Lagos is a great place to build a startup, but most of the early-stage entrepreneurs we speak to aren't aware of the local tech resources that are available to help them.

With applications for the Lagos Founder Institute now open, we're excited to release the Lagos Startup Resource Guide, which is currently in Draft v3 below! It was developed by Lagos Founder Institute and local leaders: Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata Jnr., Adeboye Idowu, Adeola Kayode and Chika Nwogu.

This is just a draft, and while we spent many hours on this research, more input is needed. Please leave your comments on this collaborative Google document to help us complete the list. There are definitely omissions on this current version. 

Are you looking to build a startup in Lagos? Then apply to the Lagos Founder Institute today!

Text version included below, for ease of searching:

Startup Stages

There is no one right way to build a technology company, but for the sake of simplicity we have outlined a basic, common, sequential framework.

1. IDEA-STAGE

This is where new entrepreneurs get inspired, learn best practices, develop skills, validate ideas, and begin to build their team and product.

2. Startup Media: Centralized local information, listings, and news. (i.e. startup blogs/ publications/ lists/ FB groups/ newsletters, Startup Digest)
1. CFAmedia.ng 
2. ConnectNigeria
3. Disrupt Africa
4. Entrepreneurs.ng
5. EntrepreNEWS
6. Innovation Village
7. Lagos Innovates News
8. Memeburn
9. MSME Africa
10. Newmedia.ng
11. Nigeria Communications Week
12. SME peaks
13. Startup AfricaStartup Digest Lagos
14. Startup Plug
15. Stearns
16. Techativeng
17. Techbuild Africa
18. TechCabal
19. TechCityNG
20. Techcrunch
21. TechCultureNG
22. TechEconomy.ng 
23. Technext.ng
24. Techpoint.Africa
25. Ventureburn
26. WeeTracker

3. Inspirational Events: Open, inclusive, beginner startup events (i.e. Startup Weekend, idea fairs, and inspirational meetups) 

1. Africa Arena Event
2. Art of Technology Lagos
3. Blockchain Technology Initiative
4. Cardano Lagos
5. CFA’s Startups Hangout 
6. EDC Annual SME Conference 
7. Figma Africa
8. Lagos Startup Week
9. Meet up (Lagos Startup Founder 101)
10. Nigeria Innovation Summit
11. SMEPEAKS BBG
12. Social Media Week Lagos
13. Startup Weekend Lagos
14. TechCabal TownHall 
15. Techpoint Build
16. Tribers Tech hub
17. Women Who Code Lagos

Educate

2. Best Practices: Beginner knowledge-sharing events. (i.e. beginner events that serve to educate more than inspire, like Startup Founder 101, etc).
1. Daystar Business Academy (DBA)
2. Digitalise Africa Lagos
3. Entrepreneurs Collective Lagos
4. Forbes Digital Startup Accelerator
5. Hashnode IRL Lagos
6. JAMStack Lagos
7. Lagos Fintech week
8. Lepsta Developers Lagos
9. NetSquared Lagos
10. Nigeria Fintech week
11. SMEtoolkit
12. Startup Founder 101 Lagos
13. Startup Grind Lagos
14. StartupLagos
15. StartupNG

1. Training & Feedback: Skill & Idea development. (Ex. bootcamps and comprehensive training programs, like Founder Institute, etc)

1. .NET Nigeria
2. Agile Nigeria Meetup
3. Agrilab bootcamp and incubation programme
4. Ahyoxsoft
5. Andela
6. AngularJS2 & WebDev Nigeria Meetup
7. Audax
8. Ausso Leadership Academy
9. AWELE ACADEMY
10. Cedar STEM & Enterprise Meetup
11. Decagon 
12. DigitalOcean Lagos
13. Dufuna
14. Enterprise Development Center
15. FATE Foundation 
16. fofx Academy
17. Founder Institute
18. GDG Ikorodu
19. GDG Lagos
20. Golang Nigeria
21. IBM Developer Nigeria
22. Lagos Startup Academy
23. Lagos Startup: Idea to IPO
24. Lagos WordPress Community
25. Lean Startup Lagos
26. Lean Startup Machine Lagos
27. Learn to Code
28. MEST Training Program
29. MOAT Academy
30. NaijaSecForce
31. NaijaStartups
32. ODSC Data Science Lagos
33. Product School Lagos
34. ProductTank Lagos
35. She Hacks Africa
36. Startup Nigeria
37. Startup Pitch Bootcamp: Learn from Lagos's Top Entrepreneurs
38. Startup Sisters Africa
39. Tech Studio Academy
40. Techpoint Startup School 
41. TechQuest
42. Unicorn Incubation Programme
43. VC4A Startup Academy
44. WomenWIll Lagos 
45. Xaine Ingenius

