The Abuja chapter of the Founder Institute has graduated nine startups from its 10th cohort, marking another milestone for the pre seed accelerator since launching in Nigeria’s capital in 2020. The graduation ceremony, held on February 25, 2026 at the NASENI Innovation Hub in Idu Industrial Area, brought together founders, investors, mentors, and ecosystem stakeholders for keynote sessions, startup pitches, alumni induction, and networking.
With the latest cohort, FI Abuja has now produced 104 alumni and portfolio companies. Founded in Silicon Valley in 2009, the Founder Institute operates in more than 200 cities across over 100 countries, supporting over 8,900 startups globally. The accelerator is known for its structured 14 week core programme that emphasises disciplined business building processes across launch, validation, and growth stages rather than rapid scaling without fundamentals.
Under the leadership of Managing Director Ajuma Ataguba, Director of Partnerships Olusegun Obakeye, Local Leader Vesiri Olu Odugbemi, and Lead Advisor Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata Jnr, the Abuja chapter focuses largely on building resilient software driven startups. Cohort 10 participants underwent weekly feedback sessions and growth sprints covering customer development, revenue modelling, branding, legal structure, product development, hiring, and funding readiness, emerging with investment ready ventures across sectors.
Keynote speakers at the event included Yemi Keri, President of the Africa Business Angel Network and Chief Executive Officer of Heckerbella Limited, who spoke on digital transformation and investment trends, alongside Oludare Bodunrin of the Gates Foundation and Dr Lanre Phillips of Elpee Consults Ltd, who addressed innovation, leadership, and scaling strategies. The graduating startups span industries such as edtech, agritech, healthtech, construction, and social networking, reflecting the diversity of Nigeria’s technology ecosystem.
The new portfolio companies include KindredNest International, PlentyDrop, KodeEdu, Haazbridge, AwaVet, Brainlyft, BurnCost, ARC Addiction Recovery Clinic, and MyOpinion, each tackling market gaps from digital learning and dairy supply chains to telemedicine and construction procurement. Graduates will now gain lifetime access to the institute’s global alumni network, venture matching platforms, and partner resources as admissions open for Cohort 11, with applications closing May 3, 2026.