomi, which helps businesses deploy cloud infrastructure easily through an AI-powered assistant—addressing the scarcity of DevOps expertise in many African markets.
Hadi Finance, led by CEO Bidemi Adebayo, which provides credit and financing tools for small retailers.
ProDev, represented by Faith Dike, which connects African tech talent to global employers.
Other startups in the cohort included Prembly, CreditCheck, Sproutly, MyItura, Uri, Bunce, Trashcoin, and several ventures addressing challenges in finance, agriculture, digital identity, and logistics.
MTN executives noted that the accelerator is part of a broader strategy to remove structural barriers faced by African startups, including limited access to enterprise-grade technology, infrastructure, and payment systems.
Industry observers say MTN’s non-equity approach, combined with access to cloud infrastructure and APIs, gives early-stage innovators the crucial runway they need to transition from prototypes to market-ready solutions.
MTN confirmed that support will continue beyond Demo Day through pilot opportunities, commercial partnerships, follow-up programmes, and potential investment engagements.
For many founders, the Demo Day served as an important opportunity to showcase their products, secure investor interest, and strengthen their positioning within Nigeria’s rapidly growing innovation ecosystem and broader African markets.
