Zenith bank launches zecathon 6.0 with ₦190 million in prizes and new future innovators challenge for senior secondary schools

Zenith Bank Plc has unveiled Zecathon 6.0, the sixth edition of its flagship startup competition and innovation programme. Delivered in partnership with Beyond Limits, this year’s edition carries a ₦190 million prize pool, the largest in the programme’s history, and introduces the Future Innovators Challenge for senior secondary schools alongside the established Hackathon and Startup Pitch Competition.

Founders and developers across Africa, and senior secondary schools in Nigeria, can apply free of charge at cutt.ly/zecathon6 before the deadline of 13 October 2026.

​Zecathon continues to spotlight innovation across key sectors: FMCG, insurance, education, retail and e-commerce, payments, lending, cybersecurity, agriculture, health, and transportation and logistics.

​“Zecathon 6.0 represents the next leap in Zenith Bank’s journey of empowering innovators and driving Africa’s digital transformation,” said Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, OON, Group Managing Director/Chief Executive, Zenith Bank Plc. “By introducing a dedicated challenge for secondary school students alongside our startup pitch and hackathon programmes, we are creating an ecosystem where developers, dreamers, students, and founders can collaborate, compete, and ultimately build real solutions that shape the future of banking and business across the continent.”

​The Hackathon will challenge innovators to solve real-world banking problems with AI and other emerging technologies, while the Startup Pitch Competition will showcase growth-stage ventures with scalable solutions. In each of the two categories, the winner will receive ₦35 million, the second-place finalist ₦20 million, the third-place finalist ₦15 million, and the fourth and fifth-place finalists ₦10 million each. The top three schools in the Future Innovators Challenge will receive ₦5 million, ₦3 million, and ₦2 million respectively.

​Building on the momentum of last year’s Zecathon 5.0, which awarded ₦140 million in prizes, this expanded edition aims to accelerate the development of digital solutions and equip the next generation of tech talent.

Startups and innovators across Africa, and senior secondary schools in Nigeria, are invited to apply free of charge at cutt.ly/zecathon6.

​Follow @zenithbankplc and @the_beyondlimits on all social media platforms for updates.