In a bold fusion of innovation, education, and entertainment, the London School of Emerging Technology (LSET), a leading AI and Cybersecurity focused institution, has launched a first-of-its-kind reality-style innovation show titled LSET Arena, produced by MRF Films. The program has quickly become a global talking point following its debut episode, where FirstFlowAI, an emerging artificial intelligence (AI) startup co-founded by Koye Adeyeye and Nadine Bersales, secured a £10,000 investment from the prestigious LSET Incubator and an invitation to form a company under its entrepreneurial support system.
The show, which merges business, creativity, and competition, is being hailed as a groundbreaking platform redefining how academic institutions can nurture real-world entrepreneurship. For many in Africa’s growing startup scene, particularly in Nigeria, now one of the continent’s top innovation hubs, LSET Arena is being viewed as a potential bridge to the global tech ecosystem.
A Reality Show Where Innovation Meets Opportunity
Unlike conventional startup competitions that end with certificates or short-term accolades, LSET Arena takes the concept further by offering tangible outcomes, including investment, mentorship, and full-scale incubation.
Each episode features a real company with an actual business challenge, inviting teams of innovators, including LSET students and global participants, to design practical, tech-driven solutions. The competing teams are evaluated by a panel of industry experts and investors, who select the most promising idea for funding and further development through the LSET Incubator.
The debut episode demonstrated the power of this format. FirstFlowAI, led by Koye Adeyeye alongside co-founder Nadine Romero, impressed judges with its AI-driven process automation solution designed to optimize enterprise workflows. The judges praised the team for creating a product that combined innovation with immediate real-world application, ultimately earning them the £10,000 pre-seed investment to advance product development and formalize their company.
Speaking after the episode, Mayur Ramgir, the founder of London School of Emerging Technology (LSET) and MRF Films, shared his vision for the show:
“We wanted to turn education into action. Innovation shouldn’t stay confined to classrooms or hackathons, it should be visible, dynamic, and directly impactful. The success of FirstFlowAI proves that when given the right stage, talent and ideas can evolve into investable ventures.”
An International Platform with an African Pulse
While LSET Arena is filmed and produced in London, its mission is deeply international. The platform welcomes participation from innovators and entrepreneurs worldwide, and its creators have made clear that Africa, particularly Nigeria, is central to its global outreach strategy.
LSET has already established a strong presence among Indian and UK tech communities, but its leadership says the next frontier is Africa’s rapidly expanding digital economy. Nigeria, which has produced global tech names like Flutterwave, Andela, and Paystack, is now recognized as one of the continent’s most vibrant startup ecosystems.
“Nigeria has an extraordinary pool of young, creative minds who are deeply entrepreneurial,” said Mayur Ramgir. “Through LSET Arena and our Innovation Lab, we want to connect Nigerian innovators with global mentors, investors, and opportunities. The goal is to give them a platform where their ideas can grow beyond borders.”
FirstFlowAI: From Concept to Company
FirstFlowAI’s journey captures the essence of LSET Arena. What began as an idea to simplify enterprise workflows using Generative AI and process intelligence quickly evolved into a viable business model. The company’s software focuses on automating repetitive operations, improving communication, and reducing decision-making friction in organizations, solutions highly relevant to both African and international markets.
Beyond the £10,000 funding, the startup gained entry into LSET’s incubation ecosystem, granting access to mentors in business strategy, financial modeling, and intellectual property protection. It also benefits from internship and industry connections through LSET’s extensive network of partner companies.
“Koye and Nadine represented a generation of entrepreneurs who are not waiting for perfect conditions to innovate. They’re using AI to solve practical problems, the kind that can make businesses more efficient globally,” Mayur Ramgir said.
The LSET Incubator: Fueling Global Entrepreneurs
Behind LSET Arena lies the LSET Incubator, a structured accelerator that supports early-stage, innovation-driven ventures. The incubator provides startups with the essential foundation for growth, from company formation and strategy building to product refinement and investor readiness.
For startups like FirstFlowAI, LSET’s incubation means access to technical labs, business mentorship, and even creative marketing services through MRF Films and its partner companies. But more importantly, it offers long-term guidance and exposure to global venture networks.
