[Technext] 5 African startup founders to watch out for in 2023
This article makes a solid guess based on what occurred last year, which includes their raises, expansion drive, and lastly the product offering.
Alas, 2023 has begun, and startup founders are picking up where they left off in 2022. For some of these founders, the next step is to secure the necessary funding to expand their product offering and increase their market penetration.
Olugbenga Agboola, Flutterwave
To say Flutterwave, under the leadership of Olugbenga ‘GB’, Agboola has excelled might be an understatement considering the strides the company has made in recent years, despite the controversies surrounding it.
Flutterwave raised $250 million last year to become Africa’s most valuable startup. Its unrivalled $3 billion valuation, his desire to invest in other startups and his astute leadership make the 37-year-old Agboola one of Africa’s most well-known entrepreneurs.
The company has established itself as the top unicorn on the continent thanks to clever rebranding, partnerships, and acquisitions. These include the BNPL model, introduced last year, joining the Lipa Later advisory board, debuting in Tanzania, and partnering with SendSprint.
From various reports, Flutterwave has taken a giant step to go public and list on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange. Last week, we reported that the company is part of a consortium looking to acquire the British fintech company, Railsr. The company has picked up where it left off in 2022.
Olugbenga is a reserved personality who gives few media interviews but is on several lists that highlight African progress, including Quartz Africa’s 2019 innovators, and lists by Fortune (2020), and TIME (2021).