The Startup Leap Podcast

In 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 cons...

In 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...

In this insightful episode, Ivan shares his incredible journey from medical school with aspirations of becoming a surgeon, to interning at DeepMind, and ultimately founding a transformative healthcare company, Suvera. Ivan outlines the challenges he faced in shifting from founder to CEO, the importance of unlearning and relearning, and his strategic focus on leveraging data science in medicine. He...

In this episode of the Startup Leap, Yvonne and Maria sit down with Timbo, the founder of OkHi, a startup rethinking smart addressing for emerging markets. Despite 90% of the world being covered by Google Maps, four billion people lack a formal addressing system. Timbo details his journey from working at Google to experiencing firsthand the massive addressing issues in Africa, which led him to lau...

In this episode of Startup Leap, hosts Yvonne and Maria dive deep into critical considerations for startup founders focusing on equity allocation and cap table management. The episode covers insights on how to strategically allocate early equity with co-founders, advisors, and employees, including tips on vesting schedules and cliffs. They share expert advice on raising the right amount of capital...

In this episode, Nadia Odunayo, CEO and founder of The StoryGraph, discusses her journey from investment banking to founding a disruptive book tracking technology company through bootstrapping instead of venture capital. Nadia shares insights into her bootstrapping philosophy, avoiding venture capital, validating product ideas, and building a dedicated user community and building incredibly lean -...

Join hosts Maria and Yvonne on the Startup Leap Podcast as they dive deep into the inspiring journey of Olugbenga Agboola, popularly known as “GB” Founder and CEO of Flutterwave, Africa's leading fintech company making African payments seamless. Discover how Flutterwave scaled to become one of Africa's most valued startups, operating in over 30 markets, processing over $31billion in transactions a...

In this episode of the Startup Leap Podcast, hosts Yvonne and Maria explore the five critical mistakes first-time founders often make. Drawing from their extensive experience evaluating and investing in startups across Europe and Africa and previous guest episodes, they share valuable insights on founder-market fit, building with customers, focusing on distribution and sales, strategizing fundrais...

In this exciting episode of the Startup Leap Podcast, Hosts, Maria and Yvonne chat with Eshita Kabra-Davies, the visionary founder of the award-winning app By Rotation on her journey building technology for the world’s largest shared wardrobe. Eshita shares her journey from corporate finance to entrepreneurship, inspired by a life-changing honeymoon to India. Learn how By Rotation is reshaping fas...

Thinking about VC funding for your startup? Before you make the leap, ask yourself these 5 crucial questions to see if venture capital is the right move for your business. In this video, you'll discover: Is your business scalable enough for VCs? Do you need rapid growth or steady profits? Are you ready to give up equity and control? Can you handle the pressure of scaling fast? Have you explored al...

In this episode of the Startup Leap Podcast, hosts Maria and Yvonne discuss one of the most pivotal steps in launching a startup: finding the right co-founder. They highlight various ways, both traditional and unconventional, that successful founders have met their co-founders from their experience assessing over 6k startups, investing in £200m+ and investing in over 80+ startups. This includes le...

In this episode, we share 10+ go-to-market strategies from experienced founders we’ve spoken to on The Startup Leap who have collectively raised over $1bn+ in venture funding. Bring out your note apps and notepads for this one, it's filled with time-tested startup launch wisdom. Learn how to build a solid and PROVEN GTM strategy that drives customer acquisition, revenue growth, and product-market...

You asked, we delivered! Here's a re-run of our mind-blowing chat with Sait Cham. Even if you’ve heard it before, you’ll catch new gems on the second listen! Key Insights: Starting from scratch to leading in logistics tech Key takeaways on resilience and leadership The benefits of focusing on unit economics early Practical insights on scaling for profitability Connect with Sait Cham, Hutch and Pim...

It’s the final leap of 2024! Reflecting on bold moves and big lessons, Yvonne and Maria take a walk down memory lane. They recall founder stories and highlights from a whirlwind year that made 2024 unforgettable. Let’s revisit the moments that sparked growth, laughter, and transformation. Episode recap: Be intentional: Founders share how clarity fuels success Leap stories: Startup journeys that be...

