The second edition of Pitch Friday Season 1 was successfully held on August 14, 2026, at BAIHUB, BENCEDI, Jonah Jang Crescent, Makurdi, bringing together founders, innovators, ecosystem builders, creatives, investors, and technology enthusiasts for an inspiring afternoon of innovation, collaboration, and opportunity.
Created as a platform to connect entrepreneurs in the Benue Valley with capital, mentorship, partnerships, and visibility, Pitch Friday continues to provide a space where emerging founders can present their ideas, receive expert feedback, build valuable connections, and take meaningful steps toward growing their businesses.
The second edition featured startup pitches, networking, mentorship, ecosystem conversations, and strategic collaborations designed to support founders building practical solutions to real-world challenges.
Five startups took the stage, representing a diverse range of sectors including artificial intelligence, identity technology, real estate, hospitality, agriculture, and education.
More than a competition, Pitch Friday S1E2 reflected the growing energy within the Benue innovation ecosystem — a community of founders and supporters demonstrating that innovative solutions can be built from Benue and developed for wider markets.
How the Competition Was Conducted
Pitch Friday was designed to give startups a structured platform to present their ideas before a panel of judges, ecosystem leaders, investors, and members of the innovation community.
Each startup pitched its solution, explaining the problem being addressed, the solution being developed, its business model, and its vision for growth.
The judging process considered factors including innovation, feasibility, clarity of presentation, market opportunity, scalability, problem-solution fit, and potential long-term impact.
Beyond evaluating the startups, the judges provided practical feedback and strategic insights, challenging founders to think critically about product development, customer acquisition, scalability, sustainability, and their readiness for growth.
The session therefore served not only as a competition, but also as a learning and networking opportunity for founders and members of the wider ecosystem.
Recognizing the Judges
A strong startup competition requires judges who can ask difficult questions, challenge assumptions, recognise potential, and provide useful feedback.
Pitch Friday Season 1 Episode 2 featured two experienced technology and innovation leaders who brought practical startup-building experience and deep ecosystem knowledge to the judging panel.
Dr. Terese Shadrach Akpem is a social entrepreneur and innovation leader whose work spans technology, agriculture, entrepreneurship, and youth development.
As the Founder of VetKonnect, he is building a digital animal health platform designed to provide livestock farmers and pet owners across Africa with access to animal health services, with a vision of reaching five million Africans by 2030.
He is also the driving force behind Hub 17 Innovation Space, which is providing the acceleration programme that all five startups participating in Pitch Friday S1E2 will be enrolled into.
This gives Dr. Akpem a unique perspective as both a judge and an accelerator leader, allowing him to evaluate the startups not only on their performance during the competition but also on their potential for growth beyond the Pitch Friday stage.
He is a fellow of the 2023 Mandela Washington Fellow and 2024 Mastercard FAST Fellow, Dr. Akpem has also trained and mentored more than 30,000 young people as a digital skills facilitator.
His experience brought practical startup-building, mentorship, and ecosystem knowledge to the judging process.
Solomon Kershima Yateghtegh is a technology leader, AI researcher, digital technology strategist, and policy contributor with extensive experience supporting Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.
As Founder and CEO of SkyHub Nigeria, Solomon has trained more than 10,000 people in digital skills, supported more than 1,500 businesses, and incubated 12 startups.
His work also extends into artificial intelligence, governance, and technology policy, with research interests spanning normative reasoning, computational argumentation, and ethical AI systems designed for African contexts.
A 2025 Mandela Washington Fellow at the University of Iowa, Solomon brought technical knowledge, ecosystem experience, and a global perspective to the Pitch Friday judging panel.
His experience building from Benue and connecting local innovation to broader opportunities made him well positioned to challenge and evaluate the founders taking the stage.
A Special Guest for a Special Moment
The competition was also joined by Mary Onyagebo Oigocho, Hub Manager at the Benue Agro Innovation Hub, who served as the special guest responsible for announcing the winners and presenting the prizes.
Mary’s work sits at the intersection of innovation, enterprise, community development, digital literacy, and women’s empowerment.
Her presence added another layer of institutional and community recognition to the achievements of the participating founders.
For the startups receiving their prizes, the moment represented more than the conclusion of a competition. It was a public recognition of the ideas and work being developed within Benue’s innovation ecosystem.
Meet the Five Startups
This edition of Pitch Friday brought together five emerging startups, each tackling a distinct challenge in the Nigerian market through technology.
From identity verification and real estate to hospitality, agriculture, and education, the startups demonstrated the diversity of ideas emerging within the Benue innovation ecosystem.
1. LumiID — Solving Identity Fraud with AI
LumiID is an AI-powered live identity verification platform built to address the growing challenge of identity fraud.
