WE INVITED MALIK CELEBRATED FILMMAKER AND VISUAL ARTIST. WE SPOKE ABOUT HIS WORK WITH THE POPULAR ELDERLY SERIES AND HOW AI PLAYED A ROLE IN ART. WE TALKED ABOUT THE CONTROVERSIES AROUND USING GENERATIVE AI IN THE CREATIVE SPACE.

Brief about Malik

​Malik Afegbua is a Visionary, filmmaker, artist and designer. He is well known for his outside-the-box thinking approach by applying the use of artificial intelligence technology in the field of arts.

​In January 2023, he became viral and received widespread media attention from around the world when he posted images on social media platforms titled The Elder Series where he showcased and depicted seniors on a fashion runway, draped in stylish and colourful clothes using artificial intelligence.

WE INVITED DR eMALICK NJIE FOUNDER AND CEO OF ECOTONE. WE SPOKE AT LENGTH ON THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF AI AND WE WENT ON TO EXPLORE THE USE CASES OF AI IN MEDICINE. WE ALSO EXPLORED THE EXTREMITIES OF AI AND WHY IT IS IMPORTANT FOR REGULATORS TO GET AHEAD OF IT.

​Brief on Dr eMalick Njie:

​Dr Njie, who previously served as a senior scientist in a Nobel Prize-winning laboratory at Columbia University, was early to recognize the immense potential of AI. In 2016, he established a genetics and AI company called Genetic Intelligence (GI) that went on to win the NSF SBIR and achieved a valuation of $85 million, following which he exited the company.

​Over the next several years, Dr Njie devoted himself to privately developing AI that aims to bring the same level of clarity to our understanding of genetics and diseases as ChatGPT has done for natural language. During this period, he also explored other interests, such as establishing the think tank studio NeuroStorm Studios (NSS) to delve into the future of medicine. NSS partnered with Weil Cornel Medicine to concentrate on digital medicines and successfully conducted a pre-clinical trial that explored the potential of algorithms in visual space to alleviate the tremors of Parkinson’s patients. NSS is continuing to explore algorithms as a novel form of non-invasive medicine. The FDA has recently recognized such medications as Software as Medical Devices (SaMD).

​Dr Njie also played a vital role in launching Prisms, an education company, as an AI Business Advisor. He assisted in assembling the early team and winning the NSF SBIR. Prisms has recently raised a Series A from Andreessen Horowitz and has garnered attention in VentureBeat and Business Insider.

​Currently, Dr Njie is dedicated to Ecotone, a company he founded based on the aforementioned AI. Ecotone's mission is to develop precision medicines that cure approximately 10,000 inherited diseases that have been largely overlooked by the pharmaceutical industry.  Ecotone is currently in selective stealth mode and open to discussions with investors and talent interested in advancing medicine to the AI era.

WE INVITED MELVYN LUBEGA CO-FOUNDER AT GO1 AND MANAGING PARTNER AT BREEGA. IN OUR CONVERSATION WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT IT TAKES TO BUILD A UNICORN, FIND THE RIGHT TEAM, EXPLORE RELATIONSHIPS WITH INVESTORS AND MOST IMPORTANTLY HOW TO APPROACH BUILDING A SUCCESSFUL STARTUP.

​Brief on Melvyn:

​Melvyn Lubega is an experienced technology entrepreneur and investor who has built businesses that serve customers on every continent, except Antarctica. Most notably he built and scaled Go1, a leading technology platform present in over 60 countries, which became the first South African unicorn (valued at +$2 billion) attracting over $400 million in investment from SoftBank, Salesforce Ventures and M12 (Microsoft Ventures) among other tier-1 international investors. He is a Partner at Breega, one of the fastest-growing early-stage venture capital investors in Europe and Africa, with over EUR500 million in assets under management, investing in African disruptive technologies that solve significant economic and social challenges.

