Torche

Apr 16, 2022

Three Nigerian businesses have been accepted into the Techstars NYC accelerator programme, where they will get US $20,000 in equity capital and other support services. The Techstars NYC Accelerator received applications from over 48 countries and chose a group of global founders from Nigeria, Israel, France, Cameroon, Canada, and US locales such as Dallas, New York, Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, and Princeton. Torche, a biometric POS terminal that allows customers in Africa to make payments and other transactions with their fingerprint; Vesti, a neobank that provides financial services, information, and community to the 272 million international migrants who do not have access to banking; and Voyance, a no-code data infrastructure platform that makes data teams more productive by automating complex data processes. In exchange for a 6% interest, each of the selected firms receives US $20,000 in equity capital, as well as access to learning opportunities, networking, and mentoring. “We are thrilled to be a part of the prestigious Techstars New York Programme’s 2022 cohort. Joining the programme will support us on our journey to build the future of migrant banking by fine-tuning Vesti’s product-market fit and connecting with mentors and investors as we prepare for our seed round,” said Olusola Amusan, co-founder of Vesti. “We had a very competitive application pool and selecting these 12 companies was extremely difficult. The companies joining us in this year’s class are helping solve many issues – from tools enabling financial wellness, to technology fostering better health outcomes and solutions to make supply chains more efficient and greener. These companies will help guide us through life post-pandemic,” said KJ Singh, managing director of the Techstars NYC Accelerator.