INVESTMENT CRUCIBLES
Pitch.
Get challenged. Get feedback. Advance.
Our Investment Crucibles give high-potential creative and technology industry ventures the opportunity to test their businesses in front of experienced operators, investors and ecosystem leaders with the support of Wicked Innovation Labs.
Founders compete first in Lagos or Ilorin, with selected ventures advancing to the National Final in Abuja for the opportunity to win ₦10,000,000 and connect with capital, markets and further support.
How THE Crucible Works
01 Apply
Submit your Creative or Tech venture for consideration through the iDICE Startup Summit application portal.
02 Get Selected
Applications are assessed for traction, market potential, investment readiness, export potential, team strength and differentiation. Selected founders are invited to one of the two preliminary Investment Crucibles in Lagos or Ilorin.
03 Enter Crucible
Ten ventures compete in each city; 5 Creative ventures and 5 Tech ventures
Each founder has 4 minutes to pitch, followed by 8 minutes of questions, challenge and direct feedback from the judging panel. The strongest ventures advance to the National Final.
04 Compete in Abuja
Finalists meet again at the iDICE Startup Summit National Final in Abuja. The preliminary scores are left behind. Every finalist starts from zero and competes for national recognition, investment prizes and access to investors, partners and market opportunities.
Test the business
Pressure-test assumptions, economics, scale potential and market strategy.
The Crucible is designed to do more than identify winners. Every selected founder gets the opportunity to:
Compete for investment
Win regional prizes and progress towards the ₦10,000,000 national prize.
Why enter?
Get direct feedback
Receive substantive questions and practical feedback from experienced judges.
Access opportunity
Build relationships with people who can provide capital, customers, partnerships and specialist support.
Build Visibility
Present the venture to investors, operators, partners and ecosystem leaders.
The Lagos Investment Crucible brings together 10 high-potential Creative and Tech ventures to compete for regional prizes and progression to the National Final.
18 November 2026
The Hall
16 Musa Yar'Adua Street
Victoria Island, Lagos
The Lagos Crucible sits within a full-day Summit bringing together founders, investors and ecosystem leaders to explore what it takes to build, finance and scale consequential ventures.
Who should apply?
Creative and Tech ventures registered and operating anywhere across southern Nigeria with:
• a live product or service;
• evidence of customer or market demand;
• clear growth potential;
• a credible team capable of execution; and
• ambition to build beyond an early-stage experiment.
The Ilorin Investment Crucible creates another national entry point for high-potential ventures, particularly founders building outside Nigeria's most concentrated startup networks.
23 November 2026
Ilorin Innovation Hub
9A Ahmadu Bello Way
Ilorin, Kwara State
The wider Ilorin Summit brings founders together with investors, operators and ecosystem leaders to examine what it takes to build strong companies from across Nigeria, not only from its most established startup hubs.
Selected ventures compete for regional prizes and the opportunity to advance to Abuja.
The strongest ventures from Lagos and Ilorin come together in Abuja for the final Investment Crucible.
1 December 2026
This time, the competition starts again and we will not carry preliminary scores forward. All finalists pitch before a national judging panel and are assessed on the strength of the venture itself: traction, market opportunity, investment readiness, global competitiveness, execution capacity and differentiation.
Alongside national visibility and access to investors, partners and market opportunities, the national winner in each category receives ₦10,000,000. This finale sits within the Abuja Summit, which brings together founders, investors, policymakers, corporates and ecosystem leaders from across Nigeria.
READY TO ENTER THE CRUCIBLE?
If you are building a Creative or Tech venture with real evidence of demand and the potential to scale, we want to hear from you. Apply to compete in the Lagos or Ilorin Investment Crucible.
Selected founders will be invited to pitch live, receive direct feedback from judges and compete for regional prizes and progression to the Abuja National Final.
Please note: Selected founders are responsible for being available to participate in their assigned preliminary Crucible. Travel support arrangements, where applicable, will be communicated directly to selected ventures.
Founder
James Okafor
Founder
Amina Diallo
Founder
James Okafor
THE ABUJA CRUCIBLE
THE LAGOS CRUCIBLE
Founder
James Okafor
Founder
Amina Diallo
Founder
James Okafor
THE ILORIN CRUCIBLE
Founder
James Okafor
Founder
Amina Diallo
Founder
James Okafor