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Wema Bank, Nigeria’s most innovative bank and the pioneer of Africa’s first fully digital bank, ALAT, has launched the 2026 Hackaholics Accelerator Program, welcoming ten startups into the cohort. The Hackaholics Accelerator, a selective growth program under Wema Bank’s Hackaholics platform, is designed to help promising Nigerian startups strengthen their business foundations and prepare for sustainable scale and investment.
After six
years of driving innovation through Hackaholics, Wema Bank is extending its
support beyond ideation and competition into hands-on startup building through
Hackaholics Accelerator. The initiative provides founders with the structure,
mentorship, and ecosystem access they need to turn strong ideas into viable,
scalable businesses.
The 2026
cohort comprises ten startups in total, drawn from the top 10 performing
finalists from Hackaholics 6.0. The startups include Farmslate, Ploy, Stocmed,
Feest (Chao), Varsityscape, MamaAlert, Sane, Cyclex, Kieva, and Loocomo.
Commenting
on the evolution of Hackaholics and the second edition of its Accelerator
program, MD/CEO of Wema Bank, Moruf Oseni, said it reflects the Bank’s
commitment to supporting founders beyond ideation and helping promising
innovations grow into sustainable businesses.
“Over the
past six years, Hackaholics has grown into more than a competition; it has
become a platform that reveals the depth of innovation and entrepreneurial
potential that exists across Nigeria,” Oseni said. “With this second edition of
Hackaholics Accelerator, we are taking the next step by supporting founders
beyond the ideation stage and into the process of building sustainable
businesses. The startups selected for this cohort represent some of the most
promising solutions emerging from the Hackaholics ecosystem, and we are
committed to helping them refine their models, strengthen their foundations,
and scale their impact.”
Speaking on
the ten startups selected for the cohort, Babatunde Mumuni, Chief
Transformation Officer, Wema Bank, added that the Accelerator will guide
founders through a structured process to strengthen their businesses and
prepare them for sustainable growth.
“The
startups selected for this cohort already have strong foundations, with
products already in market, early traction, and clear potential for growth,”
Mumuni said. “Each of the selected startups brings a unique solution to real
challenges across different sectors. What Hackaholics Accelerator provides is
the environment to strengthen those foundations through hands-on mentorship,
strategic guidance, and access to the right networks. Over the course of the
program, we will work closely with these founders to refine their models,
deepen market traction, and prepare them for sustainable scale.”
All 10
startup founders will undergo a series of training sessions led by industry
experts across key areas critical to startup growth. Facilitators for the
programme include the Chief Transformation Officer, Corporate Transformation
& Innovation, Wema Bank, Babatunde Mumuni; Head, Strategy & Investor
Relations, Wema Bank, Femi Akinfolarin; Head, Data Transformation, Wema Bank,
Olamide Jolaoso; and Team Lead, Corporate Social Investment, Wema Bank,
Oluwatoyin Adetunji.
Other
facilitators include the Managing Director, Impact Hub Lagos, Idowu Akinde;
Managing Director, B4B Partners, Napa Onwusa; Startup Advisor and Scout,
Onaopemipo Dara; Mentor at Google for Startups, Rosemond Phil-Othihiwa; Head of
Growth, Africhange, Tega Ogigirigi; and Startup Advisor and Mentor, Ademola
Adewuyi.
Hackaholics
Accelerator is supported by Wema Bank’s broader innovation infrastructure,
including IDEAx Labs, the Bank’s innovation and venture platform, and its
corporate venture programme, which focuses on enabling startup growth through
partnerships, infrastructure, and capital access.
Since its
launch in 2019, Hackaholics has grown into one of Nigeria’s most influential
youth innovation platforms, attracting over 15,000 applicants and supporting
hundreds of digital solutions across multiple industries. Through the
Hackaholics initiative, Wema Bank has disbursed over $400,000 in funding to
young innovators and startup founders across Nigeria. Startups such as Feegor,
Myitura, and Bunce are among those that have participated in previous editions
of the program, reflecting the Accelerator’s focus on supporting growth-ready
companies across diverse sectors. This second edition builds on that progress
by helping startups move decisively from innovation to growth.
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