The South East Development Commission, through the South East Venture Capital Programme (SEVCP), has announced the successful completion of the first phase of the SEVCP Pitch Competition.
A statement made available to journalists in Abuja by the Commission’s Executive Director and Chairman of the programme, Mr Stanley Ohajuruka, disclosed that the candidates emerged from a pool of over 1,200 applications received.
He said the number includes 128 startups in the “Incubator Track” and 82 startups in the “Accelerator Track”, adding that an Investment Ceremony scheduled for Tuesday, May 26, 2026, will see selected start-ups receive funding, followed by a phase of structured support.
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“This milestone marks a significant step in the Commission’s broader effort to identify, support, and scale high-potential, technology-driven ventures across the region.
“The evaluation process was designed to ensure fairness, consistency, and alignment with the objectives of the programme.
“The start-ups advancing to this stage have demonstrated clarity of thought, tangible progress, and credible potential for scale. They now proceed to the next phase of the competition,” he stated.
The competition will culminate in a grand finale scheduled for Monday, May 25, 2026, where top-performing start-ups will present their ventures before a live audience of investors, operators, policymakers, and other key stakeholders within the innovation ecosystem.
This will be followed by an Investment Ceremony on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, where selected start-ups will receive funding and enter the next phase of structured support under the SEVCP.
He noted that the South East Development Commission remains committed to building a strong pipeline of investable ventures, strengthening the regional innovation ecosystem, and creating pathways for start-ups to scale sustainably.
“We extend our appreciation to all founders who applied and to our ecosystem partners—Genesys Tech Hub, Startup South, and The Garage—for their role in supporting a credible and high-quality evaluation process,” Ohajuruka added.