DBN Empowers MSME Tech Startups with Capital to Scale at its 4th Techpreneur Summit
In yet another significant step to bolster support for the growth of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) within Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem, the Development Bank of Nigeria Plc (DBN) has further empowered three tech start-ups with N13 million grants to scale their businesses. The three beneficiaries emerged winners in a competitive idea pitch session that featured seven tech innovators during the fourth edition of the bank’s annual flagship tech event, the 2025 DBN Techpreneur Summit 4.0, themed “CTRL+SHIFT Tech Empowered Movement for Naija,’’ held on Thursday, 19th June, 2025, Lagos Continental Hotel, Victoria Island.
BuyScrap, an e-waste tech start-up, came first and got N6 million. QiqiFarms, an agritech start-up, received N4 million for emerging as the first runner-up, while Enugu-based Ecocyclers, a plastic waste-to-resource tech start-up, got N3 million as the second runner-up. A panel of judges comprising eminent industry leaders and experts judged the winners. Managing Director/CEO, Development Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Tony Okpanachi, in his welcome address, said the Summit was not just an event but a celebration of innovation, collaboration, and the bold spirit of Nigerian entrepreneurship, enthusing that over the years, the DBN Techpreneur Summit has evolved into a movement — a tech-empowered movement for Naija.
“Our theme this year, ‘CTRL + SHIFT: Tech Empowered Movement for Naija, ‘ symbolises more than just a keyboard command. It represents a bold pivot — a strategic reset, powered by technology, to reimagine and rebuild the future of business in Nigeria,” he stated. “It is a rallying cry for us to take control, initiate a shift, and chart a new course where technology serves as the backbone of inclusive and sustainable growth.”
Dr. Okpanachi reiterated that since 2017, DBN has remained steadfast in its commitment to empowering MSMEs across Nigeria by providing innovative financing models to foster partnerships, build capacity, and now championing tech-driven entrepreneurship, stressing that DBN has also walked this journey with resilience and purpose, while noting that the Techpreneur Summit is a testament to the DBN’s unwavering commitment to MSMEs growth.
The DBN boss disclosed that this year’s summit aligned seamlessly with the Bank’s “AMPLIFI Strategy” while expressing delight that conversations by various stakeholders at the event – from advocacy to innovation, would move the country closer to a resilient, inclusive, and prosperous economy.
“From the Digital Shift workshops to the Eco-Innovation Challenge, we are embedding sustainability, scalability, and impact into the DNA of Nigerian tech ventures,” he further said, stating that DBN has over the years continued to “switch gears to focus more on strategies for increasing financing in Nigeria’s tech industry.”
“Last year, we brought together key players from the public and private sectors, including government representatives, investors, entrepreneurs, industry experts, and policymakers, to share insights, best practices, and explore collaboration opportunities. We promoted and showcased investor-ready technological innovations within Nigeria’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, which served as a platform for Techpreneurs to meet directly with potential investors.
“By integrating a DealRoom into the Summit, we bridged the gap between capital seekers and investors, catalysing funding opportunities and fostering regenerative growth within the Nigerian tech ecosystem; we will be sharing some of their success stories with you later today.”Reaffirming DBN’s commitment to providing the platform for innovative Nigerian youths to make their creativity be seen, supported, and scaled, Okpanachi pledged that the Bank would continue to amplify their voices, support their dreams, and invest in their future.
The Techpreneur Summit 2025 was keynoted by Mrs. Solape Akinpelu, Co-Founder/CEO, HerVest, a fintech company that provides inclusive finance to African women. Akinpelu, in her keynote presentation, called on the government in Nigeria to increase commitment and investment in technology as the bedrock of national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, as well as the strategy to bridge socio-economic gaps. She reiterated Nigeria’s strategic role to lead the African continent in optimising technology for growth and development.
She stressed that Nigeria’s huge population, coupled with a large percentage of youths and enterprising women, offered greater advantages for the country to attract more investments, as technology becomes the new infrastructure for GDP growth and inclusivity. “Let’s do this with our biggest currency. By currency, I am not referring to oil, data or capital, but time. Time is our biggest currency and greatest ally. Every delay costs us talent as our brilliant minds continue to migrate, not just physically, but digitally. If we do not Ctrl Shift, we risk becoming a nation where dreams are exported and value is imported. Without shifting, we will keep importing platforms, outsourcing solutions, and losing control of our data, the new oil,’ she stated.
Akinpelu added that the risks in delaying action include small businesses and women-led enterprises — the backbone of our economy — remaining under-banked, under-documented, and under-leveraged. Aside, the country would miss out on GDP growth and general grassroots prosperity. “And, as Africa’s biggest nation, when Nigeria stalls, the continent stutters. This is our Ctrl + Shift moment. Let’s rewrite the commands. Let’s force the reset. Let’s make sense of the over 200 million not in numbers but in well-lived realities, leveraging technology as the new infrastructure and inclusivity as its bedrock. Let’s build the Nigeria we deserve and desire while time still answers to us,’’ she asserted.
Akinpelu advocated for more inclusion of women in the scheme of things, including access to funding and technological support, decrying that most women in rural communities across the country remain excluded financially and struggle with upscaling their trade, thus undermining their desire for financial freedom. The well-attended Summit was graced by tech innovators, tech enthusiasts, investors, industry leaders from across sectors, policymakers and Participating Financial Institutions (PFIs), amongst others.
