Month: May 2023

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Dare Okoudjou

African Changemaker

Dare Okoudjou

Born and raised in Benin, Dare is passionate about making life better for Africa and Africans through technology.

An entrepreneur and tech leader, Dare is the founder and CEO of MFS Africa, a leading Pan-African #fintech company based in Johannesburg, South Africa. MFS Africa has transformed mobile money interoperability in and outside of the continent.

Today, MFS Africa connects over 300 million mobile money wallets, making it the largest digital payments hub on the continent.

Before founding the company, Dare worked at MTN Group, where he developed its mobile payment strategy and led its implementation across 21 countries throughout Africa and the Middle East.

Dare believes that for businesses to prosper in Africa, they need to operate across borders. Drawing on his lessons and experience, he is now on a mission to foster a blending of talent, ideas, and best practices addressing continental problems.

 

You may also like...

The Commercial Potential of Africa’s Digital Revolution

  • EmpowerAfrica
Did you know that over 525 million people used the internet in Africa in 2019? If current growth trends continue, almost 75% of Africans are expected to come online by 2030.
READ MORE

Novastar Ventures Invests $3.5 Million in Sistema.bio to Expand Renewable Energy Solutions for African Farmers

Novastar Ventures has announced a $3.5 million investment in Sistema.bio, a Nairobi-based company pioneering renewable energy solutions for smallholder farmers.
READ MORE

Nigerian Fintech Lemfi Secures $53 Million Series B Funding to Drive European Expansion

Lemfi, a remittance platform catering to African immigrants across 22 countries, has announced raising $53 million in a Series B funding round.
READ MORE

SA’s The Awareness Company Secures $1.6M Seed Funding to Enhance AI and Expand Market Reach

South African SaaS startup The Awareness Company has successfully raised $1.6 million in seed funding to scale its marketing and sales efforts while advancing the AI capabilities of its flagship product.
READ MORE
Posted on by — Leave a comment

 Kemisola Bolarinwa

African Changemaker

Kemisola Bolarinwa

Kemisola is the Founder of Nextwear Technologies, the first wearable technology startup in Nigeria pioneering the designing and development of devices that enhance healthier living and personal security.

In February 2022, she designed the prototype for her most significant invention, the smart bra.

The device only needs to be worn for up to 30 minutes to get the readings required, with its IoT and Application Programming Interface (API) components translating readings into understandable information via a mobile app.

A robotics engineer with exceptional tech skills, Kemisola’s work in the field of wearable technology is significant. She is a strong advocate for STEM Education, mainly for the girlchild and has a passion for bridging the STEM gender gap to attract young women to choose careers in STEM-related fields.

You may also like...

Nkiru Amadi-Emina

Amadi-Emina is a Nigerian fintech entrepreneur with a mission to create a one-stop shop for financial services for SMEs and supply chain businesses.

Read More »
June 23, 2023

Alain Capo Chichi

Alain is an Ivorian entrepreneur, innovator, and the brain behind the recently launched Open G smartphones in Cote d’Ivoire.

Read More »
May 29, 2023

Nichole Yembra

Nichole is a Nigerian tech entrepreneur who champions female entrepreneurship and empowerment in Africa’s tech ecosystem.

Read More »
May 22, 2023
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Dr. Bosun Tijani

African Changemaker

Dr. Bosun Tijani

Bosun is a Nigerian entrepreneur passionate about Africa’s vibrant and growing tech ecosystem.

Born and raised in Nigeria, Bosun Tijani is a Nigerian entrepreneur, co-founder, and CEO of Co-creation Hub (CcHUB), a technology innovation center dedicated to accelerating the application of social capital and technology for economic prosperity in Africa.

Before CcHUB, Bosun honed his depth of experience in innovation and entrepreneurship by designing and managing profitable business models for high-end enterprise solutions at Hewlett Packard.

He is passionate about the concept of distributed innovation systems and the need for African countries to leverage each other’s strengths and weaknesses to push the continent forward.