1. Validate

1. Team Formation: Resources for teaming up. (i.e. events or other resources that facilitate early-stage recruitment and cofounder matching”)

1. CoFoundersLab

2. DropQue
3. Founder2be
4. FounderDating
5. Global Entrepreneurship Network Nigeria
6. Goodtalent
7. Jobberman
8. Lagos Ethereum & Bitcoin Crypto Currency Meetup
9. Lagos Professional SME Business Network
10. Lagos Tech Entrepreneur's Meetup
11. Nigeria Cyber Security Professionals
12. Nigeria Youth Entrepreneurship Network
13. Seamless HR
14. Slatecube
15. TalentQL
16. Tribers Tech Hub
2. Build First Product: Hackathons & resources to build. (i.e. hackathons and other builder-focused events and resources)
1. Android Nigeria Community
2. Bincom Dev Center Hackathon
3. CcHUB American Corner
4. Ceedcap
5. Climathon
6. CodeLagos Hackathon
7. Discover X
8. Lagos Unreal Engine Meetup
9. NaijaHacks
10. Techpoint Build

2. LAUNCH-STAGE

In this stage, entrepreneurs establish and formalize the company, develop the product, get feedback from customers, and prepare for the next step.

1. Start

1. Establish: Law firms & banks for startups  

1. ABO Law
2. Access Bank
3. AELEX
4. Aliant Law
5. Aluko & Oyebode
6. Balogun Harold
7. Benchmac & Ince
8. Black and Grey Attorneys
9. Bloomfield Law
10. Citi
11. DOA
12. Duale, Ovia & Alex-Adedipe
13. FCMB 
14. Fidelity Bank
15. First Bank of Nigeria
16. GTBank
17. Heritage Bank
18. Infusion Lawyers
19. Jackson, Etti and Edu
20. Keystone Bank
21. Kuda Bank 
22. Nobilis Solicitors
23. OlaniwunAjayi
24. PAC Solicitors 
25. Polaris Bank
26. Providus Bank
27. Retainer Solicitors
28. Stanbic IBTC Bank
29. Standard Chartered
30. Sterling Bank
31. Stillwaters Law Firm
32. The Longe Practice
33. The New Practice (TNP)
34. Udo Udoma
35. Union Bank of Nigeria
36. Unity Bank
37. Vazi Legal
38. Wema Bank
39. Zenith Bank

2. Workspace: Co-working and flexible workspaces (note: “official” office space goes in 3.1.a. Infrastructure) 

1. 360 Creative Innovation Hub
2. 8thGear Space
3. 989 Workspaces
4. Ally Hub Space
5. Avalanche Spaces
6. Battens Hub
7. Brainiacs Innovation Hub
8. Bulk Africa
9. CapitalSquare
10. Cranium One
11. CubeHub
12. eeSPACE
13. Enterprise Hubs
14. Exponential Hub
15. GCL Hub
16. GoDo Hub 
17. Hub Aspire
18. Hub30 Coworking Space
19. Impact Hub Lagos
20. Itanna Enterprise Factory
21. Lagos CoWork
22. Leadspace
23. Musterpoint
24. Naija Startups
25. Plus Innovation Hub
26. Red Dahlia Workspaces
27. Seedspace
28. Smart X Business Hub
29. Stage 5 Creative Space
30. The Bunker Lekki
31. The Village
32. TVC Labs 
33. V8 Valley Workspace
34. Vatebra Tech Hub
35. Venia Business Hub
36. Workcity Africa
37. Workstation

