The fifth edition of the MarkHack Hackathon reached an exciting climax recently at the Oriental Hotel, Lagos, as young innovators and entrepreneurs from different institutions and backgrounds showcased groundbreaking business solutions before a distinguished panel of judges.
The event which boasts guests across the martexh industry, technology enthusiasts, and startup founders was the culmination of weeks of innovation and competition.
Delivering the welcome address, Convener of MarkHack, Dr. Victor Olugbenga Afolabi officially opened the evening and set the stage for the highly anticipated pitch session.
Participating teams were given ten minutes each to present their startup ideas before a panel of judges, followed by a question and answer session that tested the viability, scalability, and impact of their solutions.
The judging panel featured notable professionals from Nigeria’s innovation and marketing ecosystem, including Tunbosun Alake, Lagos State Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology; Zusi Inegbeniki, Founder of FounderX; Steve Babaeko, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Creative Officer of X3M Ideas; and David Meganck, Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of AfriMillions.
The first team to take the stage was Movable Games. The startup pitch was delivered by Okechukwu David alongside team members Olanipekun Great, Emmanuel Kelvin, Bertin Balouki, and Ayodele David. The team presented a gaming solution designed to address challenges within the interactive entertainment space.
Next was Market Navigators, represented by Ogbezuode Nizor and Aitomun David. The team introduced Market Nav, a digital visibility infrastructure designed to simplify navigation within Africa’s informal markets. According to Nizor, the platform enables shoppers to scan QR codes strategically placed within markets and instantly access a digital map that helps them locate vendors and products with ease.
Using Lagos’ famous Balogun Market as an example, Nizor explained how visitors could search for specific products and be directed to the exact location of sellers within the market. The solution aims to bridge the gap between technology and informal commerce, a sector that contributes significantly to economic activity across Africa.
Team Adminting followed with a presentation led by Prisca Amaefule and Joel Otimkpu. The startup seeks to leverage the growing creator economy by connecting brands with micro and nano creators through trusted communities. Amaefule emphasized that brands are increasingly seeking measurable community engagement and authentic connections with consumers, creating opportunities for a more effective transaction layer for commerce across Africa and beyond.
Team Edenn then took the stage, represented by Natachi Nnamaka and Louise Whyte, presenting their innovative solution to the judges.
The competition intensified with Team Lena, represented by Ombeh Danny and Faruk Bilesanmi. The team unveiled Lena, an adaptive educational gaming platform designed to address learning challenges across Africa. By combining curriculum based gameplay with personalised tutoring support, Lena aims to make learning more engaging and accessible for children while improving educational outcomes.
The final presentation came from Team Readversity, with Israel Kehinde delivering the pitch.
Following the presentations, host Adebayo Olawatobiloba invited the judges to the stage for the announcement of the winners. Before the awards ceremony, Lagos State Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Tunbosun Alake, commended all participants for their courage and creativity.
Addressing the audience, Alake praised the teams for stepping forward to share their ideas and noted that pitching innovative solutions before a large audience requires confidence and determination. He applauded all participants for their efforts, stressing that every team had achieved a significant milestone by reaching the final stage of the competition.
The award presentations then followed.
Team Adminting secured the position of second runner up, receiving a cash prize of ₦1 million alongside Amazon Web Services credits to support the growth of its startup.
Market Navigators emerged as first runner up, earning ₦1.5 million in prize money and AWS credits.
The night’s highest honour went to Team Lena, which was crowned winner of the MarkHack 5.0 Hackathon. The team received a grand prize of ₦2.5 million as well as AWS credits to accelerate the development of its educational platform.
All participating teams were also awarded AWS credits in recognition of their efforts and potential for future growth.
