Investor Pitch Deck · Confidential
The first AI-enabled end-to-end Event Management Platform in Africa
A one-stop marketplace for weddings, concerts, corporate events, and stays across Nigeria — connecting organizers, vendors, and attendees on a single intelligent platform.
The Problem
Event planning in Nigeria is broken
Organizers face fragmented tools, unreliable vendors, zero financial protection, and manual processes that drain time, money, and joy from every event.
No Measurable Portfolios
Finding competent providers relies on word-of-mouth with no verifiable track record
Upfront Payments, No Guarantees
Full payment before service delivery with no money-back protection
No Real-Time Substitution
Unable to swap non-performing vendors during the event lifecycle
Fragmented Guest Management
Manual coordination of invitations, access codes, seating, and menus
No Financial Protection
No event insurance or escrow systems to mitigate liability risks
No Post-Event Intelligence
Lack of feedback, analytics, and ratings from stakeholders
The Solution
iAriya: Everything events, in one place
A technology-driven marketplace that eliminates every major pain point through vetting, financial protection, AI coordination, and an integrated service ecosystem.
Vetted Providers
Rigorously screened against strict service standards with continuous quality reviews
Escrow & Insurance
Payments held in escrow until delivery. Compulsory event insurance protects all parties
AI-Powered Coordination
Real-time milestone tracking, automated oversight, and smart vendor management
Smart Guest Management
QR codes with seating, menus, and RSVP — sent directly to guests' phones
10 Integrated Services
Venues, catering, entertainment, ticketing, stays, merchandising — all in one platform
Post-Event Analytics
Ratings, reviews, and social media integration for accountability and insights
The Product
Built, tested, and ready to launch
The platform is fully developed with AI-powered search, event management, vendor marketplace, guest coordination, and booking services — live at iAriya.com.
Market Opportunity
A $10.7B market with no dominant platform
Nigeria's events industry is one of Africa's fastest-growing sectors, with an 11.13% CAGR — yet no single platform offers end-to-end digital event management.
Nigeria Events TAM
$10.7B
Grand View Research 2025
SAM (Digital-Addressable)
$2.7B
Lagos + Abuja + PH premium slice
iAriya SOM (10 Streams)
₦18.7B
Bottom-up serviceable
Market CAGR
11.13%
Nigeria events, 2026-2034
Business Model
Commission on every transaction
Like AirBnB and Booking.com — iAriya earns a commission on every transaction flowing through the platform across 10 diversified income streams.
Event Centre Hire
15%
commission
Event Planner Subscription
100%
commission
Merchandising / Aso-Ebi
20%
commission
Event Ticketing
8%
commission
Financial Products / Insurance
25%
commission
Hotel & Stays
12%
commission
Service Providers / Vendors
10%
commission
Catering Services
10%
commission
Entertainment Booking
15%
commission
Other Services
12%
commission
Revenue Projections
Two engines compounding together
Year 1
₦330.0M
Year 5
₦2.3B
Revenue CAGR
62.7%
5-Year Total
₦5.9B
Commission marketplace + 80%-margin SaaS + embedded Trade Finance & Insurance stack (Factor · Shield · Escrow)
AI Suite — SaaS Layer
Recurring SaaS on the same rails
Three vertical AI products — Hall (venue OS), Concierge (smart-hotel stays), Studio (planner cockpit) — driving 80% gross-margin SaaS revenue layered on commission.
iAriya Hall
booking, pricing, diesel ledger, predictive maintenance, CCTV vision, compliance
Y1 ARR
₦76.9M
15 modules
4.4x by Y5
iAriya Concierge
24/7 WhatsApp guest concierge, dynamic pricing, OTA reconciliation
Y1 ARR
₦55.0M
12 modules
4.4x by Y5
iAriya Studio
pipeline, vendor brain, run-of-show automation
Y1 ARR
₦48.1M
13 modules
4.4x by Y5
Y1 ARR
₦180.0M
Combined
Y5 ARR
₦786.2M
60/50/40/30% growth
5-Yr ARR
₦2.3B
Cumulative
Gross Margin
80%
SaaS economics
Combined Portfolio
Marketplace + SaaS + Embedded Finance
Three compounding engines on shared rails. Transactional commissions fund network effects; recurring SaaS lifts margin; embedded finance monetises every naira flowing through the platform.
Commission
₦2.8B
46.9%
AI Suite · 80% margin
₦2.3B
39.0%
Trade Finance · 75%
₦827.3M
14.1%
Combined
₦5.9B
5-year total
| Year | Comm. | AI | Fin. | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | ₦85.0M | ₦180.0M | ₦65.0M | ₦330.0M |
| 2027 | ₦220.4M | ₦288.0M | ₦104.0M | ₦612.4M |
| 2028 | ₦440.8M | ₦432.0M | ₦156.0M | ₦1.0B |
| 2029 | ₦769.8M | ₦604.8M | ₦218.4M | ₦1.6B |
| 2030 | ₦1.2B | ₦786.2M | ₦283.9M | ₦2.3B |
Competitive Landscape
No major player offers full end-to-end
Existing competitors operate in narrow, siloed categories. No single platform covers the full spectrum of event needs the way iAriya does.
