Olugbenga Agboola, the visionary founder of Flutterwave, has carved an enduring legacy in Africa’s tech sphere. As a co-founder of Africa’s most valuable startup, he stands as a trailblazer, inspiring entrepreneurs throughout the continent.
In 2016, Agboola initiated a transformative journey by establishing Flutterwave, a tech company leveraging rapid integration to unlock opportunities for African businesses and customers, notably in Kenya. With dual headquarters in San Francisco and Lagos, Flutterwave, a fintech unicorn led by Agboola, shines as a beacon of global success.
With an unconventional entrepreneurial spirit driving them, the company has achieved incredible milestones, now valued at more than $3 billion.
This remarkable feat cements Olugbenga Agboola’s status as a leading change-maker in Africa’s financial services sector. His accomplishments follow in the footsteps of notable figures like Jim Ovia, Othman Benjelloun, Michiel Le Roux, and Tony Elumelu.
Beyond Flutterwave, Agboola’s influence extends to his investments in various tech companies and startups through Berrywood Capital, his investment venture.
This platform is committed to nurturing an atmosphere of freedom and responsibility. His commitment to excellence, along with his strategic investments and drive for positive change, firmly established him as one of the continent’s premier founders.
Billionaires.Africa has identified and cataloged several investments directly led by Agboola.
These investments, facilitated through Flutterwave or Berrywood Capital, underscore Agboola’s impact.
Here’s a glimpse at 10 of these remarkable companies:
Acquired by Flutterwave in 2021, Disha serves as a platform that empowers global digital creators to curate, showcase, and profit from their content. By offering a comprehensive suite of tools and templates, Disha fuels the creator economy in Africa, enabling content makers to monetize their creativity effectively. Founded in 2019 by Evans Akanno, Rufus Oyemade, and Blessing Abeng, Disha has emerged as a prominent African platform facilitating withdrawals in 150 currencies worldwide. With a remarkable organic user base of over 20,000 within two years, its acquisition led Agboola aims to unlock unprecedented opportunities for freelancers and creators, enabling them to exhibit and thrive through their ingenious work globally.
Brass stands as a digital bank exclusively focused on empowering small and medium businesses with an innovative suite of products and tools tailored for growth. Through its simple yet powerful current account services, Brass fulfills its mission of providing local businesses with affordable, high-impact resources to flourish and expand. By offering vital financial services and insights, Brass supports entrepreneurs in comprehending their revenue and costs, positioning itself as an essential ally for business success.
CinetPay, the Ivorian payment firm, secured a $2.4-million seed round investment in December 2021, led by Flutterwave and 4DX Ventures. Founded by Idriss Monthe and Daniel Dindji in 2016, CinetPay has rapidly evolved into a digital finance platform spanning Francophone Africa. With an impressive track record, CinetPay facilitates seamless online and point-of-sale transactions for more than 12,000 merchants across nine French-speaking African nations, including Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Cameroon.
On Feb. 14, 2023, Curacel displayed its unwavering commitment to innovation by raising $3 million in a significant seed funding round. This investment, spearheaded by Agboola, emphasizes Curacel’s dedication to revolutionizing the insurance and healthcare sectors through AI-driven claims processing and fraud management.
Founded by Henry Mascot in 2019, Curacel’s strategic use of capital enhances operational precision and efficiency, amplifying its impact on these critical industries.
Caliza, a pioneering software development company, offers a transformative API utilized by fintech companies to create digital dollar accounts for saving and transactions.
Caliza provides a range of essential services through its platform, including neo-banking, brokerage, wallets, and B2B marketplace solutions.
Its innovative approach empowers users to grow wealth by offering attractive rates on balances while simplifying shipping and export transactions.
Charting a new era in Africa’s pharmaceutical supply chain, Remedial Health harnessed the power of digitization.
The startup’s visionary journey received a significant boost with a $1-million pre-seed round, supported by Agboola.
Bolstering its commitment to healthcare advancement, Remedial Health secured an impressive $12 million in Series-A equity and debt funding, reinforcing its pivotal role in shaping healthcare solutions across West Africa.
Leading the charge in B2B payment modernization in Africa, Duplo secured $1.3 million in a pivotal pre-seed funding round on February 10, 2022.
Backed by Agboola, this investment propels Duplo’s mission to revolutionize logistics and delivery solutions in a rapidly evolving landscape, fostering greater efficiency and effectiveness.
Casava, a pioneering insurtech firm, is dedicated to microinsurance underwriting for life and general coverage.
The forward-looking nature of its solutions was affirmed by Agboola’s substantial $4-million contribution during the pre-Seed round on Feb. 2, 2022.
Casava’s integration of technology for inclusive insurance access aligns seamlessly with its commitment to enhancing financial stability and risk management.
At the forefront of Nigerian digital media, Big Cabal Media captivates African youth audiences with engaging, culturally relevant content.
A trailblazer in conversations encompassing culture, innovation, entrepreneurship, entertainment, and youth-centric subjects, Big Cabal connects brands with Africa’s burgeoning digital youth through an authentic and vibrant voice.
Launched in January 2019 by Richmond Bassey and Yanmo Omorogbe, Bamboo empowers young adults to cultivate wealth through U.S. stock investments.
Bamboo pioneers wealth-building opportunities for Africans by offering real-time access to global capital markets and investment products with inflation-adjusted returns.
Boasting a thriving community of more than 50,000 active investors and nearly 1 million unique trades executed, Bamboo has solidified its position as a fintech industry leader.
