"Get Started" at the 2018 Lagos Startup Week

Daniel Iyanda -

Lagos Startup Week (LSW) 2018, an annual festival of Nigerian startups and innovators tagged "Get Started" is set to hold from September 24 - 29, 2018.

On the back of three successful editions, this year's Lagos Startup Week would focus on getting started as an entrepreneur in tech. This comes as a build on last year's Visionary theme that talked about how startups can challenge the status-quo and how innovators can shape the future.

This year, the opening ceremony will take place at Landmark Towers as opposed to the Oriental Hotel used in previous editions. The ceremony titled “0 to $1,000,000" will feature panel sessions from seasoned entrepreneurs. It starts at 4:00 PM on Monday, September 24. A full schedule will be shared with the registered attendees. It will also be published on a scheduling site just like last year.

Who are the organizers of the LSW Conference?

The event, which first held in 2015, is an initiative of Prime Startups. The mission of Prime Startups as a company is to foster entrepreneurship across Africa. It aims to help startups and digital tech companies speed up their growth through a series of programmes, research and events (such as the LSW). It also provides a feedback loop from companies to the government to help shape policy.

The Chief Organiser, and Managing Partner at Prime Startups, Olumide Olayinka, said:

“Our goal from the first Lagos Startup Week has been to create a platform where entrepreneurs, founders and investors learn, network, find customers and get answers.”

More about Get Started 2018

“Get Started” 2018 will feature exhibitions, panel sessions, keynotes, and masterclasses.

The conversations are divided into twelve tracks. They include:

  • Leaders in Tech. This is an invite-only gathering where local ecosystem builders from different cities meet. At their meeting, they will be sharing ideas on how the Government can strengthen the ecosystem via startups. It also provides a session for investors to meet with entrepreneurs and policymakers.
  • Women Who Launch. This aims at encouraging more women to build high-growth ventures. By supporting women, they hope to balance the gender disparity in the tech ecosystem.
  • Growth and Scale. Focuses on how product, marketing and team dynamics can help tech startups achieve exponential growth.
  • Design Thinking. Design thinking is way of approaching complex problems using the strategies of designers. Although, it utilises their approach it is not a session for only designers. Professionals will show how this methodology can transform our work even as managers.
  • Future of Work. To show how company cultures and creative meeting places are adapting to employees.
  • DevJam. This is asession targeted at developers. It will talk about  the trend of technology tools and tell on how to adapt..
  • Tech Innovation Tour. This would feature a tour across leading tech companies in Nigeria..

During the week, a day is set aside for startups to exhibit their product to potential customers and investors with the aim of increasing their visibility and signing checks.

Over the years, Lagos Startup Week has partnered with blue-chip companies like Microsoft, and Intel. Also, venture capital firms and incubators like Techstars, and Accion Venture Lab. Plus other international organisations like the British Council, and World Bank’s IFC ^[International Finance Organisation].

The Lagos Startup Week has also featured as speakers, the Managing Director of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu; Co-founder of She Leads Africa, Afua Osei; Portfolio Engagement Manager, Accion Venture Lab, Coryell Stout; the CEO of Printivo, Oluyomi Ojo; and Developer Advocate Prosper ‘unicodeveloper’ Otemuyiwa.

Insider scoop: DigiClan, in partnership with the organisers - Prime Startups, has provided an opportunity for volunteers to serve at the event.