3. Develop

1. Formalize: Accounting, development and HR for early-stage startups. 

1. Accounteer
2. Accountinghub
3. Acumen Digital
4. AFMRecruit
5. Aitechma
6. Alabian Solutions
7. BDO
8. Cyhermes
9. Deloitte
10. DIIMTECH
11. Dominion Consulting
12. Doppler
13. eRecruiter Nigeria
14. Ernst & Young
15. Firstlincoln Technologies
16. FOURANS
17. Fuel Communications
18. FSC Professionals
19. HR Leverage Africa
20. KPMG
21. Learning Solutions Nigeria Ltd
22. Marcforte Business Consulting 
23. Muyideen Rufai & Partners
24. My Placement Africa 
25. Optisoft
26. Oscar Temple
27. Palment
28. Pedabo
29. Pillarcraft
30. PKF
31. Proftouch Consulting
32. PWC
33. SIAO
34. Stresert Integrated Limited 
35. Touchcore
36. Truvia Media
37. Verraki

1. Prepare for Seed: Incubators and advanced mentorship. (i.e. advanced knowledge sharing, later stage events and resources for startup TEAMS)

1. Accelerate Labs
2. CcHUB
3. Fastlaunch Africa
4. Future Hub
5. Google Launchpad Accelerator
6. Meetup
7. MEST Incubator
8. Orange Corners
9. Passion Incubator
10. SPARK
11. Startpreneurs 
12. Startup Grind
13. Startup Southwest
14. The Bulb Africa
15. Vatebra Tech Hub
16. Vatebra Tech Hub Incubation Program
17. Village Capital Accelerator
18. Wennovation Hub

3. Launch

1. Seed Accelerators: Seed funding mentor programs (Techstars-style programs that provide funding)

1. 500 Startups
2. CcHUB
3. FbStart Accelerator
4. FI Funding Lab
5. Founder Institute Startup Accelerator
6. Founders Factory Africa
7. Itanna
8. Labs by ARM 
9. Leadpath
10. Seedstars
11. Startupbootcamp Afritech
12. Techstars
13. Unconventional Capital
14. Ventures Platform
15. Wennovation Hub
16. Y combinator

1. Pitch & Demo: Show local startups for investment (i.e. demo days for companies seeking seed investment)

1. AfricArena Tour
2. AlphaLab Gear Hardware Cup
3. CapitalSquare Demo Day
4. Connect Nigeria Business Fair
5. DAAYTA
6. Founder Hotseat: Pitch Your Startup to Lagos Startup Experts
7. ICTEL Startup Pitch 2019
8. Itanna Demo Day
9. Ivery Arie Inc. Pitch Competition
10. Lagos Angel Network
11. Lagos Startup Week
12. NaijaHacks Hackathon Demo Day
13. NESG Startup Pitch Competition
14. Seedstars Lagos
15. Startup Bootcamp
16. Velocity by Founder Institute Lagos: See Great Startups Pitch

3. GROWTH-STAGE

Here, a startup proves their utility, receives recognition, and scales up. This usually requires funding, angels, VCs, and ways to connect them to startups.

2. Recognition 

1. Investor Networking:  Connect professional investors with founders. (i.e. events or groups that facilitate connections with professional investors)

1. African Business Angel Network
2. Emerging Africa
3. Endeavor Nigeria
4. Lagos Angel Network
5. Lagos Innovates
6. Nigeria Investment Network
7. PEVCA
8. Rising Tide Africa
9. SPARK
10. Tony Elumelu entrepreneurship program(TEEP)

3. Major Media: Mainstream local business press. (i.e. major local or regional publications that frequently champion local businesses)

1. Afridigest
2. Benjamin Dada 
3. Business Day
4. Business Times Africa
5. Channels Television 
6. CNBC Africa
7. Nairametrics
8. New Telegraph
9. Newswire NGR
10. Startup Lagos 
11. Techcabal
12. Techpoint
13. The Africa Report
14. The Guardian
15. The Nation
16. The Punch
17. This Day
18. Vanguard
19. YNaija

2. Funding

1. Angels / Micro-VCs: Seed-stage investors (search AngelList, Gust, Crunchbase)

1. African Angels Network
2. Ayoola Daramola
3. Chinenye Mba-Uzoukwu
4. Chinook Capital
5. Collins Onuegbu 
6. Diran Otegbade
7. eVentures Africa Fund
8. Femi Kuti
9. Idris Ayodeji Bello
10. Jason Njoku
11. Kairos Angels
12. Kola Aina
13. Kolapo Olabintan
14. Lamide Adeosun
15. Olutosin Oni
16. Pacer VC 
17. Rasheed Olaoluwa
18. Shecluded
19. Tomi Davies 
20. Trium 
21. Yemi Keri

