Nigerian Entrepreneur Martins Udotai Triumphs at Wharton African Business Forum Competition with Dinesurf

Nigerian tech entrepreneur Martins Udotai has captured global attention by securing third place at the 2023 edition of the prestigious Wharton African Business Forum New Venture Competition.

Hosted by the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Business School, this competition saw over 120 global startups vying for recognition, with Udotai’s groundbreaking dining platform, Dinesurf, standing out for its innovative approach to restaurant reservations and customer engagement.

Dinesurf, co-founded by brothers Martins and Joshua Udotai, is a cutting-edge platform that leverages artificial intelligence to enhance how African restaurants manage reservations, personalize dining experiences, and improve customer satisfaction. The platform’s growing adoption spans major African cities like Lagos and Abuja in Nigeria, Nairobi in Kenya, Accra in Ghana, and Western Cape in South Africa. Through its AI-driven features, Dinesurf optimizes both restaurant operations and diner preferences. Udotai emphasized, “Dinesurf isn’t just a tool for reservations; it’s reshaping how African restaurants engage with their customers and improving profitability in a traditionally underserved market.”

The Wharton New Venture Competition, renowned for its rigorous selection process, evaluates startups based on originality, scalability, social impact, and alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Udotai’s Dinesurf secured third place standing among the top 2% of participants and impressing judges with its significant contributions to improving the digital footprint of African restaurants, especially in the post-pandemic era. The platform’s continuous ability to address operational inefficiencies and customer needs has been hailed as a major innovation in the African restaurant industry.

In addition to Dinesurf’s impact on the African food-tech space, Udotai’s success at Wharton further highlights the growing influence of African tech entrepreneurs globally. The competition has long been a launching pad for visionary startups, and Dinesurf’s recognition solidifies its position as a key player in Africa’s digital evolution. The $2,500 prize Udotai received will aid in scaling the platform, further advancing its reach and reinforcing its role in modernizing African dining experiences.

Wharton Business School, ranked as the number one business school in the U.S., is world-renowned for its focus on innovation and entrepreneurship, making Udotai’s achievement a clear testament to his leadership in business and product development. His accomplishment marks a pivotal moment for African-led innovations, signalling a brighter future for tech-driven solutions on the continent.