He is also an avid fitness enthusiast, a drive that saw him found Truppr, a social tool that connects people to events and other people around them to help make fitness a lifestyle.

 

You may also like...

The Commercial Potential of Africa’s Digital Revolution

  • EmpowerAfrica
Did you know that over 525 million people used the internet in Africa in 2019? If current growth trends continue, almost 75% of Africans are expected to come online by 2030.
READ MORE

Novastar Ventures Invests $3.5 Million in Sistema.bio to Expand Renewable Energy Solutions for African Farmers

Novastar Ventures has announced a $3.5 million investment in Sistema.bio, a Nairobi-based company pioneering renewable energy solutions for smallholder farmers.
READ MORE

Nigerian Fintech Lemfi Secures $53 Million Series B Funding to Drive European Expansion

Lemfi, a remittance platform catering to African immigrants across 22 countries, has announced raising $53 million in a Series B funding round.
READ MORE

SA’s The Awareness Company Secures $1.6M Seed Funding to Enhance AI and Expand Market Reach

South African SaaS startup The Awareness Company has successfully raised $1.6 million in seed funding to scale its marketing and sales efforts while advancing the AI capabilities of its flagship product.
READ MORE
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Roberta Annan

African Changemaker

Roberta Annan

Born in Ghana, Roberta is an award-winning businesswoman, a global impact investor, a philanthropist, and a mentor.

She is passionate about developing business opportunities for women in Africa.

This drive saw her establish the African Fashion Fund in 2014 to empower African designers to access the global fashion industry and market.

She is also the co-founder of Impact Fund For African Creatives, a fund that invests in creative businesses across Africa.

Roberta has a global reputation for developing investment opportunities for African entrepreneurs in the creative industries, a devotion that earned her a role as a UNEP Goodwill Ambassador.

A self-starter, the Ghanaian entrepreneur was at one time the youngest African to be inducted into the African Leadership Hall of Fame.

 

You may also like...

The Commercial Potential of Africa’s Digital Revolution

  • EmpowerAfrica
Did you know that over 525 million people used the internet in Africa in 2019? If current growth trends continue, almost 75% of Africans are expected to come online by 2030.
READ MORE

Novastar Ventures Invests $3.5 Million in Sistema.bio to Expand Renewable Energy Solutions for African Farmers

Novastar Ventures has announced a $3.5 million investment in Sistema.bio, a Nairobi-based company pioneering renewable energy solutions for smallholder farmers.
READ MORE

Nigerian Fintech Lemfi Secures $53 Million Series B Funding to Drive European Expansion

Lemfi, a remittance platform catering to African immigrants across 22 countries, has announced raising $53 million in a Series B funding round.
READ MORE

SA’s The Awareness Company Secures $1.6M Seed Funding to Enhance AI and Expand Market Reach

South African SaaS startup The Awareness Company has successfully raised $1.6 million in seed funding to scale its marketing and sales efforts while advancing the AI capabilities of its flagship product.
READ MORE
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Addis Alemayehou

African Changemaker

Addis Alemayehou

Addis is the founder and chairman of Kazana Group, a holding company with a mission to promote economic prosperity in Africa by supporting companies making impactful changes and solving critical problems in the lives of communities around them.

Kazana, a Swahili name for ‘striving hard,’ has investments in more than a dozen early-stage companies across Africa. Addis believes in empowering African entrepreneurs and is one of the biggest cheerleaders for Ethiopia’s nascent tech ecosystem.

His passion for tech saw him Co-found Dodai, an Africa-focused technology company with a vision to make life in Africa hassle-free by localizing technologies.

Addis honed his entrepreneurial spirit in Canada before he moved back to Africa to help drive inclusive growth and development.

 

You may also like...