On this episode of The Startup Leap, meet Carmelle Cadet, the visionary behind EmTech, a company revolutionizing financial systems for central banks worldwide! From IBM to entrepreneurship, Carmelle’s leap is packed with insights, pivots, and game-changing moments. Tune in as she shares how blockchain, bold decisions, and sheer grit power her mission to create inclusive financial markets. Key High...

We know there’s an issue with the sound on this episode, but trust us—it’s worth it! Dive into this epic conversation with Tayo Oviosu, Founder of Paga, a groundbreaking African fintech solving payment access for a billion people. Highlights: Simplifying money for a billion people Pioneering partnerships to scale fintech infrastructure Lessons in resilience from over a decade of innovation Want to...

🎙️ In this re-run episode, we sit down with three-time founder Timothy Armoo @timarmoo, who shares his inspiring Leap story, starting his company while still at university and later starting @Fanbytes, which he sold for 8 figures at the age of 27. Episode Episode Highlights: Childhood and Early Influences: Discover how his journey from humble beginnings in Ghana to the UK fuelled his ambitions to...

🚀 On this episode of The Startup Leap, we chat with Gabriel Shin, Co-founder of Landscape, a data-driven platform helping VCs discover early-stage founders and unlock market insights. Their product, Compass, is transforming the venture capital space, one data point at a time. 🌟 💡 What to expect: 🏗️ How Landscape pivoted from VC reviews to a powerful data-driven venture tool 💼 Gabriel’s transit...

🎙️ This week, The Startup Leap shares with you the inspiring journey of Jasmine Schembri-Stothart, co-founder of Luna—a health and wellbeing platform for teenage girls. 🌟 Don’t miss these highlights: ✨ From consulting to creating a startup 👩🏾‍🤝‍👩🏼 Harnessing TikTok and grassroots efforts to connect with teens worldwide 💪🏽 Building a team passionate about their mission 📢 Ready to make pub...

🎙️ In this episode of The Startup Leap , we speak with Tunde Kara , Co-founder of Vendease , a groundbreaking platform empowering food businesses across Africa with technology and access to credit. 🍽️💰 🌟 Key takeaways: From the Farm to Fintech: How Tunde’s upbringing inspired solutions for Africa’s fragmented food supply chain. Credit as a catalyst: Why proper financing is the backbone of scalin...

🚀 In our latest episode of The Startup Leap, we speak with Elizabeth Rossiello, Founder and CEO of AZA Finance, an innovator in African cross-border payment solutions and remittances. Elizabeth shares how her experiences in microfinance led her to tackle Africa’s currency exchange challenges. Key Takeaways: 🔎 The journey from microfinance to building a fintech that addresses African liquidity ne...

🚀 In this episode , Yvonne and Maria dive into essential hiring insights every founder needs. Explore team-building strategies, co-founder compatibility, and methods to attract talent with purpose. Founders know that building the right team is crucial. This episode revisits key insights on how to navigate the challenges of finding the perfect co-founders and team members to drive success. 👨🏿‍🤝...

🎙️Today on The Startup Leap , we feature Sait Cham, the Founder and CEO behind Hutch and Pimento. Learn how Sait built Hutch into a leading 3PL (Third-Party Logistics) provider, handling logistics for brands with customizable, tech-powered solutions, and how Pimento's software transformed the logistics game for 3PL providers everywhere. Key Insights: ✨ Starting from scratch to leading in logistic...

🎙️On this episode of The Startup Leap, we sit down with Raffi Salama, CEO & Co-Founder of Passionfruit, a B2B marketplace connecting top-tier freelance marketing talent with leading global brands like PepsiCo, Mars, and HSBC. 🚀 Key Takeaways: 💼 Discover how Raffi's journey—from working with David Beckham to building Passionfruit—was driven by luck, hard work, and smart strategies. 🎯 Learn t...

🎙️This week on The Startup Leap, we sit down with Sabrina Del Prete, Founder of KORE Labs—a pioneering company transforming how financial institutions design and launch digital products.🚀 Key Takeaways: 💡 Sabrina's bold leap: From senior roles at top banks to founding KORE Labs, Sabrina shares her journey of turning an innovative idea into a successful fintech startup. 🌍 Empowering Fintech: Dis...