Business News
ARM Group gives $20,000 each to five startups, launches second edition of Accelerator Programme
ARM Group in partnership with Ventures Platform has announced the commencement of the second cohort of its LABS by ARM Accelerator programme.
ARM Group in partnership with Ventures Platform has announced the commencement of the second cohort of its LABS by ARM Accelerator programme, as it gives $20,000 each to five startups as seed funding.
LABS by ARM a platform aimed at supporting and funding compelling fintech startups focused on solving key problems in innovative ways around the financial industry, while unlocking verticals and markets, thereby changing how users access and consume financial services.
Participating Startup Founders with Henrietta
According to Asset Resource Management Group, (ARM) the Accelerator Programme, which has five participants in this year’s cohort from a pool of 191 applications, is aimed at helping early-stage growth fintech companies to grow exponentially, giving them access to market while improving their distribution capabilities.
“For us, we believe that companies that build great technology and are solving real-life problems are great companies to support. It is our own way of giving back to the fintech society,” Henrietta Olushina, MD ARM Financial Advisers said.
The accelerator programme, a 12- week programme, which kicked off on the 10th of February, offers for the first time since its maiden edition in 2019, a $20,000 seed funding, office space, Amazon Web Services (AWS) credit of up to $10,000, access to the ARM network capabilities and support the companies with carefully selected mentors comprising seasoned business leaders from the fintech industry who will provide hands-on support to the selected companies.
[READ MORE: Eyowo launches product to boost SMEs operations)
Mrs Olushina disclosed that the selected companies for the second cohort include Rise, Kwaba, Quantis Finance, Trusaver and Owoafara. She added that six companies participated in the first cohort. The companies included ARM’s PayDay Investor and Trove, with the latter getting $30,000 seed funding, while other selected companies got a N3 million grant.
LABS by ARM Leadership team
However, ARM said it would make subsequent editions of the programme bigger and better, creating 25 alumni companies over a five-year period. The companies are charting a new market course and have become household names and unicorn companies in Nigeria.
“We want them to be the unicorns coming out of Nigeria, companies that are household names creating markets that don’t exist, and for that is what this really is,” Olushina said.
ARM is a leading Nigerian diversified and integrated asset management group firm established in 1994 that offers wealth creation solutions and opportunities through a unique blend of traditional assets management and alternative investment services.
Coronavirus
COVID-19 Update in Nigeria
On the 24th of February 2021, 655 new confirmed cases and 11 deaths were recorded in Nigeria
The spread of novel Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) in Nigeria continues to record significant increases as the latest statistics provided by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control reveal Nigeria now has 153,842 confirmed cases.
On the 24th of February 2021, 655 new confirmed cases and 11 deaths were recorded in Nigeria.
To date, 153,842 cases have been confirmed, 130,818 cases have been discharged and 1,885 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. A total of 1.49 million tests have been carried out as of February 24th, 2021 compared to 1.44 million tests a day earlier.
COVID-19 Case Updates- 24th February 2021,
- Total Number of Cases – 153,842
- Total Number Discharged – 130,818
- Total Deaths – 1,885
- Total Tests Carried out – 1,489,103
According to the NCDC, the 655 new cases are reported from 21 states- Lagos (240), Ogun (88), Rivers (56), FCT (51), Kaduna (43), Kano (25), Plateau (21), Taraba (19), Edo (17), Abia (15), Delta (13), Nasarawa (11), Akwa Ibom (10), Kwara (10), Oyo (10), Kebbi (9), Borno (5), Bayelsa (4), Gombe (4), Ekiti (2), and Osun (2).
Meanwhile, the latest numbers bring Lagos state total confirmed cases to 55,122, followed by Abuja (19,115), Plateau (8,854), Kaduna (8,422), Oyo (6,708), Rivers (6,398), Edo (4,491), Ogun (4,277), Kano (3,716), Ondo (2,944), Kwara (2,875), Delta (2,539), Osun (2,326), Nasarawa (2,208), Gombe (2,031), Katsina (2,029), Enugu (1,998), Ebonyi (1,839), Anambra (1,615), and Abia (1,487).
Imo State has recorded 1,440 cases, Akwa Ibom (1,439), Borno (1,247), Bauchi (1,221), Benue (1,188), Niger (912), Ekiti (797), Sokoto (768), Bayelsa (767), Adamawa (762), Taraba (712), Jigawa (496), Kebbi (358), Yobe (268), Cross River (267), Zamfara (219), while Kogi state has recorded 5 cases only.
READ ALSO: COVID-19: Western diplomats warn of disease explosion, poor handling by government
Lock Down and Curfew
In a move to combat the spread of the pandemic disease, President Muhammadu Buhari directed the cessation of all movements in Lagos and the FCT for an initial period of 14 days, which took effect from 11 pm on Monday, 30th March 2020.
The movement restriction, which was extended by another two weeks period, has been partially put on hold with some businesses commencing operations from May 4. On April 27th, 2020, Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari declared an overnight curfew from 8 pm to 6 am across the country, as part of new measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19. This comes along with the phased and gradual easing of lockdown measures in FCT, Lagos, and Ogun States, which took effect from Saturday, 2nd May 2020, at 9 am.
On Monday, 29th June 2020 the federal government extended the second phase of the eased lockdown by 4 weeks and approved interstate movement outside curfew hours with effect from July 1, 2020. Also, on Monday 27th July 2020, the federal government extended the second phase of eased lockdown by an additional one week.
On Thursday, 6th August 2020 the federal government through the secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 announced the extension of the second phase of eased lockdown by another four (4) weeks.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State announced the closed down of the Eti-Osa Isolation Centre, with effect from Friday, 31st July 2020. He also mentioned that the Agidingbi Isolation Centre would also be closed and the patients relocated to a large capacity centre.
Due to the increased number of covid-19 cases in Nigeria, the Nigerian government ordered the reopening of Isolation and treatment centres in the country on Thursday, 10th December 2020.
On 26th January 2021, the Federal Government announced the extension of the guidelines of phase 3 of the eased lockdown by one month following the rising cases of the coronavirus disease in the country and the expiration of phase 3 of the eased lockdown.
READ ALSO: Bill Gates says Trump’s WHO funding suspension is dangerous
Appointments
Cornerstone Insurance Plc appoints Ogechi Adeola as Director
Dr Ogechi Adeola has been appointed as an Independent Non-Executive Director at Cornerstone Insurance Plc.
