Shows
The Startup Leap PodcastRejected by YC 5 Times, Now He’s Building Africa’s WISE | 50m+ Raised | Benjamin Fernandez, NALAJoin us in this riveting episode as we dive into the extraordinary journey of Benjamin, the founder and CEO of NALA, one of the fastest-growing fintech companies focused on building infrastructure for emerging markets. From humorous encounters with the police to the hustle of raising funds after a major co-founder setback, Benjamin's story is one of resilience, innovation, and faith.Discover how he transitioned from being a TV host in Tanzania to creating a fintech powerhouse through sheer determination and a vision to make financial services more equitable across Africa and beyond. Don't miss Benjamin's...2025-07-2258 min
The Startup Leap PodcastHow Tyme Built Africa’s First Global Digital Bank | 17m Users, $250M Raised In this episode of The Startup Leap, we sit down with Coen, the founder of Tyme Bank, to discuss the incredible journey of building a digital bank in Africa and expanding into Southeast Asia. Coen shares the challenges of creating a bank without traditional elements like paper, cash, or ATMs, and how they achieved profitability in just five years despite raising initial capital from over 250 potential investors. We delve into the importance of partnerships, customer trust, and innovative distribution strategies that have led to serving 17 million customers and onboarding half a million new users every month. Coen also provides...2025-06-2457 min
The Startup Leap PodcastShazam’s $400M Founder Meets the Woman Fixing HR with AIIn this special episode we dive into the journeys of two exceptional entrepreneurs: Riham Satti, an Oxford Neuroscientist turned founder of MeVitae an AI startup bringing fairness to the workplace, and Dhiraj Mukherjee, co-founder of Shazam, one of the world's first music recognition apps, 2billion downloads, acquired by Apple for $400m+ in 2018.Hosted by Maria and Yvonne, this episode explores the trials, triumphs, and learnings of these founders. Discover Riham's accidental plunge into entrepreneurship and the strategic decisions that fueled her company's growth. Hear Dhiraj's insights on fundraising during tumultuous times and the importance of...2025-06-1042 min
The Startup Leap PodcastHe Quit MTN to Build Africa's Biggest Fintech Empire | $300m+ Raised | Dare Okoudjou, Onafriq In this episode, we hear from Dare Okodjou, founder of Onafriq, Africa’s largest digital payments network, formerly MFS Africa. 500 million wallets across 42 countries, over $300m raised in funding. This episode is drenched in depth of experience. Perfect for founders whether early or later in their journey.Dare shares his entrepreneurial journey from working at MTN Group, leading mobile money innovations, to founding Onafriq in 2009 with the vision of making cross-border payments seamless.The conversation delves into the challenges faced in the early days, including navigating work permits and bond loan issues, assembling a team, an...2025-05-2753 min
The Startup Leap Podcast3 Startups. 1 Founder. All the Pain, Lessons & Wins (No BS): Josh Sandler | Lori, TruTaxJoin us in this compelling episode as we sit down with Josh Sandler, co-founder of Lori and Founder and CEO of TruTax. Josh shares his transformative journey from building Lori, an on-demand logistics and trucking company in East Africa, to founding TruTax, a venture leveraging AI to optimize tax compliance. Learn about his entrepreneurial lessons, personal growth, and the critical mistakes that shaped his path. Dive into his reflections on team building, culture, and managing intense environments, and discover how meditation and self-care have become cornerstones of his strategy. 2025-05-1330 min
The Startup Leap PodcastFrom Self-Taught Developer to FinTech Founder: Victor Alade of RaenestJoin us for an insightful conversation with Victor, the founder and CEO of Raenest, as he shares his inspiring journey from a self-taught software developer in Nigeria to leading a pioneering Fintech company powering remote African workers, that recently raised a $10M Series A round led by QED.Discover how Victor's background in engineering and his unique perspective on the challenges faced by Africa's remote workforce led to the creation of Raenest, a platform aimed at revolutionizing payments for remote workers. Learn about his experiences in fundraising, building a global product...2025-05-0643 min
The Startup Leap PodcastFrom Broke & Pregnant to Building a $60B Industry | Ida Tin, Founder of ClueJoin us in this episode of Startup Leap as we sit down with Ida Tin, co-founder and chairwoman of Clue, a revolutionary women's health app that has empowered over 10 million users worldwide. Ida shares her extraordinary journey from a struggling entrepreneur with no coding skills to building a groundbreaking company in the $60 billion femtech industry. Discover how Ida turned her frustrations with outdated family planning methods into a data-driven digital solution with FDA clearance. Listen to powerful insights on fundraising, product development, and the importance of trusting your instincts. Whether you're a current...2025-04-2139 min
The Startup Leap PodcastThe 5-Minute Startup Advice That Could Save You Years (and Millions)In this episode, experienced entrepreneurs share insightful advice they would give to their younger selves. They emphasize trusting your instincts, asking for help, believing in yourself, and the importance of small, achievable goals. Real-world experiences highlight the significance of resilience, execution over strategy, and the importance of maintaining personal well-being while navigating the challenging journey of building a business.00:00 Advice to Younger Self: Startup Insights00:14 Trust Your Instincts and Keep Going00:58 The Reality of Entrepreneurship01:42 Personal Growth and Self-Belief02:43 Strategic Advice for Entrepreneurs03:22...2025-04-1504 min
The Startup Leap PodcastFrom Corporate Executive to Startup Founder: Abu Addae of LifeCheqIn this episode of The Startup Leap, we dive into the fascinating journey of Abu Addae, the founder and CEO of LifeCheq. Abu transitioned from a senior role in financial risk management to creating a disruptive startup focused on personalized financial planning for the South African market.Learn about the challenges he faced, the decisions that shaped LifeCheck, and the eventual pivot from a consumer-centric model to a B2B platform. Abu shares his insights on entrepreneurship, fundraising, dealing with competition, and leveraging AI in the financial advice space. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur or...2025-04-0846 min
The Startup Leap PodcastDilution 101 - How To Keep Control of Your Startup Before It’s Too LateIn this episode of Startup Leap, we dive into the critical topic of dilution and how it impacts founders. Learn from the experiences of legends like Steve Jobs and Travis Kalanick, who both lost control of their companies due to dilution. We'll break down the concept with a simple example and offer strategic advice for founders facing dilution dilemmas. Gain insights on how to protect your equity and board control, and explore non-dilutive funding options. This is essential viewing for any startup founder looking to navigate the complexities of startup financing...2025-04-0116 min