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The inaugural rebranded edition, OffChart NXT 2026, is scheduled for October 22–23, 2026, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, under the theme: “Growth Doesn’t Follow Maps.”
The move follows a decade of the #StartupSouth Conference, which established itself as a premier convergence point for founders, venture capitalists, policy experts, and corporate leaders across Southern Nigeria. Organizers noted that the new identity reflects the platform’s broader mandate to surface business opportunities across non-traditional innovation hubs in Africa.
Speaking on the strategic transition, Uche Aniche, Convener of OffChart NXT and Founder of #StartupSouth, emphasized that while the flagship conference assumes the new OffChart NXT identity, #StartupSouth remains the parent organization and underlying ecosystem movement.
“For the past decade, #StartupSouth operated on a simple conviction: geography should not determine how far ambition can travel,” Aniche stated. “After ten editions, the conference required an identity capable of carrying the larger conversation we are now convening around talent, markets, and capital emerging across a wider map of African economies.”
Investor and technology executive Tomi Davies (TD) praised the rebrand, reinforcing the necessity of supporting venture creation outside established tech capitals.
“Great businesses do not only come from places where capital already gathers,” Davies noted. “Across Africa, ambitious founders are building sustainable enterprises, solving critical problems, and creating jobs far beyond traditional tech hubs.”
A central fixture of OffChart NXT 2026 is the Startup Challenge & DealRoom, which features a ₦30 million prize pool for early-stage entrepreneurs.
Rather than functioning as a standard pitch contest, the initiative incorporates a rigorous venture-readiness pipeline evaluating business traction, addressable market size, and capital efficiency. Finalists will undergo investor matching, community voting, and direct exposure within the DealRoom environment.
Ani Oko, a UK-based technology practitioner, member of the OffChart NXT Council, and Lead for the Startup Challenge Work Group, emphasized the focus on long-term capacity building:
“The ₦30 million prize pool is significant, but our primary objective is to build a process that leaves founders substantially stronger,” Oko explained. “We are identifying credible businesses, refining their growth models, and placing the strongest teams directly in front of strategic investors.”
The selection of Port Harcourt as the host city highlights the core thesis of OffChart NXT. As one of Nigeria’s dominant industrial and commercial engines, the city provides an ideal backdrop for a platform dedicated to unlocking investment opportunities outside conventional technology centers.
OffChart NXT 2026 convenes in Port Harcourt on October 22–23, 2026.
The move follows a decade of the #StartupSouth Conference, which established itself as a premier convergence point for founders, venture capitalists, policy experts, and corporate leaders across Southern Nigeria. Organizers noted that the new identity reflects the platform’s broader mandate to surface business opportunities across non-traditional innovation hubs in Africa.
Speaking on the strategic transition, Uche Aniche, Convener of OffChart NXT and Founder of #StartupSouth, emphasized that while the flagship conference assumes the new OffChart NXT identity, #StartupSouth remains the parent organization and underlying ecosystem movement.
“For the past decade, #StartupSouth operated on a simple conviction: geography should not determine how far ambition can travel,” Aniche stated. “After ten editions, the conference required an identity capable of carrying the larger conversation we are now convening around talent, markets, and capital emerging across a wider map of African economies.”
Investor and technology executive Tomi Davies (TD) praised the rebrand, reinforcing the necessity of supporting venture creation outside established tech capitals.
“Great businesses do not only come from places where capital already gathers,” Davies noted. “Across Africa, ambitious founders are building sustainable enterprises, solving critical problems, and creating jobs far beyond traditional tech hubs.”
A central fixture of OffChart NXT 2026 is the Startup Challenge & DealRoom, which features a ₦30 million prize pool for early-stage entrepreneurs.
Rather than functioning as a standard pitch contest, the initiative incorporates a rigorous venture-readiness pipeline evaluating business traction, addressable market size, and capital efficiency. Finalists will undergo investor matching, community voting, and direct exposure within the DealRoom environment.
Ani Oko, a UK-based technology practitioner, member of the OffChart NXT Council, and Lead for the Startup Challenge Work Group, emphasized the focus on long-term capacity building:
The selection of Port Harcourt as the host city highlights the core thesis of OffChart NXT. As one of Nigeria’s dominant industrial and commercial engines, the city provides an ideal backdrop for a platform dedicated to unlocking investment opportunities outside conventional technology centers.
OffChart NXT 2026 convenes in Port Harcourt on October 22–23, 2026.
Uboshe Uboshe/Editor
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