Olugbenga Agboola, an ex-PayPal engineer and former Google product manager, is the CEO of the financial technology startup company. The African fintech, Flutterwave, revolutionizes how money moves for the entire continent. The company has primary offices in San Francisco and Lagos and has 300-plus personnel. Olugbenga Agboola and Iyinoluwa Aboyeji founded Flutterwave in 2016. In less than five years, Agboola has engineered the quickest-ever ascension of the African startup to unicorn status. This is a cause for celebration for the success of their products across Africa and for the investors and angels who have enabled the growth of startups and ecosystems on the continent. This success is attributed to the “angels and rebels” who made it possible for the founders to bring their vision to life. Olugbenga Agboola recognizes the importance of the Series A financial backing they received when they did, as they wouldn’t have scaled up and reached the level of success they have today.

Angel investors, accelerator programs, venture capitalists, international organizations, and private equity companies have all provided financial contributions to Flutterwave. Despite the help from these external sources, most of Flutterwave’s products have been created without direct contribution. Most angel investors cannot usually aid startups with their operational and product needs, thus requiring accelerator programs that offer venture-building assistance. Flutterwave had the privilege of getting practical support from tech giants that had their sights on Africa. In 2017, Flutterwave was among the first African startups to participate in Google’s Launchpad Accelerator. In addition to the two-week intensive training in San Francisco, the selected startups got equity-free backing, credit for Google items, and expert mentorship even after the program had concluded. As startups develop and grow, they can start to handle operational difficulties by themselves. However, with investors with a global presence, such as Endeavor, and mentors like Reid Hoffman, the billionaire creator of LinkedIn, the startups are propelled further to attain a significant turning point.

In 2019, Olugbenga Agboola and Ife Orioke became part of Endeavor Nigeria. Other members of the board included Halima Aliko Dangote and Atedo Peterside. Endeavor contributed to Flutterwave’s Series B round of funding through its investment arm, Endeavor Catalyst, in addition to providing non-monetary assistance. Last year, the organization further helped Flutterwave to engage the US division of EY, the consulting firm, to design their recruitment and employee performance strategy. Olugbenga Agboola is planning to list Flutterwave on the New York Stock Exchange in the near future. This could be a remarkable achievement and a great benefit to existing investors since they will have the chance to retrieve their investment with profits. Moreover, an IPO is a great fundraising opportunity, and the public will have access to FLTW (the potential ticker) on stock trading platforms such as Chaka, Rise, Bamboo, and Trove. If it becomes a public unicorn, Agboola will continuously remain accountable to customers, personnel, and investors.

Original source to learn more: https://www.crunchbase.com/person/olugbenga-agboola