1. Venture Capitalists: Series A and beyond

1. Adlevo Capital
2. AfricInvest
3. Capital Eye Investments
4. Convergence Partners
5. EchoVC Partners
6. GreenHouse Capital
7. GreenTec Capital Partners
8. Greentree Investment Company
9. Growth Capital
10. IDF Capital
11. Ingressivecapital.com
12. Itanna Direct Investments
13. Kalon Venture Partners
14. Mbo Capital Management 
15. Mest
16. Microtraction
17. Ripple VC
18. Secha Capital
19. Singularity Investments
20. TLcom Capital
21. Unique Venture Capital
22. V8 Capital Partners
23. Vantage Capital
24. Venture Garden Group
25. Ventures Platform

1. Growth

1. Infrastructure: Office space, HR, local business insurance. (i.e. office space/ HR/ insurance providers for capital-rich companies to grow and scale) 

1. Aiico Insurance 
2. ARK Insurance
3. AVID HR Consulting
4. AxaMansard
5. Coworker
6. Flatfy
7. Hub30 
8. Hub One
9. Instant Offices
10. Insurance Brokers of Nigeria
11. Lead ESC
12. Leadspace
13. Libra Insurance Brokers
14. Lington & Bernie Consulting
15. Office freedom
16. Private Property
17. Property24
18. Regus
19. Salve Consulting
20. Spark
21. Startup nigeria
22. Trovit
23. Union Commercial Insurance Brokers
24. Wennovation 
25. Workforce Group

1. Expansion: Growth accelerators/consultants. (i.e. programs and business consultants for capital-rich companies to grow and scale)
1. Accelerate Labs
2. Aon
3. ArchVision Workgroup
4. Ashford & McGuire Consulting
5. Bain & Company
6. Boston Consulting Group
7. Burrowes Enterprises
8. Ceed Cap
9. Chrysalis Capital
10. Deloitte
11. Ernst & Young
12. Excellence insights
13. Google LanchPad Accelerator
14. Grant Thornton
15. KPMG
16. Matog Consulting
17. McKinsey & Company
18. Novatia Consulting
19. Pangea 
20. Phillips Consulting
21. PwC
22. Rocket Internet
23. Seedstars
24. She Leads Africa
25. TNS Global
26. Wennovation hub

4. SUCCESS STORIES

Successful homegrown companies that have raised significant institutional funding, employ a large workforce, or have achieved liquidity.

1. 54gene
2. Andela
3. BudgIT
4. Carbon
5. Cars45 
6. Cowrywise
7. Farmcrowdy
8. Flutterwave
9. Helium Health
10. Hotels.ng
11. Interswitch
12. IrokoTV
13. Jobberman
14. Jumia
15. Kobo360
16. Konga
17. Kuda Bank
18. Life Bank
19. Livestock Feeds
20. MDaaS Global
21. Migo 
22. Okra Inc
23. OPay
24. Paga 
25. PalmPay
26. Paystack
27. Piggyvest
28. PlentyWaka
29. Printivo
30. PropertyPro
31. Systemspecs 
32. TeamApt
33. Thrive Agric
34. Tizeti
35. TopCheck
36. Ulesson
37. VoguePay
38. Wakanow

Supporters

To facilitate the steps, every ecosystem needs strong supporters.

1. EVANGELISTS

Successful local founders who lead the ecosystem & frequently mentor newbies.  (i.e. Local leaders who have taken a leadership position, speak at a lot of startup events, mentor all the programs, etc)