Founded by Emmanuel Nzorov, LumiID applies artificial intelligence to identity verification, working to make authentication more reliable for sectors and organisations where trust and verification are essential.
The startup had already begun generating revenue before taking the Pitch Friday stage, providing an early indication of market demand for the problem it is addressing.
Its focus on a clearly defined problem, technology-driven solution, and early market traction positioned LumiID strongly among the competing teams.
2. Sheltrify AI — Bringing Greater Trust to Real Estate
Searching for a place to live in Nigeria can often mean navigating unreliable listings, questionable property information, and uncertainty about agents and properties.
Sheltrify AI is building an intelligence platform designed to bring greater trust and transparency to the property search process.
Founded by Awua Biemdoo and Onalo Helen, the startup is applying technology to one of life’s most important decisions — finding a home.
Through its approach, Sheltrify AI is exploring how technology can make accommodation searches more reliable and informed while addressing persistent challenges within Nigeria’s real estate market.
3. Matchire — Making Hotel Booking Easier Through WhatsApp
Hospitality / Travel Technology
Booking accommodation can involve navigating multiple platforms, downloading applications, creating accounts, and learning unfamiliar interfaces.
Matchire is taking a simpler approach by enabling hotel booking through WhatsApp, a platform already widely used by Nigerians.
Founded by Raphael Emmanuel and Odoh Samuel Itodo, the startup is designed to make hotel discovery and booking more accessible by meeting customers where they already are.
Its approach demonstrates how familiar digital platforms can be adapted to solve everyday problems and reduce friction in the hospitality experience.
4. Foodra — Connecting Smallholder Farmers to Greater Opportunities
Benue is widely recognised for its agricultural strength and its contribution to Nigeria’s food supply. Yet many smallholder farmers continue to face challenges accessing markets, financing, and other resources needed to grow their businesses.
Foodra is building a digital agricultural marketplace designed to help bridge some of these gaps by connecting farmers to opportunities across the agricultural value chain.
Founded by Aondongu Amos, Clement Raymond, and Mimi Andzenge, Foodra reflects the potential of technology to expand market access, strengthen connections between producers and buyers, and create greater opportunities for farmers.
5. EarnVersity — Turning Student Potential into Opportunity
EarnVersity is addressing a challenge familiar to many Nigerian students: the need to gain relevant experience, develop employable skills, and find opportunities to earn while studying.
Founded by Anita Raagale Ugwuru and Precious Ukama, the Edtech platform focuses on connecting university students with flexible job opportunities while helping them develop practical digital skills.
EarnVersity’s journey also adds a unique dimension to this edition of Pitch Friday.
During Pitch Friday Season 1 Episode 1, Anita watched five founders take the stage. Her reaction was simple:
“That should be me.”
One edition later, she returned to the same stage — this time as a founder.
Her journey demonstrates one of the most powerful possibilities of an innovation ecosystem: seeing someone else build can inspire someone else to start building.
Meet the Winners of Pitch Friday Season 1 Episode 2
Five founders took the stage, presenting solutions to five different challenges. At the end of the competition, the judges recognised the following startups for their performances.
Quick Look — Final Rankings
- Overall Winner — LumiID
- 1st Runner-Up — EarnVersity
- 2nd Runner-Up — Sheltrify AI
- 3rd Runner-Up — Matchire
- 4th Runner-Up — Foodra
Overall Winner — LumiID
LumiID emerged as the Overall Winner of Pitch Friday Season 1 Episode 2.
The startup’s AI-powered approach to live identity verification addresses a significant challenge in sectors where trust, authentication, and secure identity verification are essential.
Its recognition as the overall winner reflects the strength of its solution, presentation, and potential to address a significant market need.
1st Runner-Up — EarnVersity
EarnVersity emerged as the 1st Runner-Up.
By focusing on the gap between education, employability, practical experience, and earning opportunities, the startup is addressing an issue faced by many Nigerian students.
Its approach highlights the potential of technology to help young people access practical opportunities while developing skills for the future.
2nd Runner-Up — Sheltrify AI
Sheltrify AI emerged as the 2nd Runner-Up.
The startup is tackling challenges within Nigeria’s real estate market by using technology to improve trust and transparency in the property search process.
3rd Runner-Up — Matchire
Matchire emerged as the 3rd Runner-Up.
By enabling hotel booking through WhatsApp, the startup is simplifying the process of discovering and booking accommodation while building around a platform customers already understand and use.
4th Runner-Up — Foodra
Foodra emerged as the 4th Runner-Up.
The startup is working to improve opportunities for smallholder farmers by connecting them to markets and opportunities across the agricultural value chain.
