Stakeholders at the SHEnovation Hackathon 2026 webinar on Saturday have urged innovators to prioritise solution-driven ideas and investment readiness to scale sustainability-focused business ventures.
They emphasised that strong business models, data-backed impact and clear value propositions are critical to attracting funding and ensuring long-term viability.
The webinar organised by the Lagos Chapter of the Association of Professional Women Engineers (APWEN) had the theme “Business Development and Investment Readiness for Sustainability-Focused Innovators and Startups”.
The webinar encouraged participants to address real economic and environmental challenges while ensuring scalability.
In her welcome address, Chairman, APWEN Lagos Chapter, Bosede Oyekunle, said the third webinar marked a shift from ideation to capital mobilisation for sustainability-driven innovations.
Oyekunle noted that previous sessions focused on environmental sustainability, waste management, digital technology and artificial intelligence, laying the foundation for problem-solving and design thinking.
She said creativity without a business model remains an idea, while sustainability without funding remains unrealised potential.
She added that the initiative aims to equip women and young engineers with skills to transform technical prototypes into investable and scalable ventures.
Delivering a keynote, Seun Oluwalade, CEO, Renewable Lifestyle Engineering and EV World Africa, shared insights from his transition into clean energy and electric mobility entrepreneurship.
Oluwalade said his experience highlighted the importance of identifying real problems and building practical, scalable solutions around them.
He noted that electric vehicles offered cost efficiency through reduced maintenance and operational expenses compared to fossil fuel-powered systems.
According to him, integrating renewable energy with electric mobility can significantly reduce operating costs for individuals and organisations.
Oluwalade said startups often fail not due to poor ideas but lack of focus on solving clear and valuable problems.
He stressed that investors prioritise scalable solutions, competent teams and measurable impact over ambitious projections.
He urged innovators to present ideas using simple business models that clearly show value creation, revenue streams and cost structures.
He added that sustainability focused ventures, especially women led startups, have increasing access to global funding opportunities.
Also speaking, Joshua Olayinka, Founder and CEO, BuyScrap Nigeria, urged young Nigerians to turn environmental challenges into business opportunities.
Olayinka said his exposure to informal scrap yards revealed gaps in electronic waste management, including poor disposal practices, health risks and inefficient supply chains.
He said the challenges inspired him to establish a structured platform for collecting and recycling electronic waste.
He emphasised the importance of starting small, focusing on a niche and building a clear business model to achieve growth.
He noted that data collection, customer understanding and consistent awareness creation are critical to scaling operations.
He also highlighted the role of innovation, partnerships and participation in training programmes in expanding his business across Africa.
According to him, startups must prioritise revenue generation, regulatory compliance and impact measurement to attract investors.
He added that profitability remained essential for sustaining environmental solutions.
Olayinka stressed the need for strong teams and co-founders, noting that collaboration and resilience were key to business success.
The Chairman, Planning Committee, Dr Olayinka Adewumi, said the webinar formed part of activities under the SHEnovation Hackathon aimed at fostering innovation among engineers and young professionals.