The Commercial Potential of Africa’s Digital Revolution

  • EmpowerAfrica
Did you know that over 525 million people used the internet in Africa in 2019? If current growth trends continue, almost 75% of Africans are expected to come online by 2030.
READ MORE

Novastar Ventures Invests $3.5 Million in Sistema.bio to Expand Renewable Energy Solutions for African Farmers

Novastar Ventures has announced a $3.5 million investment in Sistema.bio, a Nairobi-based company pioneering renewable energy solutions for smallholder farmers.
READ MORE

Nigerian Fintech Lemfi Secures $53 Million Series B Funding to Drive European Expansion

Lemfi, a remittance platform catering to African immigrants across 22 countries, has announced raising $53 million in a Series B funding round.
READ MORE

SA’s The Awareness Company Secures $1.6M Seed Funding to Enhance AI and Expand Market Reach

South African SaaS startup The Awareness Company has successfully raised $1.6 million in seed funding to scale its marketing and sales efforts while advancing the AI capabilities of its flagship product.
READ MORE
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Fatoumata BA

African Changemaker

Fatoumata BA

Fatoumata is a Senegalese tech entrepreneur driving change in Africa’s venture capital space.

She believes in the power of technology as a catalyst in propelling socially conscious “leapfrog development” on the continent. This drive pushed her to found Janngo.africa Capital, Africa’s first social startup studio leveraging technology to build, grow and invest in pan-African ‘tech for good’ champions with proven business models and inclusive social impact.

Fatoumata is currently serving as the Founder and Executive Chair of Janngo Capital. Passionate about women’s entrepreneurship and empowerment, her career and commitment have earned her several distinctions, including being named The World Economic Forum Young Global Leader.

 

You may also like...

The Commercial Potential of Africa’s Digital Revolution

  • EmpowerAfrica
Did you know that over 525 million people used the internet in Africa in 2019? If current growth trends continue, almost 75% of Africans are expected to come online by 2030.
READ MORE

Novastar Ventures Invests $3.5 Million in Sistema.bio to Expand Renewable Energy Solutions for African Farmers

Novastar Ventures has announced a $3.5 million investment in Sistema.bio, a Nairobi-based company pioneering renewable energy solutions for smallholder farmers.
READ MORE

Nigerian Fintech Lemfi Secures $53 Million Series B Funding to Drive European Expansion

Lemfi, a remittance platform catering to African immigrants across 22 countries, has announced raising $53 million in a Series B funding round.
READ MORE

SA’s The Awareness Company Secures $1.6M Seed Funding to Enhance AI and Expand Market Reach

South African SaaS startup The Awareness Company has successfully raised $1.6 million in seed funding to scale its marketing and sales efforts while advancing the AI capabilities of its flagship product.
READ MORE
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Fred Swaniker

African Changemaker

Fred Swaniker

Fred is a Ghanaian leadership development expert and serial entrepreneur on a mission to bring better leadership to Africa and the world.

He is deeply passionate about Africa and believes that lack of good leadership is the missing piece in the puzzle for Africa to realize its true potential. In line with this, he founded the African Leadership Group – an ecosystem of organizations catalyzing a new era of ethical, entrepreneurial African leaders.

The ecosystem includes the pre-university African Leadership Academy, the African Leadership University, the African Leadership Network and ALX — a next-generation leadership development and talent-sourcing platform.

Through these platforms, Fred aims to transform Africa by developing 3 million African leaders by 2035. His noble mission has earned him several accolades, including being recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.

 

You may also like...

The Commercial Potential of Africa’s Digital Revolution

  • EmpowerAfrica
Did you know that over 525 million people used the internet in Africa in 2019? If current growth trends continue, almost 75% of Africans are expected to come online by 2030.
READ MORE

Novastar Ventures Invests $3.5 Million in Sistema.bio to Expand Renewable Energy Solutions for African Farmers

Novastar Ventures has announced a $3.5 million investment in Sistema.bio, a Nairobi-based company pioneering renewable energy solutions for smallholder farmers.
READ MORE

Nigerian Fintech Lemfi Secures $53 Million Series B Funding to Drive European Expansion

Lemfi, a remittance platform catering to African immigrants across 22 countries, has announced raising $53 million in a Series B funding round.
READ MORE

SA’s The Awareness Company Secures $1.6M Seed Funding to Enhance AI and Expand Market Reach

South African SaaS startup The Awareness Company has successfully raised $1.6 million in seed funding to scale its marketing and sales efforts while advancing the AI capabilities of its flagship product.
READ MORE
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Arielle Kitio Tsamo

African Changemaker

Arielle Kitio Tsamo

Born in Yaoundé, Arielle is passionate about technology and strongly believes in the power of education.

