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November 17, 2023

20 drivers pitch for honours at Bolt Accelerator Programme

By Upfrontdigital News 0 254 Views

By Shola Olushola

IN a monumental leap toward entrepreneurial excellence, Bolt, the leading African ride-hailing operator proudly unveils the top 20 finalists, who have been inducted into the two-week Bootcamp phase of Bolt Den marking a significant milestone in empowering drivers on their entrepreneurial

journey.

The virtual induction ceremony was held on November 8, 2023, and served as a digital handshake to enlighten drivers about the Bootcamp, which is pivotal in nurturing innovative ideas and equipping them with essential knowledge in diverse areas such as business development, financial

management, people’s management, trademarks, digital marketing, corporate governance, and more.

The top 20 drivers, who emerged from the ideation phase, are from five cities, Abuja, Lagos, Rivers, Kaduna, and Kwara. These drivers are now preparing for the pitch day, which is set for November 20,2023, to present their innovative ideas to a distinguished panel of judges from all walks of life across sectors such as technology, banking, and education, who will scrutinise, vet the ideas and shortlist the top 10 drivers.

The shortlisted drivers will receive €2,000 seed funding and gain access to a six-week business mentorship programe.

The Bolt Den initiative will culminate in a grand finale on November 21st, with the Award Ceremony coming alongside the launch of a new study from the Oliver Wyman Mobility Forum on “Shared Mobility’s Global Impact” in Africa and Europe.

During the event, the top ten drivers with the best innovative ideas will be announced, and Dr. Andreas Nienhaus, Head of the Oliver Wyman Mobility Forum, will outline the economic, social, and environmental impact of shared mobility, and the sector’s potential to support ongoing development in African transport systems.

Public Policy Specialist for Bolt, Nigeria, Ewoma Jerry-Ogeme, said: “As we celebrate the drivers who have made it this far, we recognise that drivers are the force behind the wheel, navigating the future of mobility. We are excited to witness the evolution of your ideas as you learn, unlearn, and relearn through the process of ideation.”

Some of the shortlisted drivers expressed their gratitude for the opportunities presented by the Bolt Accelerator Programme and anticipated the pitch day where they would compete to win seed funding of €2000.

Programmes Manager at The Nest, Paradise Okoronkwo, shared her excitement, stating, “This induction ceremony has been both exciting and inspiring and your innovation, determination, and talent have set you apart in this highly competitive process. This is just the beginning of a transformative

experience.”

According to a statement, the Pitch Day is scheduled for November 20, and the Panel of Judges include Prof Kemi Ogunyemi – Professor of Business Ethics, Lagos Business School; Ray Ndinga – Disruptive Technologies & Venture Capital, International Finance Corporation; Dr Andreas Nienhaus – Partner, Automotive & Mobility Team, Co-Head of Oliver Wyman

Mobility Forum; Kolapo Ogungbile – Vatebra Tech Hub; Mayowa Owolabi – Paddy Cover; Hakeem Onasanya – Head Startups, Lagos Innovates and Yahaya Mohammed – Country Manager Bolt.

Meanwhile, the Oliver Wyman Study on shared mobility in Africa and Europe represents an independent study conducted by Oliver Wyman, titled “Shared Mobility’s Global Impact.” This study has been informed by data generously provided by Bolt.

It is the first study to examine the broader impact of the sector on Europe and Africa, with a focus on four different city archetypes. Africa is the fastest growing region with the market forecast to grow to $7.8 billion by 2030.

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