Zenith bank launches zecathon 6.0 with ₦190 million in prizes and new future innovators challenge for senior secondary schools
Zenith Bank Plc has unveiled Zecathon 6.0, the sixth edition of its flagship startup competition and innovation programme. Delivered in partnership with Beyond Limits, this year’s edition carries a ₦190 million prize pool, the largest in the programme’s history, and introduces the Future Innovators Challenge for senior secondary schools alongside the established Hackathon and Startup […] The post…
Zenith Bank has announced the launch of Zecathon 6.0, the sixth iteration of its pioneering startup competition and innovation program, in collaboration with Beyond Limits. This edition boasts a substantial ₦190 million prize pool, marking it as the most significant in the program's history, and introduces a new initiative: the Future Innovators Challenge for senior secondary schools.
Open to founders, developers across Africa and senior secondary schools in Nigeria, Zecathon 6.0 is free to enter and applications are due by 13 October 2026. The competition will span key sectors like FMCG, insurance, education, retail and e-commerce, payments, lending, cybersecurity, agriculture, health, and transportation and logistics.
According to Zenith Bank's Group Managing Director, Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, OON, the program aims to support innovators and contribute to Africa's digital transformation. The Zecathon 6.0 will feature two primary competitions: the Hackathon, which tasks contestants with solving banking challenges using AI and other cutting-edge technologies, and the Startup Pitch Competition, where growth-stage ventures with scalable solutions are showcased.
Winners of the Hackathon and Startup Pitch Competition will each receive ₦35 million and ₦20 million respectively, with the remaining prizes allocated to the top finishers. The Future Innovators Challenge for senior secondary schools will award ₦5 million to the top school, with the remaining prizes divided among the second, third, and fourth place schools.
Building on the success of last year's Zecathon 5.0, which distributed ₦140 million in prizes, this expanded edition seeks to expedite the creation of digital solutions and cultivate the next cohort of tech talent. Interested participants can apply for free at cutt.ly/zecathon6, and stay updated with the latest developments by following @zenithbankplc and @the_beyondlimits on social media.
Written by urgent.news from Nairametrics's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
