This Week in Startups is brought to you by:
OpenPhone - Create business phone numbers for you and your team that work through an app on your smartphone or desktop. TWiST listeners can get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at https://www.openphone.com/twist
Lemon.io - Hire pre-vetted remote developers, get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://www.Lemon.io/twist
Linear - Linear helps product teams focus on what they do best: Planning and building great products. Streamline issues, projects, and product roadmaps in a tool your team will actually enjoy using. Get 25% off at https://www.Linear.app/twist
*
Todays show:
Moniepoint made waves this week by raising a massive $110 million Series C. For a startup in a category (fintech) that has seen its venture fortunes falter and a company building for the African market (which has seen its venture inflows slow), Moniepoint is an outlier – twice. Three times if you consider how quickly the company has grown in recent years. How did its round come together? How was it priced? And why aren’t more investors putting capital to work in Africa? Tune in, we have answers.
*
Timestamps:
(0:00) Alex Wilhelm kicks off the show
(1:21) Moniepoint's origin story and pivot to the current model
(10:30) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at https://www.openphone.com/twist
(10:13) Balancing profitability and venture capital
(16:48) Digitalization's impact on Moniepoint's growth
(25:11) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist
(26:43) Moniepoint's office and IPO strategies
(28:18) Launch of consumer banking services
(31:07) Linear - Streamline issues, projects, and product roadmaps in a tool your team will actually enjoy using. Get 25% off at https://www.linear.app/twist
(32:07) The recent fundraising round and valuation insights
(38:32) Moniepoint's expansion plans in Africa
(42:17) Fostering the early-stage startup ecosystem
(44:18) Tosin's journey in angel investing
(46:38) Spotlight on African startups in the global market
(49:37) Angel University - Apply now at https://www.angel.univeristy
*
Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com
Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com
*
Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp
*
Check out Moniepoint: https://moniepoint.com
*
Follow Tosin:
X: https://x.com/eniolorunda
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tosin-eniolorunda-46833618
*
Follow Alex:
X: https://x.com/alex
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm
*
Thank you to our partners:
(10:30) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at https://www.openphone.com/twist
(25:11) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist
(31:07) Linear - Streamline issues, projects, and product roadmaps in a tool your team will actually enjoy using. Get 25% off at https://www.linear.app/twist
*
Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland
*
Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis
*
Follow TWiST:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups
Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com
*
Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916