Olumide Soyombo

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Olumide Soyombo is a Nigerian entrepreneur and venture capitalist. He is the co-founder of Bluechip Technologies, and the founder of Voltron Capital. [1]

Contents

Early life and education

Soyombo was born in September 1983 in Nigeria. As a child, he aspired to be a medical doctor, but his interest shifted towards technology after being introduced to computers and the internet. [2] Soyombo received a BSc in systems engineering from the University of Lagos in 2005. [3] He also holds a master's degree in business and information technology from Aston University in Birmingham, England. [4]

Career

Bluechip Technologies

In 2008, Soyombo co-founded Bluechip Technologies with Kazeem Tewogbade. The company provides data warehousing and business analytics solutions for banks, telecommunication companies, and insurance firms. Soyombo's father provided the initial seed investment of US $30,000. [5] Bluechip Technologies has worked with companies like Oracle, Microsoft, and several banks across Africa. [4]

Angel Investing

Soyombo began angel investing in 2014. [6] He initially launched Leadpath as a vehicle to invest in local tech startups, but later transitioned to investing individually. [7] [1] By 2024, he had invested in startups like Paystack (later acquired by Stripe), PiggyVest, TeamApt (now Moniepoint Inc.), Lemonade Finance, and AltSchool Africa. [8] [9]

Voltron Capital

In 2021, Soyombo co-founded Voltron Capital with Abe Choi. [10] Voltron Capital is a venture capital firm focused on pre-seed and seed investments in tech startups across Africa. [11] The firm's portfolio primarily includes startups in Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and Northern Africa. [12] [13] With its first fund launched in 2022, Voltron invested in 53 startups. [14] [15]

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References

  1. 1 2 Kene-Okafor, Tage (2021-07-26). "One of Nigeria's high-profile angel investors is launching a fund for African startups". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  2. ↑ TVC (2023-10-04). "I Started Making Money Since I Was 13" - Tech Guru Shares Tips On How To Start A Tech Startup . Retrieved 2024-11-04– via YouTube.
  3. ↑ "Olumide Soyombo - the Nigerian who has invested in 26 startups". Bendada.com, modern tech media in SSA. 2021-02-22. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  4. 1 2 Okwumbu-Imafidon, Ruth (2022-03-05). "Olumide Soyombo: Going from starting a business at 22 to investing in several others". Nairametrics. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  5. ↑ Balde, Lehlé (2023-09-23). "Olumide Soyombo: How $40,000 investment became multi-million dollar tech empire". Businessday NG. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  6. ↑ Arise News (2021-07-27). Voltron: Olumide Soyombo: Defender Of Africa's Tech Startup Universe . Retrieved 2024-11-04– via YouTube.
  7. ↑ "Start-up support firm launches $1.5m accelerator fund". BusinessDay NG, TV, and Podcast. 2014-03-24. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  8. ↑ TechCircle Nigeria (2024-06-29). Keynote Speech by Olumide Soyombo . Retrieved 2024-11-04– via YouTube.
  9. ↑ Arise News (2024-02-10). Bluechip Technologies Has Been An Angel Investor To PiggyVest, Paystack, Etc -Soyombo . Retrieved 2024-11-04– via YouTube.
  10. ↑ Eleanya, Frank (2021-07-27). "Olumide Soyombo: from selling mail accounts to funding startups". Businessday NG. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  11. ↑ TEDx Talks (2019-11-05). How to maximise investments as a startup | Olumide Soyombo | TEDxLagos . Retrieved 2024-11-04– via YouTube.
  12. ↑ John, Janet (2021-07-27). "Olumide Soyombo launches pan-African VC firm, Voltron Capital". Nairametrics. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  13. ↑ Jackson, Tom (2021-07-27). "Angel investor Olumide Soyombo launches pan-African VC firm Voltron Capital". Disrupt Africa. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  14. ↑ Akintaro, Samson (2023-01-29). "Amid a bearish market, Voltron Capital sees opportunities investing more in African startups". Nairametrics. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  15. ↑ "Voltron Africa invested in 53 startups in 2022, find out". Bendada.com, modern tech media in SSA. 2023-01-11. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
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