A bunch of people have been struggling to start companies for ages but due to financial constraints and lack of general business sense, the ideas tend to dissapear and fade away into obscurity. Airtel Nigeria seems to have heard those cries of dying innovation and want to do something about it by launching something they have dubbed “Catapult-A-Startup” which is bound to shoot your ideas into the stratosphere. All you need is an idea and drive to succeed. And probably a parachute when descending from the stratosphere (weak joke, I know!). All interested parties are simply required to submit their ideas and presentations to the site, www.cas.ng to be evaluated and wait to be contacted, if selected, to present their ideas. I am picturing a Dragon’s Den type vibe, so be ready. Below is a press release of the launch of the initiative and pictures of the event:
Airtel Unveils Catapult-a-Startup to Boost Entrepreneurship
…offers cash prize, mentoring, integration to Airtel Network
Lagos, Nigeria; December 3, 2014: Leading telecoms operator, Airtel Nigeria, has launched an entrepreneurial initiative tagged ‘Catapult-a-Startup,’ a platform which aims to inspire innovation and assist start up mobile app developers towards actualising their business goals and dreams.
With this, Airtel is offering a platform for budding mobile app developers to receive advanced mentoring from industry veterans, funding, marketing, and also improve their skills to become successful using their creativity.
To participate in the programme, interested start-ups are to submit their ideas and presentations to the ‘Catapult-a-Startup’ website www.cas.ng, for evaluation. After the initial evaluation, selected start-ups will be invited to pitch their ideas to a panel of esteemed judges who will do a thorough evaluation and select the best start up proposals.
The promoters of the selected start up proposals will be subsequently supported with a cash prize of one million naira, mentoring, funding, marketing and a chance to integrate their developed apps and services on the Airtel platform gaining direct access to the Telco’s large customer base.
Speaking during the launch in Lagos, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Mr Segun Ogunsanya, explained that Airtel as an innovative and forward thinking brand initiated the programme in line with its vision to encourage innovation and empower young Nigerians by creating opportunities for them to bring their business ideas to fruition.
He said: “At Airtel, we are passionate about building a community for young talented Nigerians. We are aware of the abundance of young people who are blessed with the skills to develop relevant apps with most of them not having the opportunity to showcase or develop their skills. Through theCatapult-a-Startup programme, we aim not only to identify talent, but also to encourage local content. The apps and services developed by these start-ups will ride on Airtel’s superior 3.75G network in Nigeria and the large customer base. Airtel will continue to go the extra mile at empowering them to succeed in their respective endeavours.”
The Catapult-a-Startup is uniquely geared towards empowering Nigerians especially those with superior business acumen and it is open to all tech-savvy apps developers across Nigeria which ties well with Airtel Nigeria’s vision of being the most loved brand in the daily lives of Nigerians.
It would be recalled that early this year, Airtel in partnership with Google,sponsored the Google Cloud Developer Challenge which provided opportunities for thousands of young Nigerians to improve their skills in Apps development. The Google Cloud Developer contest saw the emergence of three winners who developed creative Apps with distinct features. They were rewarded with exciting cash prizes to enable them to further improve their skills and become entrepreneurs.
L-R, Managing Director, Seven Colours Digital Ltd, Shelley Chaudhary; Head, HNI & High Value Acquisition Strategy, Airtel, Zainab Baruwa-Abiola; Vice President, Data & Innovation, Airtel, Nitin Anand; Managing Director, Intel, Olubunmi Ekundare; Vice President, Value Added Services, Airtel, Francis Ebuehi; MD, Blue Management Group, Alex Dadson at the media launch of Airtel’s Catapult-a-Startup entrepreneurial initiative held on Wednesday in Lagos.
L-R, Managing Director, Seven Colours Digital Ltd, Shelley Chaudhary; Head, HNI & High Value Acquisition Strategy, Airtel, Zainab Baruwa-Abiola; Vice President, Data & Innovation, Airtel, Nitin Anand; Managing Director, Intel, Olubunmi Ekundare during the media launch of Airtel’s Catapult-a-Startup entrepreneurial initiative held in Lagos on Wednesday.
Vice President, Data & Innovation, Airtel Nigeria, Nitin Anand (middle) in a chat with Managing Director, Seven Colours Digital Ltd, Shelley Chaudhary (left) and Chairman, Mobile Monday, Tomi Davies at the media launch of Airtel’s Catapult-a-Startup entrepreneurial initiative held in Lagos on Wednesday.
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