What Eko Innovation Centre does

Eko Innovation Centre (EIC) is a privately held innovation hub and startup accelerator headquartered in Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria, founded around 2019–2020 by Victor 'Gbenga' Afolabi. The organization supports early-stage enterprises through a layered service offering comprising pre-acceleration, acceleration, and incubation programs, supplemented by a coworking space, mentorship from multi-sector advisors, and structured access to public and private stakeholder networks.

The business operates a portfolio of branded event and community programs that function as both programming and customer acquisition channels. These include the annual Art of Technology Lagos conference (now in its 7th edition), a family of thematic hackathons (MarkHack for marketing technology, SecureHack for cybersecurity, Ekoclimathon for climate, Lagos Smart Meter, and Eko Traffic), the Techbiz Nation community platform with over 124 webinar episodes, a podcast distributed via Spotify and YouTube, and the affiliated Eko Institute of Technology. EIC also maintains a portfolio of startup companies (including A4T, D Aggregate, TIngtel, PaddyCover, Eko Carbon Exchange, and Flexmonie) and runs civic-tech initiatives in partnership with the Lagos State Government.

The revenue model is a hybrid of professional services (acceleration/incubation program fees, potentially equity-linked), event sponsorship, coworking space rentals (1-man, 2-man, 6-man private offices, training halls, boardrooms, pitch areas), and government/development-partner funding for civic tech initiatives such as the N100 million AgrInnovation grant program. No disclosed revenue, external funding rounds, or institutional investors are reported in the source data; the organization appears to be founder-funded and supported by partnerships with Lagos State Government, UNICEF, Africa Agility, and Impact Lagos.

Name

Eko Innovation Centre

Legal name

Eko Innovation Centre

Website

https://ekoicentre.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Eko Innovation Centre is a Lagos-based privately held innovation hub and startup accelerator founded by Victor 'Gbenga' Afolabi. It provides pre-acceleration, acceleration, incubation, coworking, and event programming (MarkHack, Art of Technology Lagos, Techbiz Nation) to early-stage Nigerian startups, government partners, and the broader tech ecosystem.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Accelerator & Innovation Hub

NAICS

Computer Training (611420), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

SME & Entrepreneurship Development (Trade-Linked) (BPADAMAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technology & Innovation Expos Organizers (THAHABAE), Technical Enablement & Adoption Services (Change Management, Adoption, Champions) (BPAEANAC), Technical Universities with Entrepreneurship & Incubation Focus (EDAHAEAH), Strategy & IT Advisory (BPAEAAAA)

Keywords

• Startup acceleration services
• Pre-incubation programs
• Innovation hub management
• Entrepreneurship training programs
• Technology coworking space

Headquarters

HQ city

Lagos

HQ country

Nigeria

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Acceleration and Incubation Services: Revenue is generated through acceleration and incubation programs that support high-impact businesses, providing services to early-stage enterprises in exchange for program fees or equity stakes.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Eko Innovation Centre is a Lagos-based innovation hub that delivers pre-acceleration, acceleration, and incubation services to early-stage technology startups. It also operates thematic hackathon programs (MarkHack, SecureHack, Ekoclimathon, Lagos Smart Meter, Eko Traffic), the annual Art of Technology Lagos conference, the Techbiz Nation community and Techbiz Webinar Series, a coworking facility, and civic-tech initiatives with government and development partners.

Product overview

Eko Innovation Centre is an innovation hub and startup ecosystem accelerator based in Lagos, Nigeria. The organization operates as a multi-program platform offering pre-acceleration, acceleration, and incubation services to early-stage enterprises. Its portfolio includes organized hackathon programs (MarkHack for marketing tech, Ekoclimathon for climate, SecureHack for cybersecurity, Lagos Smart Meter, and Eko Traffic), community platforms (Techbiz Nation, Techbiz Webinar Series), workspace services (Coworking Space), major annual conferences (Art of Technology Lagos), educational programs (Eko Institute of Technology), a podcast platform, and civic tech initiatives. The acceleration program also features a portfolio of startup companies including A4T (renewable energy), D Aggregate (AI/data services), TIngtel (financial inclusion), PaddyCover (insurance), Eko Carbon Exchange (climate finance), and Flexmonie (agency banking). The center supports African Union Agenda 2063 and UN Sustainable Development Goals through technology-driven solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MarkHack: Nigeria's premier marketing and technology conference and hackathon series exploring innovation at the intersection of marketing and technology.
• Art of Technology Lagos (AOT Lagos)
• Techbiz Nation
• Techbiz Webinar Series
• Ekoclimathon
• SecureHack
• Lagos Smart Meter
• Eko Traffic
• AgrInnovation
• Ekovention
• Eko Open Source
• Startup Lagos

