Talktu Emerges Winner of Pitch2Win 2025, a Day Showcasing Bold Startups and Big Ideas
- Victoria Obochi
- Aug 25
- 4 min read
When the final pitch wrapped and the judges’ deliberations ended, the room was buzzing. Founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders leaned forward in anticipation. Then came the announcement: Talktu, a personalized speech therapy platform, had clinched the $10,000 grand prize at PITCH2WIN 5.
But the event wasn’t just about who won the cheque. It was about the bold ideas, the tough questions, and the shared belief that African startups are shaping the future.
The Winning Pitch: Talktu
Delivered with passion by Sarah Andino, Talktu’s pitch struck a chord with the judges: to make speech therapy accessible for children everywhere. Through a mix of tech-enabled, parent-led support, the platform offers personalized daily activities that parents can easily integrate into a child’s life.
For co-founder Victoria Aigbekean, the win was more than validation:
“Our vision is to ensure every child, regardless of location or financial capacity, gets the support they need to communicate confidently.”
Hiprep: A Different Kind of Win
If Talktu took home the top cheque, Hiprep walked away with hearts. Pitched by Adanma Ugwu, HiPrep is an AI-powered learning companion designed to help children master core subjects at their own pace.
Ugwu’s passion and clarity earned HiPrep the Sponsors’ Delegates Choice Award ($3,000) and the Audience Choice Award ($1,000).
More than a Competition
What makes Pitch2Win different is that it’s not just about prize money. It’s about the conversations in the hallway, the connections made on the sidelines, and the bridges built between global investors and local founders.
From the stage, Oo Nwoye, founder of techcircle, reminded everyone:
“Pitch2Win is not just about winning a cheque. It’s about building bridges between promising founders and the people who can help scale their impact.”
He added that the primary aim of Pitch2Win is to create deal flow in an ecosystem where many founders are building quietly. The very first winner was Kangpe, now known as Reliance Health, founded by Femi Kuti, which has since raised over $200 million. “At techcircle, we have helped act as a catalyst,” Nwoye said, reiterating the competition’s role as a launchpad for African founders.
This year, those bridges stretched further than ever, with 30 investors from Japan, alongside African leaders like Iyin Aboyeji (Future Africa), Ridwan Olalere (Lemonade Finance), Dr. Ola Brown (Healthcap Africa), and more.
Akio Tanaka, Co-founder and Partner at Headline, summed it up:
“Nigeria’s pool of tech talent is remarkable. The country and continent will benefit immensely from such passionate and talented innovators.”
Powered by Partners
Pitch2Win 5 would not have been possible without the support of its incredible sponsors and partners who continue to champion innovation in Africa’s tech ecosystem.
Sponsors & Partners: Qucoon, Datamellon, Busha, Miden, Seamfix, Voltron Capital, CloudPlexo, MTN, Cascador, Raenest, Korapay, Cleva, Paystack, Agora, Workstation, Ubulu Africa, TLP Advisory, 21st Century Evolution.
Their support showed the collective belief that Africa’s boldest startups deserve platforms to shine, scale, and succeed.
The Atmosphere: Where Ideas Meet Energy
From the nervous excitement of founders backstage to the laughter sparked by sharp judge questions, the atmosphere was electric. Each pitch wasn’t just a business plan. It was a story of grit, vision, and hope.
The online audience weren’t left out from the conversation. They listened and cheered for their favorite founders.
Relive the Experience
Missed the live event? You can still catch every pitch, every reaction, and every inspiring moment.
Watch the full event here: bit.ly/PITCH2WIN5-LIVESTREAM
View picture excerpts from the event here
Looking Ahead
As the night closed, one thing was clear: Pitch2Win is more than an event; it’s a movement. Talktu may have walked away with $10,000, but every founder left with something far more valuable — visibility, connections, and belief in what’s possible.
And for the African startup ecosystem, Pitch2Win 2025 wasn’t just about celebrating winners. It was about showing the world that Africa indeed has plenty to offer.
More Information
About Techcircle
Techcircle provides strategic support, program design, and advisory services to African startups, corporations, and government bodies. Its work connects key stakeholders across global markets with the African innovation ecosystem through high-impact events and ecosystem programs. Partners have included Meta, Microsoft, Google, UK-Nigeria Tech Hub, ARM Labs, and others.
About SgGrow
SGGrow is a Singapore-based accelerator and investment firm supporting high-growth startups globally through funding and expert-led acceleration programs.
About FreakOut Holdings
Founded by Yuzuru Honda, FreakOut Holdings operates Asia’s largest real-time bidding DSP and supports marketing technology across 10 international markets.
About Uncovered Fund
UNCOVERED FUND is a venture capital for emerging markets. Our mission is to back the untapped geniuses in the ”UNCOVERED" world. They back cutting-edge technology that builds industrial and social infrastructure from the ground up and empower the innovators shaping a sustainable future.
Contact Information:
For more information, send an email to hello@techcircle.ng
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