Tech incubation firm to attract $100m funding for start-ups

Ini Billie, Uyo

Start Innovation Hub, a tech incubation company, said it is targeting the ideation of projects that would attract a minimum of $100 million in funding for start-ups in Akwa Ibom State.

Start Innovation Hub has for 10 years partnered with international and national bodies like the World Bank, Federal Government, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Foundation for Partnership in the Niger Delta (PIND), Akwa Ibom Association of Nigeria, USA Inc. (AKISAN), Akwa Ibom State Government, LEAD Africa, and other corporate bodies to train youths in various digital skills.

Chief Executive Officer of Start Innovation Hub, Mr Hanson Johnson, said the company used its first ten years to groom non-existent tech talents, adding that thousands of such talents are today contributing to the digital economy in Nigeria and across the world.

Outlining Start Innovation Hub’s plan for the next ten years, Johnson said on Thursday in Uyo that the company would focus on venture building, technology innovation, supporting start-up founders to ideate, and launching into the fast-growing tech market.

He stated that the ideation programme would support homegrown startups resident in Akwa Ibom State to attract funding that would create job opportunities for youths and help reduce unemployment in the state.

“In the last ten years, Start Innovation Hub decided to focus on tech talent development. The reason is that tech talents were and are still very scarce globally. It was a problem that everyone could relate to.

“In the last ten years, we have focused on doing that and have done that very well. As of today, we can prove to you with evidence that vibrant, world-class talents have passed through the Start Innovation Hub and are doing very well.

“Lack of tech talents that are very skilled was a problem. People were not able to see talents to work with even when they had the money. We have been able to solve that problem. It took us ten years to get to where we are today.

“In the next ten years, starting from 2025, we would be focusing on venture building, technology innovation, supporting start-up founders to ideate, launch into the market faster and grow rapidly.

“Between now and 2035, which is the next 10 years, you will be able to set up a startup that would create a minimum of 100 million dollars in funding, and the headquarters would be here in Uyo. That journey of a thousand miles is beginning today,” he stated.

Start Innovation Hub is currently partnering World Bank and the Federal Ministry of Education on the Innovation Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills (IDEAS) project to improve Nigeria’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system and NITDA for the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme.

Many Persons with Disability (PWDs) are a part of the IDEAS project.