Applications close September 24, 2026.
Applications close September 24, 2026.
You can bring your own problem to solve or choose to work on a real problem facing a Paystack business. Businesses will bring problems they deal with every day and introduce the builder to team members who understand those problems best.
You’ll have access to Paystack APIs and partner tools, and will also benefit from office hours, credits, mentorship and more.
You can also use your own tools and stack. The important thing is what you build with them.
If you choose to build around a business problem, you won’t need to wait until Demo Day to show what you’ve built. The business will test your solution during the build and tell you what’s working, what isn’t, and what needs to change. You’ll use that feedback to improve the tool before you present it.
Builders will have access to mentors and office hours to help test your assumptions, improve what you’re building, and think about what it will take to get it into the hands of users.
Demo Day isn’t necessarily the end of the road.
Winning and standout teams will receive cash prizes, partner credits, and post-demo support to continue building with their matched business (where they were paired with one).
Bring us one specific, repetitive problem your business deals with. A team of up to three builders will spend two weeks working on it, with support from Paystack and Partner engineers and mentors.
There’s no cost to take part.
If your problem is selected, you won’t have to wait until Demo Day to see a solution.
You’ll get full visibility into the work that goes into fixing the problem. You’ll meet the builders, break down what your business needs, and provide regular feedback as they build.
You’ll also have testing access to the solution before the public demo.
This is a chance to explore an AI solution around a problem you already understand.
If the solution works for your business, you can keep using it after Demo Day. If you want the team to keep developing it, you can agree on paid terms with them directly.
Winning and standout teams will also get post-demo support from Paystack.
The problems should be specific and useful to solve. Think:
Builders and businesses will work to narrow the problem down to something that can realistically be built in two weeks. The goal is to build something that solves the right problem well and can be used after the challenge.
The program runs from October 10 to October 24, with the main build taking place over these two weeks.
Builders: tell us what you’ve built, what you’re interested in, and what problem or idea you’d like to work on. You can apply on your own or as a team.
Businesses: tell us about the operational problem you’d like the builders to work on.
We’ll select 50 builders.
Builders will take part in an onboarding exercise and technical workshop before the build begins. Teams working on selected business problems will learn more about the problem and agree on what they will build together before the build begins.
The challenge uses a hybrid format with both in-person and virtual build days. We’ll kick things off in person on Saturday, October 10 with an opening session.
The two build weeks follow the same rhythm. Monday to Wednesday (October 12–14 and 19–21), teams work virtually. These days include daily stand-ups, check-ins with businesses and builders, and mentor support. Thursday to Friday (October 15–16 and 22–23), teams build in person in Lagos, focusing on hands-on building, testing and feedback.
Builders will demo their solution to partners, founders, and businesses exploring what AI can do for their operations. Winners will be announced the same day.
We’ll share a video showcase and case studies featuring the winning teams and the businesses they worked with. Winning and standout teams will also receive post-demo support to keep building with their matched businesses.
The challenge is for:
You can bring your own problem or idea to work on, or build around a real problem submitted by a Paystack business.
Team size: 1 to 3 members max. You’ll need to be available for the build and attend the scheduled in-person sessions in Lagos. Participation is free.
If you are a Paystack Startup or SME and have a repetitive operational problem that you think AI could help solve, we’d love to hear about it.
You’ll get to work directly with builders, give them access to the people who understand the problem best, and test what they build along the way. Submit a business problem.
Applications close September 24.
We’re not looking for the fanciest demo. We want to see something that works and solves a real problem for the business. We’ll look at four things:
Either works. Apply as a team of up to 3 people if you already have one, or apply on your own.
You can bring your own problem or idea to work on, or you can choose to work on a real operational problem submitted by a business that uses Paystack.
Partly. You’ll need to be in Lagos for six days: the kickoff on Saturday, October 10, the in-person build days on October 15–16 and October 22–23 (Thursday and Friday), and Demo Day on Saturday, October 24. Everything else, including selection, matching, and the rest of the build, happens virtually.
Teams own what they build, subject to any separate agreement they make with their matched business.
Submit the operational problem you’d like a team to work on. We’re looking for problems that are specific, repetitive, and take meaningful time or effort to manage. The more clearly you can describe the problem and how you handle it today, the easier it is for a team to understand what they’re solving.
You’ll spend 1 hour virtually with your team during the initial problem briefing, then provide regular feedback as they build and test the solution. You’ll also take part in guided testing before Demo Day. Attending Demo Day is optional.
No. Taking part is free, and there’s no fee if your business is selected. If you want to keep working with your team after Demo Day, you can agree on paid terms with them directly.
Try Paystack Now