Olumide Soyombo Explained

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

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.

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] 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]}

Notes and References

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