Its solution speaks directly to the importance of using technology to strengthen one of Benue’s most important sectors — agriculture.
Beyond the Rankings
While the positions recognised the startups’ performances during the competition, every participating team left the stage with something beyond a ranking: visibility, feedback, connections, and an opportunity to continue developing their solutions.
All five startups also gained access to an acceleration opportunity through Hub 17’s acceleration programme, providing another pathway for the founders to continue learning, refining their solutions, and developing their businesses.
Appreciation to Partners and Supporters
Pitch Friday Season 1 Episode 2 was made possible through the support and collaboration of several organisations and individuals who contributed to the success of the event.
ZODA Health — Sponsoring Refreshments
Special appreciation goes to ZODA Health for sponsoring refreshments during Pitch Friday Season 1 Episode 2.
Beyond its support for the event, ZODA Health is a digital-first healthcare platform focused on making quality healthcare more accessible by helping people understand their health and connecting them with licensed doctors when they need care.
BAIHUB — Hosting the Venue
A special appreciation also goes to BAIHUB, BENCEDI, for providing the venue for Pitch Friday Season 1 Episode 2 free of charge.
On August 14, five emerging founders took the stage at BAIHUB, BENCEDI, Jonah Jang Crescent, Makurdi, creating an environment where ideas, innovation, and connections could thrive.
Providing a space for founders and ecosystem stakeholders is more than simply providing a venue. It is a practical contribution to building a stronger innovation ecosystem.
Appreciation to Maxify Tickets
Special appreciation goes to Maxify Tickets for supporting the coordination and organisation of Pitch Friday Season 1 Episode 2.
Their contribution helped support the smooth running of the event and the overall experience for participants and attendees.
Recognition to Maxify Global
We also appreciate Maxify Global for its contribution to the success of Pitch Friday and its continued commitment to supporting founders and strengthening the innovation ecosystem.
Partnerships such as these demonstrate the importance of collaboration in creating an environment where entrepreneurs can learn, connect, and grow.
Accelerator Opportunity with Hub 17
One of the highlights of Pitch Friday Season 1 Episode 2 was the accelerator opportunity provided through Hub 17’s acceleration programme.
All five participating startups will be enrolled in the programme, giving them an opportunity to continue developing their businesses beyond the Pitch Friday stage.
For the founders, the opportunity provides another avenue to receive mentorship, guidance, and ecosystem support as they refine their solutions and prepare for the next stage of their entrepreneurial journeys.
A pitch is only one moment in a startup’s journey.
The real work continues after the applause — testing assumptions, improving products, understanding customers, building teams, generating revenue, and finding sustainable paths for growth.
Partnership with Skyhub
Pitch Friday also benefited from the support and collaboration of SkyHub, whose contribution helped strengthen the event and create opportunities for founders and ecosystem builders to connect.
Partnerships across the innovation ecosystem remain essential to creating more opportunities for entrepreneurs and ensuring that promising ideas receive the visibility and support they need to grow.
Celebrating the Team Behind the Event
Behind the success of Pitch Friday was a dedicated team that worked across planning, logistics, communication, founder coordination, partnerships, media coverage, and event execution.
Every member contributed to bringing the vision of Pitch Friday to life.
Their effort reflects the collaborative spirit driving innovation within the Benue Valley ecosystem and demonstrates that building a thriving ecosystem requires the collective effort of founders, partners, volunteers, community members, and ecosystem builders.
Shout-Out to the Media Team
A special appreciation goes to the media team for documenting the energy, stories, and moments that defined Pitch Friday Season 1 Episode 2.
Through photography, videography, and storytelling, the team helped extend the reach of the event beyond the venue and preserve the stories of the founders who took the stage.
Miss Agnes deserves special recognition for leading the media coverage and helping amplify the stories and experiences from the event.
Looking Ahead to the Next Pitch Friday
As Pitch Friday Season 1 Episode 2 comes to a close, attention now turns to the next edition, scheduled for September 2026.
The upcoming edition will provide another opportunity for startups, innovators, investors, ecosystem builders, and members of the wider community to connect, pitch ideas, access mentorship, and gain visibility.
Pitch Friday continues to serve as a platform connecting entrepreneurs in the Benue Valley with the people, resources, partnerships, and opportunities they need to build impactful and scalable solutions.
The stories emerging from each edition are a reminder that innovation is not only happening elsewhere.
Benue is building — and its founders are building solutions worth watching.
The next chapter is already taking shape.
If you want to be part of the September 2026 Pitch Friday edition, join the official BenueTech Foundation WhatsApp community for updates, announcements, and opportunities to participate.
Relive Pitch Friday Season 1 Episode 2
