Talstack is supporting 185 early-stage Nigerian founders as the learning platform partner for the iDICE Startup Bridge Founders Lab. The 12-week structured entrepreneurship programme is designed to help founders move from early-stage ideas to stronger, more execution-ready businesses, with the first cohort commencing in May 2026.
The Founders Lab is open to founders at the idea, prototype or early-MVP stage who are building digital or technology-enabled businesses across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nigeria. Participants are expected to commit to the 12-week programme, take part in learning sessions, complete assignments and evaluations, and participate in Demo Day activities where required.
In a related article, Talstack shared how its in-house course development expertise supported the design and build-out of the programme coursework, while its learning platform will support structured programme delivery.
The Founders Lab is designed to give early-stage founders practical support as they validate ideas, test assumptions and prepare for the next stage of building. Over the course of the programme, participants will be supported to clarify the problem they are solving, test assumptions with real users and customers, design or improve an MVP or prototype, develop a simple and realistic business model, understand basic operations, pricing and costs, and build a clear execution plan.
According to the official iDICE Startup Bridge Founders Lab page, participants who successfully complete all programme requirements may be eligible for non-equity funding of up to ₦10 million to support the early execution and launch of their businesses. Funding eligibility is subject to final evaluation, compliance with programme milestones and alignment with iDICE investment criteria. The programme also states that funding is performance-based and is not guaranteed by participation alone.
“One of Talstack’s focus areas is helping talented people access the learning, skills and feedback they need to create extraordinary value. What makes this programme exciting is experienced operators and entrepreneurs teaching cohorts of founders from across Nigeria. This kind of entrepreneurship knowledge transfer is rare, and we’re glad to be part of making it available”, said Seni Sulyman, Founder & CEO, Talstack.
By the end of the programme, founders are expected to have made progress on key early-stage business outputs, including a validated problem-solution fit, a defined target market, an MVP or product roadmap, financial projections and an execution plan.
The iDICE Startup Bridge operates under the Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises Initiative, implemented by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Bank of Industry and financed by the African Development Bank, Agence Française de Développement and the Islamic Development Bank.
About Talstack
Talstack describes itself as a people management platform built for HR and People teams to develop employee skills, manage performance, and improve business outcomes. According to the company, its performance management solution helps organisations improve employee execution, while its learning management solution enables organisations to create, organise and manage training programmes at any scale.
About iDICE Startup Bridge
iDICE Startup Bridge is a structured entrepreneurship and growth programme designed to support Nigerian founders from early-stage ideas to scalable businesses through training, mentorship and access to capital tied to programme milestones. It is implemented by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Bank of Industry and financed by the African Development Bank, Agence Française de Développement and the Islamic Development Bank.
