Articles by Emeka Ajene

Based in Lagos, Nigeria, Emeka is the Founder of Afridigest, a media and strategic intelligence platform focused on African markets, and Co-founder and former CEO of Gozem, a super app operating across multiple markets in Francophone West and Central Africa. He is a Foundry Fellow of the MIT Kuo Sharper Center for Prosperity and Entrepreneurship and the author of African Founders at Work (Apress/Springer Nature, forthcoming 2026). Follow him on Linkedin and Twitter. | |

Clever Credit Afridigest

Clever credit: How African startups are using data & distribution to de-risk lending

Africa-focused innovators can learn from the examples of three Nigerian companies that leverage unique data and distribution strategies to lend intelligently.

March 2023

The untold story of Africa’s newest unicorn, MNT-Halan

Studying the origins and evolution of Egypt’s MNT-Halan reveals important lessons for builders in Africa and beyond.

February 2023

Three lessons for founders in Africa’s mobile-first economy

Africa has the highest share of internet traffic coming from mobile worldwide. Here are three implications founders and builders should keep in mind.

February 2023

The complete list of African unicorns today

Africa's unicorn list is small but growing. Here's an overview of the nine unicorns in the African tech ecosystem today. (Updated: September 2025.)

February 2023
27 founders that raised over $1 million in Francophone Africa in 2022

27 founders that raised over $1 million in Francophone Africa in 2022

While conventional startup & VC wisdom across Africa and elsewhere is to chase huge markets above all else, the reality is that focusing on dominating ‘niche’ markets is a savvy way to avoid competition and achieve efficient growth, not just...

February 2023

Diamonds in the diaspora: How startups are building for African communities worldwide

Africa-focused innovators should explore embracing the global African diaspora as a business strategy, and here are five startups doing just that.

January 2023