She believes technology is a powerful and transversal tool that presents a huge opportunity for developing countries like Cameroon. This passion informed her move to found CAYSTI (Cameroon Youth School Tech Incubator), a startup revolutionizing the tech industry in Cameroon.

At CAYSTI, Arielle has been sharing her passion for computer science with young people through coding. With a personalized mentoring system supported by virtual reality tools, CAYSTI creates opportunities, positive attitudes, and leadership attitudes that allow its students to engage and excel in science and technology.

Nicknamed the Queen of Cameroon’s digital inclusion drive, Arielle believes that digital inclusion can only be a reality if children get into the tech sector at a young age.

Her drive has won several accolades, including the Margaret Prize 2019 of the African Digital Woman, the National Award of Excellence for Youth, and the TechWomen Award.

 

You may also like...

The Commercial Potential of Africa’s Digital Revolution

  • EmpowerAfrica
Did you know that over 525 million people used the internet in Africa in 2019? If current growth trends continue, almost 75% of Africans are expected to come online by 2030.
READ MORE

Novastar Ventures Invests $3.5 Million in Sistema.bio to Expand Renewable Energy Solutions for African Farmers

Novastar Ventures has announced a $3.5 million investment in Sistema.bio, a Nairobi-based company pioneering renewable energy solutions for smallholder farmers.
READ MORE

Nigerian Fintech Lemfi Secures $53 Million Series B Funding to Drive European Expansion

Lemfi, a remittance platform catering to African immigrants across 22 countries, has announced raising $53 million in a Series B funding round.
READ MORE

SA’s The Awareness Company Secures $1.6M Seed Funding to Enhance AI and Expand Market Reach

South African SaaS startup The Awareness Company has successfully raised $1.6 million in seed funding to scale its marketing and sales efforts while advancing the AI capabilities of its flagship product.
READ MORE
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Cordel Robbin-Coker

African Changemaker

Cordel Robbin-Coker

Born in Sierra Leone, Cordel is an active angel investor investing in Africa-focused technology startups.

Cordel is passionate about mobile games, a drive that saw him Co-found Carry1st, a leading social publisher of social games and interactive content in Africa. Based in South Africa, Carry1st enables global gaming studios to unlock the untapped gaming African market.

Cordel is also a Board Member at 4G Capital, a financial services company that seeks to address the finance gap across Africa. Before founding Carry1st, he spent a decade in high finance with The Carlyle Group and Morgan Stanley across the US, Europe, and Africa.

 

You may also like...

The Commercial Potential of Africa’s Digital Revolution

  • EmpowerAfrica
Did you know that over 525 million people used the internet in Africa in 2019? If current growth trends continue, almost 75% of Africans are expected to come online by 2030.
READ MORE

Novastar Ventures Invests $3.5 Million in Sistema.bio to Expand Renewable Energy Solutions for African Farmers

Novastar Ventures has announced a $3.5 million investment in Sistema.bio, a Nairobi-based company pioneering renewable energy solutions for smallholder farmers.
READ MORE

Nigerian Fintech Lemfi Secures $53 Million Series B Funding to Drive European Expansion

Lemfi, a remittance platform catering to African immigrants across 22 countries, has announced raising $53 million in a Series B funding round.
READ MORE

SA’s The Awareness Company Secures $1.6M Seed Funding to Enhance AI and Expand Market Reach

South African SaaS startup The Awareness Company has successfully raised $1.6 million in seed funding to scale its marketing and sales efforts while advancing the AI capabilities of its flagship product.
READ MORE