Hubpharm Africa, a healthtech startup focused on improving access to specialty medicines, has won the grand prize of N15 million at The Gathering On 100 Pitchathon, as investors and corporate sponsors step up support for Nigeria’s growing startup ecosystem.
The company’s founder, Sesan Kareem, a pharmacist, was named overall winner at the competition’s grand finale held on April 25. His startup has already delivered more than 300,000 specialty medicines across several Nigerian states, addressing gaps in access to critical treatments.
Kareem said the funding would help the company expand its operations and reach more patients in need. “It means that we have capital to scale our specialty pharmacy operations. We will be able to create additional jobs as the business grows. It also means that more patients who need specialty medications will be able to live healthy, live longer, avoid complications and early death,” he said.
The Pitchathon brought together 13 finalists selected from earlier rounds, showcasing startups across sectors including healthcare, fintech, social commerce and agri-processing. The event highlighted the increasing role of young Nigerian entrepreneurs in solving local problems through innovation.
The grand final drew together thirteen founders, ten selected from Friday’s Sesan on and three from Thursday’s, among them Charles Dairo of Kindlybook, whose booking automation platform for beauty and wellness businesses had returned to the stage with the quiet confidence of a company that already knows it belongs. The field also included Ravasend’s Emmanuel Isika, who had appeared on Day One and been called back as one of the first names elevated by the judges’ scoring system into the final ten; URI Social’s Precious zino, pitching her WhatsApp-native AI social media employee Jane for the third time across three days; and Dulces Jamz, whose founder Oguguah Denzel arrived at the grand final the way he had arrived at every previous day with jars of natural fruit jam for the judges, which they accepted with the gratitude of people who have been sitting in a hall for three days and know quality when they taste it.
The event was sponsored by MTN Nigeria, which said it is investing in young innovators as part of efforts to support homegrown solutions.
Omotayo Ojutalayo, general manager for Enterprise Business at MTN Nigeria, said, “It is clear, as you can see, that there’s a lot of talent in Nigeria. The talents here that have been displayed are trying to solve our problems. And it’s only if you know the problem and it’s homegrown that you can develop homegrown solutions,” she said.
She went further, tracing the event’s origins to something more rigorous than corporate enthusiasm. “MTN typically does surveys from time to time to feel the pulse of subscribers. We listen to our youthful subscribers. Some of the things that are here now are things that they have said they want to see. We collated all their ideas, what they wanted to do, and we worked across the organisation and put this together,” she explained.
The advert, she added with a smile, says it plainly enough: “If you have to miss your wedding, don’t, but don’t miss The Gathering.”
Organisers said the total prize pool for the competition represents the largest direct startup funding assembled in the history of The Gathering On 100 platform, underscoring rising interest in early-stage ventures in Nigeria despite economic challenges.
Industry analysts say such competitions are becoming an important funding source for startups, especially in sectors like healthcare where access to capital remains limited. Hubpharm Africa’s focus on specialty medicines places it in a critical segment of Nigeria’s healthcare system, where patients often struggle to find or afford essential drugs.
The event ended with the announcement of sector-specific winners alongside the overall prize, as judges selected standout startups across different industries.
For Kareem, the win marks the beginning of a new phase rather than a conclusion. With fresh funding and growing demand for healthcare services, Hubpharm Africa is expected to expand its reach, potentially improving access to life-saving medications for thousands more patients across the country.
