Zenith Bank Plc has unveiled the sixth edition of its flagship startup competition and innovation programme, Zecathon 6.0, with a N190 million prize pool for innovators, startups and students across Africa.
The programme, delivered in partnership with Beyond Limits, introduces the Future Innovators Challenge for senior secondary schools, alongside the existing Hackathon and Startup Pitch Competition.
According to the bank, startups and developers across Africa, as well as senior secondary schools in Nigeria, can apply for the competition free of charge through cutt.ly/zecathon6. The deadline for applications is October 13, 2026.
Zecathon 6.0 will focus on innovation across sectors including fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), insurance, education, retail and e-commerce, payments, lending, cybersecurity, agriculture, healthcare, and transportation and logistics.
The Hackathon will require participants to develop solutions to real-world banking challenges using artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies, while the Startup Pitch Competition will focus on growth-stage ventures with scalable solutions.
Speaking on the initiative, Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Bank, Dame Dr Adaora Umeoji, said the latest edition marked another step in the bank’s efforts to support innovation and digital transformation in Africa.
“Zecathon 6.0 represents the next leap in Zenith Bank’s journey of empowering innovators and driving Africa’s digital transformation,” she said.
Umeoji said the introduction of the Future Innovators Challenge would provide an avenue for young students to participate in the innovation ecosystem.
She added that the initiative would enable developers, students and founders to collaborate and develop solutions capable of addressing emerging challenges in banking and business.
In the Hackathon and Startup Pitch Competition categories, winners will receive N35 million each, while second-place finalists will receive N20 million each.
Third-place finalists will receive N15 million each, while fourth and fifth-place finalists in both categories will receive N10 million each.
The top three schools in the Future Innovators Challenge will receive N5 million, N3 million and N2 million respectively.
The latest edition builds on Zecathon 5.0, which awarded N140 million in prizes to participants.
Zenith Bank said the expanded programme is designed to accelerate the development of digital solutions while equipping young people with skills needed to participate in Africa’s growing technology ecosystem.
Startups and innovators across Africa, as well as senior secondary schools in Nigeria, can apply through cutt.ly/zecathon6 before the October 13 deadline.
By Priscilla Iwedike
