One of the most anticipated ecosystem events of the year, FINFA 2.0, was a huge success. The event, which took place on the 11th of November, 2023, was well attended by leading companies in Nigeria’s tech ecosystem.
FINFA is a PlayStation 5 (PS 5) soccer gaming tournament amongst Nigeria’s finest Startups and technology companies. This event served as a means of uniting different companies in one location, to network, share insights, and compete with one another through a game of FIFA. Also fostering unity among individuals and the tech ecosystem.
This year’s theme, “Ball Hard or Go Home” represented the high energy, spirits, and burning rage to come prepared to play, and this passion was fueled amongst all players: The determination and pursuit to become the next FINFA champion.
For the maiden edition held in 2022, about 16 companies registered and competed. This year, the event saw over 100 companies from various tech sectors both within and outside Lagos, Nigeria signing up to compete in the tournament. Participating companies include Flutterwave, Bankly, Lenco, Fairmoney, Clan, Allawee, Prembly, Fincra, Pariti and many others.
Expressing excitement about this event, Babatunde Akin-Moses, the Chief Executive Officer of Sycamore, emphasized what the company wanted to achieve with FINFA, and how important unity is in the Financial Industry, “As a Peer-to-peer Startup, we have always known and promoted the need for collaboration and community to foster growth. So when the idea for FINFA came up, we knew that it was just what the ecosystem needed. Seeing the success of its second edition, we are even more excited to see what the next edition will bring”.
The competition, a very tense but fun contest among 100 ecosystem playerss representing various tech sectors, was highly captivating and kept both players and supporters spellbound.
In the end, a new champion emerged! Lenco took first place with a cash price of NGN 550,000, Polaris Bank took second place with a cash price of NGN250,000, and Gamr Africa took third place winning a cash price of NGN150,000.
In an interview with the winner, he cited his experience in the tournament and his winning strategy, “I was a gamer before I moved into programming so it wasn’t so difficult. I was a bit scared because of the competition, but I’m glad I won. Surprisingly, I haven’t played video games in 2 months!”
The event was proudly sponsored by 13 companies: Choco’s Bistro, Bedrock Residencies, Reel Fruits, Malta Guinness, Sunbirds, Elev8 Media, AMD Africa, Pulse ng, TechCabal, Gamr Afica, Yess Prints, Utiva, PremiaBN.
FINFA 2.0’s success has ignited discussions about collaboration and unity as a medium for growth in the startup ecosystem and the tech community as a whole. As the tech sector continues to evolve, events like this play a crucial role in promoting a sense of community and unity.
FINFA is the brainchild of SycamoreNG, a digital peer-to-peer lending and borrowing platform in Nigeria. Sycamore is a fintech that keeps finding innovative ways to end financial transaction struggles amongst Nigerians.
For more details on the just concluded FINFA event, as well as information on subsequent events, follow Sycamore on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and X. To find out more about Sycamore, you can check out their website: www.sycamore.ng.
