50 Startups Compete As South East VC Programme Reaches Finale

The South East Development Commission has launched the grand finale of its inaugural South East Venture Capital Programme, an initiative aimed at expanding access to funding for emerging businesses in the region.

The event, holding at the International Conference Centre in Enugu, features 50 finalist ventures selected from more than 1,200 applications submitted by entrepreneurs across the South-East and other parts of the country.

The commission said the programme is part of a broader effort to build sustainable investment structures for innovation-driven enterprises and strengthen the region’s economic competitiveness.

The finalists were selected through a multi-stage process that included video pitch reviews, phased assessments and judging rounds.

Participants were grouped into two categories: an Accelerator Track for ventures with measurable market traction and an Incubation Track for early-stage startups with strong growth potential.

Ahead of the final presentations, participants underwent an investment-readiness bootcamp in Enugu focused on business development, investor engagement and pitch refinement.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the commission, Mark Okoye, described the initiative as a strategic economic intervention designed to address longstanding funding gaps.

“This is not simply a startup pitch event,” Okoye said. “It is the deliberate construction of institutional capital infrastructure for the South East, creating long-term pathways for capital, innovation and enterprise growth.”

The commission said 30 successful ventures will be unveiled during an investment ceremony scheduled for Tuesday, May 26, 2026.

The selected businesses are expected to receive early-stage funding under the South East Venture Capital Fund.

According to the commission, the fund is designed to tackle limited access to institutional startup financing and is projected to attract up to $50 million in blended financing from public institutions, development partners, private investors and diaspora contributors.

Executive Director of Finance and Chairman of the programme, Stanley Ohajuruka, said the initiative highlights the region’s entrepreneurial potential.

“The quality and volume of participation show there is no shortage of high-potential ventures,” he said.
“The key challenge has been creating credible structures for access to capital and investor confidence.”

The programme aligns with the federal government’s economic agenda focused on enterprise development, innovation and job creation under the Renewed Hope initiative.

Oduyemi Odumade, Edited By Grace Namiji