In this episode of the Made in Africa Podcast, Samuel Kemeshi interviews Philips Olajide and Solomon Ogunbowale, co-founders of KorinAI, Africa’s first AI music lab.

They share how their childhood experiences taught them independence and problem-solving early on—skills that now shape their approach to building technology.

Both founders originally planned to become medical doctors, but setbacks within Nigeria’s tertiary education system pushed them to pivot. That pivot led them to software development—and eventually to each other.

Philips, trained in music technology, also faced repeated challenges in his music career, especially the high cost of production. His search for simpler, more affordable tools sparked the idea that became KorinAI. Solomon later left his role at Goldman Sachs to join him in building the platform.

This episode dives into their journey, their vision for AI in Africa’s music industry, and what it takes to build world-class products from the continent.