“Our goal is not just to write a cheque,” said Mayur Ramgir. “We want to walk the journey with these entrepreneurs, helping them build sustainable products and strong global businesses.”
This hands-on approach, he added, is what differentiates LSET from traditional incubators.
Empowering International Founders: Visa Support Partnership
In a strategic move to make global entrepreneurship more accessible, LSET has also partnered with a leading immigration firm to help international founders, including those from Africa, secure visas such as the UK Global Talent Visa, Innovator Founder Visa, and other startup-related immigration routes.
This partnership enables innovators from countries like Nigeria to relocate, establish, and scale their ventures in the United Kingdom, while benefiting from LSET’s incubation and mentorship ecosystem. According to LSET, this initiative ensures that talented entrepreneurs aren’t limited by geography or bureaucracy, but can thrive in one of the world’s most dynamic startup environments.
“We want to make London the launchpad for global founders, and that includes Africa’s brightest innovators,” said an LSET spokesperson.
LSET Innovation Lab – The Gateway to the Arena
Following the success of its first episode, LSET has opened applications for its Innovation Lab, a training and mentorship program designed to prepare participants for potential appearances on LSET Arena.
Participants receive hands-on training in AI tools, business modeling, investor pitching, and prototyping. Those who demonstrate exceptional creativity and entrepreneurial promise can be shortlisted to appear on future episodes of LSET Arena, where they will present their solutions to a global audience and investors.
The Innovation Lab is open to applicants from around the world, and LSET officials have confirmed that they are actively encouraging Nigerian participation.
“Africa is on the cusp of a startup revolution,” said an LSET representative. “We want to ensure that Nigerian innovators are at the heart of this movement. Joining the Innovation Lab could be the first step toward being featured on LSET Arena and potentially securing international investment.”
Applications for the upcoming intake are currently live on LSET’s website, and early interest from West African entrepreneurs has been strong.
Where Education, Media, and Entrepreneurship Intersect
What makes LSET Arena particularly distinctive is its blend of education and cinematic storytelling. Produced by MRF Films, the show captures not just the technical brilliance of the participants but also their personal journeys, the struggles, breakthroughs, and triumphs behind each idea.
This human-centered storytelling transforms the innovation process into compelling television, turning startup creation into a cultural conversation rather than a niche business topic.
Mayur Ramgir explains,
“When people see innovation as entertainment, it changes their relationship with it. We want viewers, especially young Africans, to see that entrepreneurship isn’t limited to Silicon Valley, it can start in Lagos, Nairobi, or Accra and go global.”
Nigeria’s Growing Role in Global Innovation
The rise of programs like LSET Arena coincides with a significant shift in global entrepreneurship, one where African founders are increasingly recognized as serious innovators. Nigeria, in particular, has emerged as a regional powerhouse, producing fintech unicorns, AI startups, and creative enterprises that are transforming industries.
LSET’s open call to African innovators is therefore timely. It complements Nigeria’s national drive to expand its digital economy and support youth entrepreneurship. Experts say that collaboration between institutions like LSET and African universities or startup hubs could provide the missing international exposure and investor access that many promising local startups need.
“LSET’s approach shows how education can evolve into enterprise,” said a Lagos-based tech mentor. “If similar partnerships expand into Africa, we could see a new wave of startups with both local roots and global reach.”
Looking Ahead: The Future of LSET Arena
With its first success story making global headlines, LSET and MRF Films are already preparing for future seasons of LSET Arena. The producers are in talks with major corporate sponsors to bring in larger investments, new challenge themes, and greater African participation.
Plans are also underway to broadcast the show in Africa through digital streaming platforms, giving Nigerian audiences an inside look at the international startup process, and possibly a stage for African startups to shine.
As LSET Arena continues to evolve, it’s shaping up to be more than a show, it’s becoming a movement for entrepreneurial empowerment.
For FirstFlowAI, this marks the beginning of a global journey. But for countless young innovators across Nigeria and Africa, LSET Arena signals something even greater, an open invitation to take their ideas to the world stage, where education meets opportunity and vision turns into enterprise.