Products and services

• MarkHack Nigeria's premier marketing, media, and innovation hackathon series that brings together startups to compete and showcase solutions at the intersection of marketing and technology.
• Ekoclimathon Climate-change hackathon focused on developing technology solutions for environmental and sustainability challenges.
• SecureHack Cybersecurity-focused hackathon that develops homegrown security solutions for technology and cyber-security challenges.
• Lagos Smart Meter Hackathon initiative focused on addressing electricity metering gaps and last-mile distribution challenges in Lagos.
• Eko Traffic Hackathon focused on developing technology solutions for traffic management and urban mobility challenges in Lagos.
• Art of Technology Lagos (AOT Lagos) Annual flagship technology conference in Lagos bringing together tech leaders, startup founders, and policymakers to discuss technology trends, innovation policy, and digital transformation.
• Techbiz Nation Community platform designed to support and fuel the growth of startups and techpreneurs through networking, knowledge sharing, and ecosystem resources, with WhatsApp and Telegram groups and 124+ associated webinar episodes.
• Techbiz Webinar Series Monthly e-learning series held on the last Thursday of each month at 5:00 PM WAT, featuring expert-led sessions on technology, entrepreneurship, and business growth topics, with over 124 episodes produced.
• Coworking Space Modern coworking space at the Ikoyi, Lagos headquarters offering flexible workspace options including 1-man, 3-man, and 6-man private offices, training halls, boardrooms, and pitch areas for startups, freelancers, and techpreneurs.
• Eko Innovation Centre Podcast Knowledge-sharing podcast featuring seasoned professionals, experts, and tech-driven entrepreneurs discussing practices that enhance entrepreneurial growth, distributed via Spotify and YouTube.
• Eko Institute of Technology Technology workforce-development education entity offering cutting-edge programs, expert-led training, and industry-aligned curriculum to equip individuals with skills for the technology sector.
• Eko Acceleration Program Acceleration program building high-impact business capability to scale quickly and master transitions between growth stages, with access to a faculty of high-ranking, multi-sector advisors and to private and public stakeholder networks.
• Pre-Acceleration Program Pre-acceleration/incubation program that speeds up the journey from idea to market for individuals and businesses, enabling swift product introduction and remarkable speed-to-market.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 250 startup teams empowered through programs
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GDM GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2026GDM Group is a co-organizer of MarkHack (Nigeria's marketing and media hackathon series) alongside Eko Innovation Centre and Brand Communicator. The partnership has delivered multiple editions of MarkHack (1.0 through 5.0), celebrating innovation in marketing technology with hackathons and awards ceremonies.
• Brand CommunicatorcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2026Brand Communicator partners with GDM Group and Eko Innovation Centre to organize MarkHack, Nigeria's premier marketing and technology conference and hackathon. The collaboration brings together marketers, startup founders, and technology experts to discuss AI's influence on marketing.
• Lagos State GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEko Innovation Centre partners with Lagos State Government on civic tech initiatives including the Lagos Smart Meter hackathon and Agrinnovation program. The Agrinnovation 1.0 initiative resulted in N100 million grants awarded to 26 agripreneurs for sustainable food system innovations.
• Africa AgilityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAfrica Agility partnered with Eko Innovation Centre and Impact Lagos to train 10,000 girls in Lagos over five years, advancing technology inclusion and bridging the gender gap in technology.
• Impact LagosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerImpact Lagos partners with Eko Innovation Centre and Africa Agility on the 10,000 Girls Initiative to provide technology training for young women in Lagos over five years.
• UNICEFminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEko Innovation Centre partnered with UNICEF and Lagos State Government on climate change initiatives, supporting innovation for environmental challenges.
• EkoventionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEkovention is listed as a startup ecosystem partnership initiative under Eko Innovation Centre's portfolio, contributing to the broader innovation community.
• Eko Open SourceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEko Open Source is listed as a partnership initiative under Eko Innovation Centre, focused on open source technology collaboration in the ecosystem.
• AOT LagoscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAOT Lagos (Art of Technology Lagos) is a flagship annual technology conference organized by Eko Innovation Centre, bringing together tech leaders, startups, and policymakers to explore technology trends and innovation in Lagos.
• Eko Institute of TechnologyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEko Institute of Technology (EIT) is an associated entity focused on technology workforce development, equipping individuals with skills for the tech ecosystem. EIT is part of the Eko Innovation Centre portfolio.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• iDEA Hub: Nigerian incubation and acceleration hub offering workspace, mentorship, and funding pathways for tech startups. Operates similar pre-acceleration and acceleration services in the same Lagos/Nigeria market.
• Wennovation Hub: Lagos-based innovation hub providing incubation, acceleration, and capacity-building programs for African startups. Comparable model targeting the same founder base with similar event-driven programming.
• Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme: Large-scale African entrepreneurship development program providing training, mentorship, and seed capital to entrepreneurs across Nigeria and Africa. Competes directly for the same early-stage founder pool as EIC.
• MEST Africa: Pan-African entrepreneurship incubator and seed fund that trains and invests in African tech founders. Operates an accelerator model similar to EIC's pre-acceleration/acceleration structure with equity participation.
• Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB): Nigeria's most prominent innovation hub and accelerator, providing pre-incubation, incubation, and growth-stage programs for African startups. Direct competitor in the Lagos startup ecosystem with overlapping programs and target founders.

Broad incumbents

• Andela: Global engineering talent accelerator and marketplace with deep Nigerian roots. While primarily a talent marketplace, Andela's Learning Community and talent development programs overlap with EIC's tech workforce development mission.
• Y Combinator: World-leading startup accelerator whose remote program and standards have set the bar for African founders. Increasingly competes for Nigerian startup mindshare and is a benchmark EIC's portfolio founders may bypass for.
• Seedstars: Global emerging-markets startup accelerator and competition organizer with strong African presence. Competes with EIC's hackathon and conference franchise (e.g., Seedstars Summit, Africa competitions) for the same startup talent pool.

Others

• Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN Nigeria): Global entrepreneurship network with a Nigeria chapter where EIC advisory board member Wale Ajiboye serves. Operates adjacent programs (Global Entrepreneurship Week, Startup GEN) that overlap with EIC's civic and ecosystem-building missions.

Regional players

• CcHUB Syndicate / CcHUB Investments: Investment arm of CcHUB providing follow-on capital and growth support to African startups. Represents the most active regional capital partner competing for the same founders EIC supports through its acceleration program.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EkoInnovation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCiTQYOzOZaWUIwJhvU9mX7g
• Facebookfacebook.com/EkoInnovationCentre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eko-innovation-center-ng
• Instagraminstagram.com/ekoinnovationcentre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Eko Innovation Centre