Existing Players (Top Half)
- Most focus only on weddings — The Knot Worldwide ($850M raised, 4M+ couples, 850K vendors) but limited to vendor discovery
- Concentrated in North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia — minimal presence in Africa
- None offers financial services, event insurance, or AI-powered coordination
iAriya's Defensible Moat
- Only platform with integrated menu booking & table seating
- Only platform with QR-based access, ticketing & guest management
- Embedded financial services: escrow payments & compulsory event insurance
- AI-powered search, real-time milestone tracking & vendor coordination
"iAriya is the only operator competing across every category — making it the most comprehensive event platform in the market."
Go-to-Market Strategy
Aggressive, capital-efficient growth
A multi-channel approach designed for the Nigerian market — leveraging social proof, cultural relevance, and viral growth mechanics.
Social Media Heavy
Instagram, TikTok, Twitter — viral content around Nigerian event culture (Owambe, Detty December)
Influencer Partnerships
Celebrity event planners, lifestyle influencers, and Nollywood partnerships
Radio Jingles
Mass-market radio campaigns across Lagos and major Nigerian cities
Early Bird Offers
Free premium features for first 1,000 vendors and event planners
Referral Program
Existing users earn credits for every new vendor or event owner they bring
City-First Expansion
Launch in Lagos → consolidate → expand nationally → West Africa → continent
Use of Funds
₦775.0M — strategic allocation
Platform is already built. Every dollar goes to market capture and growth.
Social media, radio, influencers, early bird promotions
Core team salaries, office operations
Cloud hosting, AI scaling, factoring engine, insurance API integrations
Regulatory licensing, credit-risk underwriting, insurance partner onboarding
Partnership development, vendor acquisition
Corporate, contracts, IP
Contingency buffer
The Founding Team
60+ years of combined expertise
Tunde Dopemu
Co-Founder
Over 30 years in IT — Agile, DevOps, commercial, retail, regulatory, and financial-critical systems. Co-Founder of Bukafoodtoyou.com (online food delivery). Chartered IT Professional (CITP), Chartered Engineer (CEng), MBCS. First-class honours in Civil Engineering; Master's from Cranfield University.
Yomi Ibidapo-Obe
Co-Founder
Over 30 years in technology — Oil & Gas, IT Infrastructure, Networks, Security, and Database Management for Fortune 500 companies including IKEA, Rolls Royce, Ford Motor Company, and NATO. Serial entrepreneur with franchise and FinTech startup experience.
The Investment Opportunity
₦775M for 7% equity
In perpetuity. The platform is built. Every dollar goes directly to market capture across Nigeria's $10.7B events industry.
5-Year Revenue
₦5.9B
Moderate scenario
ROI Multiple
3.95x
On ₦775M investment
Avg Profit Margin
50.4%
Across 5 years
iAriya.com · Confidential
Data & Assumptions
Investor Diligence Appendix
Every input, source and modelling assumption behind the pitch numbers — as of February 2026. Companion document to the iAriya pitch deck.
Investment Terms
Use of Funds
| Bucket | % | USD | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing | 30% | $150,000 | Launch marketing, radio jingles, social media, influencer partnerships |
| Operations | 20% | $100,000 | Lagos ops team, customer success, vendor onboarding |
| Technology | 20% | $100,000 | Cloud infra, AI credits, integrations, mobile apps |
| Trade Finance And Compliance | 15% | $75,000 | Escrow float, licensing, factoring capital pilot, compliance |
| Vendor Acquisition | 10% | $50,000 | Vendor recruiting, quality onboarding, category coverage |
| Legal | 3% | $15,000 | Legal, IP, contracting |
| Reserve | 2% | $10,000 | Working capital reserve |
FX: Held constant across the 5-year projection for readability; sensitivity table available on request.
