Startupinsight

They Didn't Meet at a Startup Accelerator. They Met Because They All Hit the Same Wall. Inside the technical build, the founding story, and the deliberately phased rollout strategy behind ChatPay, Nigeria's newest bet on conversational banking.  No accelerator. No shared employer. No prior investor introduction. The three founders behind ChatPay found each other the way most durable startups actually start, by independently running into the same problem and searching for people who could help solve it. What's notable about ChatPay isn't just the pitch, banking inside WhatsApp, the app more than 50 million Nigerians already use monthly, it's the discipline behind the build: a phased rollout gated by licensed banking-partner certification, rather than a rush to claim full functionality before it's ready. ChatPay, operated by CP Technology Limited and headquartered on Ikorodu Road in Maryland, Lagos, is built to close that gap: send money, buy airtime, pay bills an...

          _400+ Unit Estate Also Known As Morire City, Financed by Federal Mortgage Bank, With Ongoing Projects in Prime One Sangotedo and Yabatech GRA_ Ishi Homes Limited, a real estate development company headquartered in Victoria Island, Lagos, is driving large-scale housing delivery across Nigeria through strategic investments in Lagos and Kwara States. The company, founded by Otunba Dr. Olayinka Ilufoye, is currently executing multiple projects including a fully integrated estate of over 400 housing units in Offa, Kwara State named AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq Estate, also known as Morire City. The estate is named in honour of the Executive Governor of Kwara State, His Excellency Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and is financed by the Federal Mortgage Bank. The company also has ongoing multi-billion naira developments at Prime One Sangotedo, Lekki, Lagos and Yabatech GRA, Lagos. Speaking on the company’s vision, Otunba Ilufoye said Ishi Homes is committed to buildi...

   By Ganiyu Asa Lagos reporter Platform combines client-facing digital dashboard with managed execution services  addressing the trust gap that costs Nigerian property owners billions annually through payment disputes, site readiness failures, and intermediary-driven quality degradation. Murals  Nigeria Limited (RC 8034511) today announced the public launch of Spaces by  Murals.ng , a client-facing digital platform combined with managed execution services for complex commercial interior projects. Spaces helps hotels, developers, property owners, and other commercial clients move from an approved design or project brief to a documented, finished interior through one coordinated execution process. “Clients should not have to choose between creative ambition and delivery visibility. Spaces gives the client a clearer view of what is being produced, who is responsible for each stage, what needs to happen before installation, and when a project is ready for approval....

     By Yetunde Tayomide FCCPC-licensed fintech expands physical presence to the Fedral Capital Territory, backed by its mobile app platform MCO Penny, driven by a mission to solve financial instability in public sector lending, is now in Abuja extending its promise of financial inclusion to the underserved civil servant sector they are passionate about serving. For many years, civil servants have been perceived as a segment that is either underpaid or unable to fully benefit from traditional banking services. MCO Penny saw this gap as an opportunity to create meaningful impact, building financial solutions that promote stability, convenience, and peace of mind for public sector employees. The company’s goal has remained simple: to bridge the financial inclusion gap and empower civil servants with access to responsible, reliable, and accessible financial services. Founded by business leader and public sector expert Michael Collins with a mission to make financial services...

  By Remi Udoka The African Catalyst Announces EESII 3.0 "Powering Africa Beyond Solar: Unlocking Biogas, Wind, and Small-Scale Hydro" — Virtual Event, Thursday, 23 July 2026  The African Catalyst (TAC) has announced the third edition of its Enabling Early-Stage Infrastructure Investing (EESII 3.0), a high-level virtual convening bringing together investors, policymakers, development finance institutions, infrastructure developers, project sponsors and technical experts from across Africa and beyond. While solar energy has transformed off-grid electrification across the continent, significant opportunities remain untapped in biogas, wind and small-scale hydropower — technologies capable of delivering more reliable, resilient and scalable energy for households, industries and underserved communities. These sectors, however, continue to face barriers in project preparation, financing, technical capacity and enabling policy, preventing many promising projects from reaching finan...

By Femi Lazarus Cynosure Realty has hosted the maiden edition of its Stakeholders’ Roundtable in Abuja, bringing together professionals, industry leaders and business partners to strengthen collaboration and drive sustainable growth in Nigeria's real estate sector. The event, held on July 11 at Hall 1, Novare Central Mall, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja, was themed "The Maiden: Partnerships that Build Legacy." It featured stakeholder engagements, project unveilings, panel discussions, networking sessions and entertainment. Speaking at the event, the Chief Executive Officer of Cynosure Realty Ltd and Convener of the Cynosure Stakeholders' Roundtable (CSR), Mr. Micheal Okuboye, described the gathering as a defining moment for the company. "This maiden stakeholders' roundtable marks the beginning of stronger, more intentional partnerships that will define our legacy. We brought together stakeholders from different industries to align on shared goals and explore opportunitie...

 By Yemi Duru Persistently high diesel prices are forcing fleet operators across Nigeria to pay closer attention to fuel management, with businesses increasingly adopting monitoring technologies to reduce losses and improve operational efficiency. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the average retail price of diesel climbed to ₦1,813.81 per litre in June 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of nearly 24 per cent. The upward trend has continued amid fluctuating energy costs, placing additional pressure on transport companies, logistics operators and businesses that rely heavily on diesel-powered vehicles. Industry observers say fuel has become one of the largest operating expenses for commercial fleets, making consumption monitoring and loss prevention more important than ever. The sustained increase in diesel prices has also renewed attention on challenges such as fuel theft, unauthorised vehicle usage and inefficient driving practices, all of whi...