Acecore, a Lagos-based startup that manufactures home energy storage systems, walked away from TC Battlefield 2026 at Moonshot by TechCabal as the grand prize winner, taking home $10,000. The competition took place on Thursday, October 29, in Lagos, with Supplya, a credit stock platform for informal retailers, claiming second place and $5,000, and maritime robotics company Navidyn rounding out the top three with $2,500.
What made Acecore's win feel especially significant is where its product comes from. Founder and CEO Caleb Iwuoha told the judges that the system's casing and battery management software were "all built here in Nigeria by our very own hands." That is a pointed statement in a country that imported 1,721 megawatts of solar panels from China in the 12 months to June 2025, making Nigeria Africa's second-largest solar importer after South Africa, according to energy think tank Ember.
Acecore sells a home battery system alongside a smart socket that lets users manage their appliances remotely. The company says its product costs more than 20% less than comparable options on the market, and customers can pay in instalments through a partner bank. The price point did attract scrutiny from the judges, one of whom noted that imported Chinese systems land in Nigeria at a cost similar to Acecore's starting price of around $5,250. Iwuoha responded by pointing to a 62% margin.
The three winners were selected from 10 finalists, with the judging panel made up of Folakemi Osho of HoaQ, Elijah Shokenu of SWIT, Kosen Kenta of Antler, and Adeniyi Adebayo of Yango Group, which sponsored the competition. Third-place finisher Navidyn, which builds underwater robots for offshore oil and gas inspections, used its pitch moment to make a broader argument: that the continent has poured enough into fintech and logtech, and that serious investment in advanced AI and robotics is long overdue.
Whether investors are ready to bet on Nigerian-made hardware at scale is the question Acecore's next chapter will have to answer.
Originally published by TechCabal.