Creative Idea Lab @ Antler 🚀

​Why this, why now

​Africa’s creative economy is exploding—from Nollywood’s global reach to Afrobeats and Lagos fashion. Yet the sector is still constrained by monetization + IP leakage, fragmented distribution, financing gaps, and limited production infrastructure. Meanwhile, AI is slashing creation time and costs (editing, VFX, music, design, localization), opening brand-new venture models. This Idea Lab brings top operators, founders, and creators together to map the most investable problems and craft startup-grade solutions Antler can back.

​Who should attend

• ​Founders/operators building in media, entertainment, fashion, creator tools, or rights/royalty infrastructure

• ​Senior creatives (producers, label/fashion leads, studio heads), product & engineering leaders, growth/ops leads

• ​Fintech/infra builders tackling creator monetization, ticketing, payouts, or financing
  Seats are limited and curated. Registration ≠ confirmation; we’ll email accepted participants.

​What you’ll do (no panels, no slides)

​Opening Circle (20 min) – Intros + each person shares one pressing problem in the sector
Problem Deep-Dive (45 min) – Small groups map the top 2–3 unsolved problems and present back
Root-Cause Jam (live) – Why do these problems persist? What’s broken in incentives, tooling, policy, data?
Solution Ideation Battle (40 min) – 60-second lightning pitches: What would you build? Why you? Why now?
Mixer – Open conversations with Antler partners and peers

​Focus areas & AI angles

• ​Monetization & IP: royalty tracking, rights registries, anti-piracy, UGC licensing; AI for content ID & claims

• ​Distribution & Growth: niche streaming, fan communities, micro-bundles; AI for personalization & multilingualization

• ​Creator Fintech: payouts, advances/BNPL for projects, revenue shares, escrow for collabs

• ​Production Tech: virtual production, remote studios, asset libraries; AI for edit, VFX, sound, styling, design

• ​Fashion Ops: digital sampling, on-demand manufacturing, supply-chain traceability; AI for demand forecasting

• ​Live & Experiences: ticketing, access control, dynamic pricing, fan data; AI for demand/pricing & fraud

​What you’ll leave with

• ​A prioritized set of problem statements and refined venture ideas

• ​Real-time feedback from operators and Antler partners

• ​Warm connections for potential co-builders/collaborators

• ​Fast-track consideration for Antler Lagos Cohort 2 (for standout builders/ideas)

​House rules

​Bring one problem you’re passionate about—and a 60-second solution pitch.

​Capacity is limited—apply to join. We’ll confirm attendance and share venue details upon acceptance.