​He began his career as one of Boston Consulting Group’s first consultants in Africa. Today, he is a trusted advisor to governments and leading enterprises: serving on boards of listed companies as a non-executive director as well as on presidential and ministerial committees primarily focused on investments and the digital economy.

​An actuary by training, he holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Cape Town and postgraduate degrees from the University of Oxford where he was a Rhodes Scholar. At Oxford, Melvyn completed two masters (MPP and MSc), receiving a distinction for his research into disruptive technologies in emerging markets.

WE INVITED GEOFREY CO-FOUNDER AND CEO OF KARAA. IN OUR CONVERSATION WE EXPLORED WHAT IT TAKES TO BUILD IN AFRICA A SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY. WE TOUCHED ON THE NUANCES OF YOUTH EMPLOYMENT AND THE ECONOMIC PRODUCTIVITY OF KARAA.

Brief on Geofrey Mutabazi:

​Geofrey is passionate about unlocking the economic potential of Africa by providing productive assets and technology to empower and employ youth. This is why he founded Karaa which builds electric bicycles for last-mile transportation. The Karaa electric bicycles help lower the cost of last-mile delivery for e-commerce companies and wholesale businesses in Africa while lowering the barrier to entry for youth who don't need driving permits to use them compared to motorcycles.

WE INVITED AJIBOLA COO OF AFRILABS. IN OUR CONVERSATION WE EXPLORED WHAT IT MEANS TO COLLABORATE AND BUILD SUSTAINABLE PARTNERSHIPS IN AFRICA. WE TALKED ABOUT HOW AFRILABS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LEVERAGE THE POWER OF COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP TO BUILD AFRICA'S LARGEST ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUPPORT ECOSYSTEM.

Brief on Ajibola:

​Ajibola has over a decade of international experience in technology business consulting, advisory, and business case building. He is a market and business strategist, and he’s excellent at mapping industry best practices to attain business objectives. He has experience working in the technology ecosystem in the public and private sectors and his skills cut across finance, operations, project management, business development, technology development, and overall people management.

Relevant reference link

Africonnect

WE INVITED CRISTOBAL ALONSO CEO OF STARTUP WISE GUYS. IN OUR CONVERSATION WE EXPLORE WHAT IT MEANS TO BUILD A SUSTAINED PROGRAM THAT BUILD ENTREPRENEURS IN AFRICA AS A GLOBAL ECOSYSTEM PLAYER. WE ALSO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO LISTEN TO 5 ENTREPRENEURS PITCH FOR THE TOP 3 FAST TRACK PRIZE AT THE PRODUCT DEMO DAY.

Brief on Cristobal Alonso:

​Cristobal Alonso is the CEO of Startup Wise Guys, Europe’s most experienced B2B startup accelerator and one of the most active early-stage startup investors. He is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and global executive, with more than two decades of leading and investing in businesses. He recently co-authored Perform, The Unsexy Truth About (Startup) Success, a book on startup leadership and performance. The book has just been issued in Spanish translation.

Startups that Pitched:

Brydge

Kite Financials

All Green Ivy Limited

Route Money

Sharecard

WE INVITED MUBARAK OSMAN CO-FOUNDER OF FISHBOWL CHALLENGE TO TALK ABOUT THE CHALLENGE AND THEIR UNIQUE APPROACH TO EMPOWERING ENTREPRENEURS. WE ALSO GET TO LISTEN TO PITCHES FROM DIFFERENT ENTREPRENEURS VYING TO SECURE A SPOT IN THE FISHBOWL CHALLENGE.

Brief on Mubarak:

​⁠Mubarak Osman⁠ is a dynamic entrepreneur with a strong background in private equity and venture capital in Africa. He is actively involved in identifying and supporting early-stage technology companies that are creating impact in emerging markets. As a co-founder of The ⁠Fishbowl Challenge⁠, a global social venture launchpad empowering young entrepreneurs, Mubarak is dedicated to fostering innovation and driving social change through technology.

