Introducing the very first cohort of NOGTECH Incubation; startups to get $50,000 in funding after demo day
The Nigerian Oil and Gas Technology Hackathon [NOGTECH], is proud to announce the five winning startups that have emerged after a series of hackathons and an extensive phase of screening 15 finalists.
Launched by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDBM), NOGTECH is designed as a springboard for building, enabling and sustaining local innovations needed to revolutionise Nigeria’s Oil and Gas industry. When the first rounds of NOGTECH Hackathon applications opened in June 2020, entries from over 600 promising startups were submitted from across the country.
The broad spectrum of submissions poured in from startups tackling critical problems such as pipeline vandalism, supply chain and logistics challenges, cyber-physical risk identification, skill-gap and talent supply shortage in the industry, renewable energy digitalisation, civic engagement and accountability, as well as oil-related health challenges.
Entries were thoroughly screened and narrowed to 15 finalists, from which only five were successfully selected. The five winning startups bagged $10,000 grant each, as well as a three-month incubation programme from NOGTECH. They are:
AirsynQ → tackles pipeline vandalism through an artificial intelligence-based pipeline vandalism detection using aerial surveillance image data, acquired using long-duration balloon-lifted satellite
Fuel IntelliSense → effects best practices in transparency, accountability and civic engagement using an automated vehicle identification and fuel management system
Gricd Mote → solves Nigeria’s Healthcare problems by providing customers real-time access to storage conditions of temperature-sensitive medication both stationary and transient
Homefort Energy → digitises renewable energy by making cooking gas accessible to low-income households using pay-as-you-go model and digital innovations
Kiakia Gas360 → Tackles legacy supply chain and logistics challenges for all industries. Through its Gas360 LPG monitors, Kiakia transmits information on the safety status of cylinders to customers.
One of the biggest motivations for launching the NOGTECH Hackathon is, despite being the largest oil and gas producer and most populous country in Africa, Nigeria has grossly under-tapped digital technologies and local innovations in the oil and gas sectors. This, coupled with the overwhelming and underlying problems the industry faces, amounts to losses accruing in billions year-after-year.
Oo Nwoye, the Programme Director for NOGTECH Incubation stated that the hackathon and incubation programme is one of the very few existing avenues through which an enabling ground is provided to practically spin up unique innovations and explore the immense potential of the biggest industry in the country.
“Up until now, the attention and direction of innovation have often tilted towards the financial, health and agricultural sectors. While this is good, it’s quite worrisome that a nation, whose national budget is not only anchored on oil but gets 90% of its foreign exchange earnings from petroleum, hasn’t seen so much of groundbreaking locally-built innovations in recent times. This is what the NOGTECH Hackathon has made possible, and the incubation will actualise.” — Oo Nwoye, Programme Director
In addition to the seed funding and incubation, NOGTECH will offer business mentorship, network access, legal and technical support, as well as provide an opportunity for the startups to create world-class solutions for operators and service organisations within the industry, and other linkage sectors.
The incubation period will span from October to December, and culminate in a demo day where the startups will display their innovations and practically apply all they’ve learnt during the incubation phase.