Market Sizing — TAM / SAM / SOM
| Tier | Value (USD) | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| TAM | $10.67B | Nigeria event & exhibition industry (2025) · CAGR 11.13% |
| SAM | $2.67B | Digital-addressable premium & organised events in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt (~25% of TAM) |
| SOM | $12.1M | Bottom-up 10-income-stream serviceable market iAriya targets in years 1-5 |
Sources: Grand View Research — Nigeria Event & Exhibition Industry Report (2025) · Nigeria Bureau of Statistics — Hospitality & Tourism Report (2024) · Global Events Industry Outlook — Allied Market Research (2025)
Income Streams (SOM Composition)
| Stream | Serviceable TAM | Base Commission |
|---|---|---|
| Event Centre Hire | ₦2.5B | 15% |
| Event Planner Subscription | ₦500.0M | 100% |
| Merchandising / Aso-Ebi | ₦1.8B | 20% |
| Event Ticketing | ₦3.5B | 8% |
| Financial Products / Insurance | ₦800.0M | 25% |
| Hotel & Stays | ₦4.0B | 12% |
| Service Providers / Vendors | ₦2.0B | 10% |
| Catering Services | ₦1.5B | 10% |
| Entertainment Booking | ₦1.2B | 15% |
| Other Services | ₦900.0M | 12% |
Scenario Definitions
| Scenario | Penetration Y1→Y5 | Commission Mult. | CAGR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 2% → 4% → 7% → 10% → 14% | 1.00 · 1.00 · 1.00 · 1.00 · 1.00 | 8% |
| Moderate | 3% → 7% → 12% → 18% → 25% | 1.00 · 1.00 · 1.05 · 1.10 · 1.15 | 11.13% |
| Aggressive | 4% → 10% → 18% → 26% → 32% | 1.00 · 1.10 · 1.15 · 1.20 · 1.25 | 12% |
Conservative Y1 Commission Overrides
AI Suite (SaaS Layer)
Gross Margin: 80%
| Component | Modules | Y1 ARR | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| iAriya Hall (Venues) | 15 | ₦76.9M | WhatsApp-first venue OS — booking, pricing, diesel ledger, predictive maintenance, CCTV vision, compliance |
| iAriya Concierge (Stays) | 12 | ₦55.0M | Smart-hotel operator suite — 24/7 WhatsApp guest concierge, dynamic pricing, OTA reconciliation |
| iAriya Studio (Planner) | 13 | ₦48.1M | Glass-cockpit conductor for event planners — pipeline, vendor brain, run-of-show automation |
SaaS economics — subscriptions + per-event boosts + AI credits + revenue share + add-ons. Y1 baseline scaled by scenario growth curve.
Trade Finance & Insurance Stack
Gross Margin: 60%
| Component | Modules | Y1 ARR | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| iAriya Factor (Trade Finance) | 5 | ₦42.0M | Factoring, reverse factoring, PO financing and sponsorship receivables — origination fees on ~₦2.1B factored volume in Y1 |
| iAriya Shield (Event Insurance) | 5 | ₦18.0M | Embedded event cancellation, public liability, equipment, weather and professional indemnity cover — 15% commission on ~₦120M premiums |
| iAriya Escrow (Settlement) | 3 | ₦5.0M | Escrow and settlement services — protects deposits, releases on milestone, reduces disputes |
Embedded finance economics — iAriya earns origination/commission/servicing fees; partner banks & insurers take the capital-return share.
Unit Economics
Cost Model
Lean viral platform (AirBnB / Booking.com style) — minimal tech overhead, self-registration, social + radio marketing Y1-3, ~10-person team
Cost ratio (opex / revenue) trends down 32% → 21% over 5 years as marketplace network effects kick in.
Timeline & Milestones
Launch: June 2026 · Projection years: 2026–2030
| Year | Quarter | Title | Category | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | Pre-Seed Close | Funding | Close up to $500K pre-seed round to fund launch (Feb – May 2026) |
| 2026 | Q2 | Platform Launch (Lagos) | Product | Public launch June 2026 in Lagos with core marketplace, ticketing and vendor onboarding |
| 2026 | Q3 | AI Suite v1 Live | Product | iAriya Hall, Concierge and Studio go live for early venue & planner partners |
| 2026 | Q4 | Lagos Market Penetration | Growth | 200+ monthly events, 500+ service providers, ₦500M GMV |
| 2027 | Q1 | Abuja & Port Harcourt Expansion | Expansion | Multi-city Nigeria rollout — 800+ monthly events, 2,000+ service providers |
| 2027 | Q2 | Mobile Apps (iOS/Android) | Product | Consumer app launch for discovery, ticketing, hospitality bookings |
| 2027 | Q3 | Trade Finance Stack Live | Product | iAriya Factor, Shield and Escrow live with 2 banking + 2 insurer partners |
| 2027 | Q4 | Seed Round | Funding | Target $2M seed for regional expansion & fintech scale |
| 2028 | Q2 | Ghana Launch | Expansion | First international market — 5,000+ monthly events, ₦30B GMV |
| 2028 | Q4 | Series A | Funding | Target $10M for pan-African expansion & hospitality integration depth |
| 2029 | Q2 | 3 Additional African Markets | Expansion | Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania — 10,000+ monthly events |
| 2030 | Q1 | Mediterranean Entry | Expansion | Morocco and Egypt market entry |
| 2030 | Q4 | Series B / Strategic Exit | Funding | Series B ($30M+) or strategic acquisition readiness |
Risks & Sensitivities
- FX volatility — NGN/USD held constant at 1,550 for readability; a 15% NGN depreciation reduces USD ROI multiple ~1.15x
- Marketplace liquidity — commission revenue depends on transaction volume; conservative scenario assumes 2%→14% penetration
- SaaS ARPU — AI Suite Y1 ARR assumes ~600 paying subs across Hall + Concierge + Studio at Pro tier (₦25K/mo)
- Trade Finance capital access — iAriya Factor's factored volume assumes partner bank credit lines; embedded finance revenue is fee-based, not principal at risk
- Insurance take rate — iAriya Shield assumes 15% commission on gross premiums; regulated by NAICOM, typical 10-20% range
iAriya Financial Projections — Data & Assumptions Appendix · Full sensitivity tables and unit-level backup available on request.