Fintech Founders & Funders Having Fun on a Flight with The Flip
Hi there, Justin here. Last week was a busy one. I spent most of the week in Nairobi for the Africa Tech Summit and had a fun time meeting many friends and listeners of The Flip. Thereafter, I flew down to Cape Town, where Stitch was hosting a startup showcase, and several other US-based investors were in town for Raba's investor summit.
Our Kenyan Airways flight from Nairobi to Cape Town was full of investors, founders, and operators, so I bought a selfie stick and booked an empty seat next to me to conduct some interviews on the way down to South Africa.
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Last week, Flutterwave unveiled Flutterwave 3.0. Beyond its new brand identity, the company announced a suite of new and improved products and features for its merchants. A rebuilt dashboard and checkout experience, new payment options for customers at checkout, its new lending product, Flutterwave Capital, card issuing, a Fintech as a Service product, and more!
Fintech Founders & Funders Having Fun on a Flight with The Flip
Kenyan Airways flight 784 from Nairobi to Cape Town was full of esteemed fintech founders, operators and investors.
Team Cape Town (@NubiKay @alexroman29 @just_norm @pitdesi @Dkidanu1 @NikMilanovic) 🥳
— WizaJ.eth 🇲🇼 (@wizaj) February 24, 2022
Uber's here ✌🏾™ pic.twitter.com/8v6Az5oW5J
I couldn't pass up the opportunity to speak to them and to ask what they are thinking about with regards to the African tech ecosystem.
So after a movie (I watched Mad Max: Fury Road) and a meal, I set up the studio in row 24.
Wiza Jalakasi
VP, Global Developer Relations - Chipper Cash; Seat 4a
Wiza and I first met back in 2019 and in our first interview we spoke about a seminal article he wrote on mobile money 2.0. Wiza and I revisit that topic and explore what has changed in the fintech space - and the tech ecosystem, at large - since then.
Nubi Kay
Startup Programs Lead - Paystack; Seat 25c
Nubi and I talked about his decision to leave Stripe for Paystack, the development of HoaQ, the angel investment community he co-founded, and more.
Tesh Mbaabu
Co-founder & CEO, MarketForce; Seat 23g
Fresh off of MarketForce's $40 million Series A announcement, Tesh and I talk about what's next for the company.
Alexis Roman & Delila Kidanu
Co-founders, Koa; Seats 17c & 17b
I spent some time this trip "in the field" with a lending startup, which had me thinking more deeply about the degree to which credit is a challenge in markets where consumers live at or below the poverty line. To what extent is savings a more appropriate financial service for the consumers in question?
I talked with Alexis and Delila separately about that same topic.
Nik Milanović
Founder, This Week in Fintech; Seat 17j
A few weeks back, I announced The Flip Capital - in which I am investing in pre-seed startups on top of (and enabled by) The Flip's media business. For many who ask about it, I tell them that I've been inspired and emboldened by the several tech-focused creators who have leveraged their media platform to raise a fund. Nik is one such creator, who's raising a $10 million fintech fund.
Nik and I talk about fundraising, and he turns the table on me to ask some questions about The Flip and my perspectives on the African tech ecosystem.
Sheel Mohnot
Co-founder, Better Tomorrow Ventures; Seat 20g
Sheel and I had the opportunity to speak en route to Cape Town, where several other US-based investors were in town to explore and learn a bit more about the African tech ecosystem. Sheel is a particularly active investor in emerging markets, so he and I talked about what it is about the African tech ecosystem that's attracted his attention and investment.
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✌️ Justin
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