The Beyond Limits Fellowship for Founders Cohort 3.0, a prestigious 12-week program dedicated to nurturing Nigeria’s next generation of entrepreneurs, wrapped up with a demo day and graduation ceremony at the American Corner, Lagos. The program, hosted by Beyond Limits Global in partnership with the U.S. Consulate General Lagos, celebrated the achievements of 30 exceptional early-stage Nigerian startups (a total of 60 executives) who have undergone intensive mentorship, leadership training, and business development coaching to drive impact in the global market.

This year’s graduation ceremony celebrates the remarkable progress of the fellows selected from a highly competitive pool of over 500 applicants and represents various sectors, including fintech, health tech, mobility, edtech, sustainability, artificial intelligence, and more. Since its inception, the fellowship has empowered founders with the necessary skills, resources, and networks to build sustainable businesses that can thrive globally.

Dr. Juliet Ehimuan, Founder of Beyond Limits, expressed her admiration for the graduating cohort, stating, “Entrepreneurship is a powerful driver of economic transformation, and these founders have demonstrated remarkable resilience and innovation. Nigeria is home to five of Africa’s unicorn startups, and programs like this ensure that more founders have the support needed to scale their businesses successfully.”

At the event, U.S. Consulate Public Affairs Officer Julie McKay delivered remarks highlighting the U.S. government’s commitment to supporting initiatives that drive innovation, foster the entrepreneurial ecosystem and advance two-way trade and investment. She encouraged the startup founders to consider the tremendous potential of the U.S. market and explore opportunities to grow and scale their businesses.

“The U.S. government is a long-time supporter of entrepreneurship in Nigeria,” McKay said. “With training, exchange programs, and market access resources, the U.S. Mission works directly with Nigerian entrepreneurs to stimulate economic growth and promote mutual prosperity.”
From the 30 startups shortlisted for the graduation ceremony, three exceptional startups stood out in a pitching session held on Demo Day, earning the top spots in the fellowship and receiving startup resources worth $10,000.

Feegor, a B2B wholesale marketplace, claimed first place for its work in enabling businesses to discover, negotiate, and buy goods in bulk directly from a vast network of manufacturers, wholesalers, and major suppliers.

In second place, Hubpharm (Healthtech) is a social enterprise that offers comprehensive care for patients with Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) through their innovative digital pharmacy. It provides access to medicines and support for a healthy lifestyle, helping Africans thrive with medication management, telemedicine, and digital tools. Ileemore (Edtech) secured third place for their quality, personalized education approach for the next billion learners in Africa.

Throughout the 12-week program, fellows engaged in expert-led masterclasses, networking sessions, and one-on-one mentorship with some of the most respected names in Africa’s business and tech landscape. Mentors included Shola Akinlade (Co-Founder & CEO of Paystack), Dr. Ola Brown (Founder of HealthCap Africa), Biola Alabi (General Partner at Acasia Ventures), Olumide Soyombo (Co-Founder of Bluechip Technologies), Nnamdi Ezeigbo (Founder and CEO of SLOT), and many more.

“While funding is often seen as the biggest challenge for startups, true scalability requires much more—product-market fit, top talent, strategic mentorship, and powerful networks. Through the Beyond Limits Fellowship, we have delivered these critical success factors, leveraging the expertise of Africa’s top ecosystem leaders to equip founders with the tools to build and sustain high-impact ventures,” said Fikun Aluko, Head, Technology & Entrepreneurship Programs, Beyond Limits Global.

Beyond mentorship, the fellowship also provided invaluable investor connections and tailored business resources, positioning the founders for long-term success. Past alumni have gone on to raise funding, expand their businesses, and create more jobs across various industries.

“For my team and me, being part of this cohort has helped us to learn and relearn a lot of things,” said Ugonna Ginigeme, the Co-founder and CEO of Feegor, winner of the first-place prize. “From our people and culture strategy to our operational strategy, products, fundraising, and so on. Also, the networking has been great; we’ve been able to meet a lot of great people and founders. The opportunity to learn from real-life examples has been nothing short of spectacular.”

As these founders embark on the next phase of their entrepreneurial journeys, Beyond Limits Global remains committed to supporting startups and fostering leadership excellence in Nigeria. The fellowship’s impact continues to grow, with its alumni driving innovation across fintech, edtech, sustainability, artificial intelligence, and other critical industries.