1. Abisola Longe
2. Abolore Salami
3. Adaora Ikwuemes
4. Adeboye Idowu
5. Adeleye Timothy
6. Adenike Adeyemi
7. Adeola Kayode
8. Adewale Yusuf 
9. Adeyemi Ajayi
10. Adeyinka Aderombi
11. Albert Afolabi
12. Arinze Anyaeche
13. Atul Kshetry
14. Ayo Adegboye
15. Banke Alawaye 
16. Bankole Oloruntoba 
17. Bankole Oluwafemi
18. Biodun Ogunlabi
19. Biodun Ogunlabi
20. Biyi Oladipo
21. Blessing Abeng
22. Bolanle Afuye
23. Bosun Tijani 
24. Bunmi Teru
25. Charles Emembolu
26. Chika Nwobi
27. Chika Nwogu
28. Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata Jnr.
29. Collins Onuegbu
30. Damola Solanke
31. David Adebayo
32. Davidson Oturu
33. Deepankar Rustagi
34. Desiree Craig
35. Dotun Olowoporoku
36. Dr. Omobola Johnson
37. Edward Esene
38. Ehia Erhaboh
39. Emilia Asim-Ita 
40. Emmanuel Adegboye
41. Eze Ifedy
42. Fasuyi Oluwarotimi
43. Fayo Williams 
44. Felix Rwang-Dung
45. Femi Longe
46. Fenibo Fubara
47. Fikunayomi Aluko
48. Geoffrey Weli Wosu
49. Gordy Oshoko
50. Helen Anaogu
51. Henrietta Onwuegbuzie
52. Honey Ogundeyi
53. Ibrahim Salau
54. Idowu Akinde
55. Ife Olatunji
56. Iyin Aboyeji
57. Jane Egerton Idehen
58. Jason Njoku 
59. Jay Alabraba
60. Jean Marc Ricca
61. Jean Marc Ricca
62. John Obaro
63. Joshua Osunbor
64. Juliet Ehimuan
65. Kayode Aladesuyi
66. Kelechi Nwosu
67. Kingsley Eze
68. Kola Aina
69. Lola Esan
70. Maya Horgan Famodu
71. Micheal Essien
72. Mohammed Aliyu
73. Mohammed Ibrahim Jega
74. Nkem Begho 
75. Nkiru Balonwu
76. Obi Anusiem
77. Obi Asika
78. Obi Ozor
79. Olamide Afolabi
80. Olumide Olayinka
81. Oluyomi Ojo
82. Ommo Clark
83. Onyeka Akumah 
84. Oo Nwoye 
85. Osarumen Osamuyi
86. Ovie Adasen
87. Pius Okigbo
88. Rebecca Enonchong
89. Saidu Abdullahi
90. Sandra Oyewole
91. Seye Olurotimi
92. Simeon Ononobi
93. Solabomi Adedeji
94. Tomi Davies
95. Tomiwa Aladekomo
96. Tosin Faniro-Dada
97. Tunji Abioye
98. Tunji Eleso
99. Uwem Uwemakpan
100. Victor Adewusi
101. Victor Asemota 
102. Wande Adalemo
103. Weyinmi Egbe
104. Adewale Yusuf 

2. GOVERNMENT

Public organizations that facilitate local economic development

1. AOT Lagos
2. Bank of industry
3. Digital Skills Initiative Lagos
4. ICC Nigeria
5. Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry
6. Lagos Global
7. Lagos Innovates
8. Lagos State Employment Trust Fund
9. Lagos state Research and Innovation fund 
10. Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce
11. Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce
12. Office for ICT Innovation & Entrepreneurship

3. TALENT

Major local business or tech universities and employers that attract and retain local talent.

2. Local Universities (universities with prominent technical or business programs)

1. Anchor University
2. Caleb University
3. Lagos Business School
4. Lagos State University
5. Pan-Atlantic University
6. University of Lagos
7. Yaba College of Technology

3. Local Employers (Major technical employers, like Microsoft or Google or large local companies, with large local offices) 

1. 9mobile
2. Airtel
3. Andela
4. Cisco
5. Enye
6. Ericsson
7. Etisalat
8. GE
9. Globacom 
10. Google
11. HP
12. Huawei
13. IBM
14. Interswitch
15. Jumia
16. Konga
17. Microsoft
18. MTN Business
19. Nokia
20. Oracle
21. Paystack
22. Samsung
23. Softcom
24. Tek Experts Nigeria

Learn more about the Startup Ecosystem Canvas here, and leave us your thoughts on the Lagos Canvas on this collaborative Google document (This is just a draft, and more input is needed!)

Are you looking to build a startup in Lagos? Then apply to the Lagos Founder Institute today