​This transformative venture-building program brings together diverse teams of young entrepreneurs aged 18-30 from around the world to collaborate on innovative technology solutions that address pressing issues in sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, renewable energy and sustainability

​Through The Fishbowl Challenge, Mubarak and his team have created a platform that not only provides guidance and mentorship but also offers the opportunity to secure grant funding of up to $50,000 for winning teams. Over the past four years, the program has reached over 2,000 social entrepreneurs from more than 90 countries, fostering cross-border collaboration and inspiring young entrepreneurs to make a meaningful impact.

WE INVITED CEM PERDAR EXPORT SALES MANAGER AT PAKMAYA, PAK HOLDING. IN HIS ROLE, CEM LEADS THE MARKET ENTRY AND EXPANSION OF PAKMAYA IN AFRICA. WE SPOKE ABOUT TRADE IN AFRICA, THE CHALLENGES AND THE SUCCESS OF INSTRUMENTS THAT SUPPORTS MARKET ENTRY/IMPORT AND EXPORT.

Brief on Cem:

​Cem is the Export Manager of Africa and a market entry expert Pakmaya. Pakmaya is one of the top baker's yeast, bread improver, bread mixes and pastry products producers in the world. Pakmaya is a market leader in many countries and its products feature amongst the top three brands in almost more than 120 countries.

​With an understanding of many market dynamics in Africa and being an active contributor to the conversation, Cem has a deep knowledge of what constitutes ease of trade.

WE INVITED DAVID OROK FOUNDER AND CEO OF NOCODE AFRICA AND TALCONN TO TALK ABOUT THE ELEMENT OF BUILDING A TECH COMPANY WITHOUT HAVING A TECHNICAL BACKGROUND. WE ALSO EXPLORE THE ART OF CO-FOUNDING VENTURES AND WHAT IT MEANS TO BUILD AN MVP WITH NO-CODE TOOLS.

Bio

​David Orok is a tech entrepreneur and serial businessman. He is the Founder of Nocode Africa and Talconn. He has a degree in chemical engineering, an MBA and is currently studying Master's in Technological Entrepreneurship at Innopolis University, Russia.

​At Nocode Africa, he teaches early-stage African Startup founders and entrepreneurs and techies how to build mobile and web apps without coding for FREE.

​At Talconn, he connects small and Midsize business owners to top-vetted African talents they can hire for on-demand services.

​His startup Talconn, also helps startup founders find CoFounders easily.

​

WE INVITED UWEM UWEMAKPAN FORMER HEAD OF INVESTMENT AT INGRESSIVE CAPITAL, WHERE HE DROVE THE SUCCESS OF FUND 1 (10M USD) AND FUND 2 (50M USD). WE SPOKE ABOUT THE STATE OF THE AFRICAN ECOSYSTEM AND EXPLORED THE ISSUES AROUND COLLABORATION AND THE CURRENT INVESTMENT LANDSCAPE.

Brief Uwem Uwemakpan

​Uwem is an ecosystem builder and investor, dedicated to helping early-stage startups thrive in Africa’s fast-evolving business landscape. He has a proven track record of guiding entrepreneurs towards clarity and profitability, enabling them to turn their ideas into successful ventures.

​As the former head of Investments and Operations at Ingressive Capital, Uwem played a critical role in driving the success of the $10M Fund I and $50M Fund II venture capital firm, which has been instrumental in funding the next generation of African innovators across Sub-Saharan Africa.

​Prior to this, Uwem served as the Entrepreneurship Programme Manager and founding team member of The Tony Elumelu Foundation, where he led the largest Pan-African Entrepreneurship Programme, a $100 million initiative that surpassed its 10-year goal of training, mentoring, and funding 10,000 entrepreneurs across Africa in just five years. This accomplishment solidified Uwem’s reputation as a dynamic leader who is passionate about driving entrepreneurship in Africa.