In this edition of ‘You Must Know Them’, we profile the 10 virtual competition finalists of the 2020/2021 Donors For Africa Social Innovators Bootcamp Pitch (SIBC) in partnership with Identities Media.
Olugbenga Owoye, founder of Ajobank, was the overall winner of the SIBC program. He is a business developer/analyst and a trained financial analyst.
IM (Identities Media)
OO( Olugbenga Owuye)
IM: Tell us about yourself.
OO: My name is Owoye Olugbenga. I am a business developer and analyst with 5+ years experience working in startups. Ajobank started as a side project, created to solve financial problems for a group of friends and family.
In December 2019, Ajobank was recognised by Daikin Samurai incubate from Japan as top 9 brilliant startups from Africa to pitch at the finals in Kenya.
This was the beginning of our journey. Early 2020, we got into the Savvy fellowship and African Leadership Institute. We were also selected by Donors for Africa as a new incubatee at the Social Innovation Bootcamp Cohort 2 (SIBC 2020/2021) where we were among the top 10 finalists.
In late 2020, we were selected by Earthtech Venture (Together In Action) from Australia as top 2% global ventures. We are currently in a pre-seed round negotiation with an Australian VC firm facilitated by Earthtech Ventures.
IDM:What drives the work that you do?
OO: Growing up as a kid, raised by a single mother of 5, we have had to struggle for everything. I understand what it means to struggle and fight for survival.
My passion comes from my life experience. There are many families in Nigeria who don’t have enough and some who don’t have at all. Over 84% of Nigerians earn below $3000 annually.
Things are getting worse now and it is left to us to provide practical solutions to ease the burden and improve life.
IDM: What does being part of the ‘Top 10 Finalists in the Donors for Africa’s Social Innovators Bootcamp’ mean to you?
OO: It is very exciting to be one of the top 10 finalists. It also validates that we are on the right track. The journey sometimes gets rough and confusing but once in a while you get a little reminder like this to show you that your dreams are valid and impossible is nothing.
IM: What do you see in the near future after this?
OO: The goal has been to help reduce poverty and inequality in Nigeria by 40% before 2030. In 5-10 years time, we plan to have at least 1 million beneficiaries across the country, and then expand to other African countries too.
IM: What are your parting words or advice for the next class and Africa at large?
OO: My advice is simple: listen and be willing to learn. The amount of growth and clarity I have had in the last 3 months of this training is immeasurable. I learnt alot from Chidi and a fellow incubatee Mfoniso. Also please learn to reach out , nobody knows it all.
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