Nate Okonkwo

Tayo Oviosu, founder and CEO of Paga, on fintech companies building strategic target audiences— gives the example of CashApp with the African-American community in Atlanta.

13

AFRICA IS BUILDING THE NEXT FRONTIER ANGEL INVESTORS COMMUNITY Over the past decade, we have mobilised $35M+ in early-stage investments, activated 5,000+ angel investors, and built Africa’s largest angel network across 37 countries and the diaspora. Now, as ABAN turns 10, we are doubling down on the conviction that Africa must fund Africa. Under the theme "Accelerating Local Capital Participation", the first-ever ABAN Annual Congress will take place in Lagos on 17–18 October, bringing together local and diaspora investors to unlock the next wave of African-led innovation. Fadilah Tchoumba ABAN

15

1 Comment

Today marks a pivotal step in my journey as a founder and builder. Years ago, I co-founded Union54 (ChitChat) with a vision to create transformative solutions for Africa’s financial future. Through relentless work, our team earned a place in Y Combinator, and my 33% founding equity was formally declared and accepted. Along the way, I was misrepresented, removed without my consent, and cut out of the legacy I helped create. This action is not about revenge. It is about truth, accountability, and protecting the integrity of African founders who are too often sidelined or erased from the very successes they ignite. For years, I chose to stay quiet, focusing on rebuilding and creating again. But there comes a time when silence is no longer strength, it becomes complicity. Today, I am taking legal action to restore what is rightfully mine and to ensure that no other founder with a vision for this continent faces the same injustice. My mission has always been bigger than one company or one moment. The journey continues, and so does the work of building companies that will impact millions of lives across Africa and beyond.

94

6 Comments

Reflections a couple weeks into Antler’s VC program for ambitious founders… The private markets ecosystem in Africa is highly mystified. Without platforms like Antler, access to information and resources for early-stage founders would limited. At FoundexAI, we’re building technology to demystify the private markets ecosystem across Africa. Our goal is simple: enable founders to easily identify active investors, understand competitive landscapes, and become investor-ready. Our session with Oluwatobi Odukoya (CDcare, Co-Founder) reinforced that the easiest path isn’t always the best path. Real success means showing your value to customers and doing what it takes to win. I treasure the insights and community at Antler as we continue building toward a more connected startup ecosystem in Africa. #FoundexAI #Antler25

70

1 Comment

I look forward to speaking at the MIT Sloan Africa Innovate Conference! Developing human capital is a defining challenge for the African continent. Franchising is an important tool to succeeding in this. Franchising enables sharing of some of the most commercially valuable Intellectual Property in long-term win-win relationships. The franchise businesses' impact in economic mobility has far outpaced those of alternative paths like non-profit programs. I look forward to the discussion at MIT.

74

5 Comments

Flextock (@flextock) just raised $12.6M Series A led by TLcom Capital (@tlcomcapital) yesterday. Building on @RebeccaEnonchong's insights about African e-commerce infrastructure. This signals something crucial about the African tech landscape. Three things this round tells us: E-commerce logistics is hitting institutional investment readiness. TLcom's leadership validates the sector's maturity across MENA markets. Egyptian startups are attracting serious pan-African capital. The infrastructure plays that seemed too niche are now fundable at scale. Cross-border expansion drives valuation. Flextock's Egypt-to-Saudi strategy shows investors back regional ambition over local optimization. For founders building infrastructure plays: The institutional capital exists for logistics, payments, and enablement platforms. The ecosystem has evolved from consumer apps to the infrastructure that makes commerce possible. This isn't about one funding round. It's about an entire vertical reaching investment maturity. #AfricaTech #Ecommerce #SeriesA #Egypt #TLcom #Option3

6