Meet the founders behind Nigeria’s biggest startup funding rounds in May

Nigeria’s startup ecosystem delivered one of its strongest funding performances of 2026 in May, attracting approximately $58.5 million across major deals involving fintech, logistics, Agritech, and enterprise technology companies.

A closer look at the founders behind these raises reveals a mix of seasoned operators and globally trained executives whose leadership continues to shape the trajectory of their startups.

According to startup funding data for May 2026, five Nigerian startups—LemFi, BFREE, MAX, Sycamore and Tomato Jos accounted for the bulk of Nigeria’s fundraising activity, approximately $57 million (97.4% of the funds raised in the country) during the month, while other ventures such as CashAfrica, Andela, and Pullus Africa also secured fresh capital of $500,000 each to support expansion efforts.

These founders have become part of the key individuals shaping Nigeria’s digital economy, creating more jobs, broadening financial inclusion, improving productivity in agriculture, and solving infrastructure challenges across Africa amongst others.

Among the female founders on the list, Mira Mehta, co-founder and CEO of Tomato Jos, secured $2 million in debt financing to further scale Nigeria’s tomato value chain.

Mehta is a graduate of Brown University and Harvard Business School and has lived in Nigeria since 2008.

Founded in 2014 by Mira Mehta and Shane Kiernan, Tomato Jos was established to address one of Nigeria’s biggest agricultural challenges, being one of Africa’s largest tomato producers while remaining heavily dependent on imported tomato paste. The company works directly with smallholder farmers while processing locally sourced tomatoes into finished products.

Before founding Tomato Jos, Mira Mehta worked in the financial services and healthcare sectors in New York and Nigeria, respectively, where she gained valuable technical skills, developed an empathetic worldview, and built a strong network that has empowered her to launch a business at the base of the pyramid.

Over the years, the company has continued to scale its operations as Mehta has built Tomato Jos into one of Nigeria’s most recognized agribusiness success stories. Tomato Jos directly employs 204 Nigerians and sources from more than 3,000 smallholder farmers, 60% of whom are women. The company meets all four criteria of the 2X Challenge, a global benchmark for gender-lens investment.

The company has consistently focused on reducing post-harvest losses, improving farmer incomes, and increasing local agricultural processing capacity.

The new financing is expected to support processing capacity expansion and strengthen the company’s supply chain network.

Babatunde Akin-Moses, co-founder and CEO of Sycamore, led the fintech company to a $5 million debt raise in May 2026.

Babatunde holds a First-Class degree in Economics from Bowen University and an MBA from both the Lagos Business School and IESE Business School in Spain.

Sycamore, founded in 2019 by a three-member team, became one of Nigeria’s notable digital lending and wealth management platforms. The company connects borrowers and investors through technology-driven financial products while helping individuals and businesses access alternative financing.

Akin-Moses has positioned Sycamore as a trusted platform in Nigeria’s growing digital finance ecosystem, emphasizing responsible lending and financial inclusion. The latest funding is expected to support loan book expansion and strengthen the company’s investment offerings.

The company navigate a competitive fintech environment while maintaining growth and investor confidence with Babatunde at the helm of affairs.

Adetayo Bamiduro, co-founder and CEO of MAX (Metro Africa Xpress), secured $8 million in debt financing in the review period, reinforcing investor confidence in Africa’s mobility and logistics sector.

MAX was founded in 2015 by Adetayo Bamiduro and Chinedu Azodoh, MAX (Metro Africa Xpress) has become one of Africa’s leading mobility technology companies, providing logistics, vehicle financing, and transportation solutions.

The company has played a pioneering role in digitizing mobility services while supporting drivers and fleet operators with access to financing, insurance, and operational technology. Over the years, MAX has expanded beyond ride-hailing into electric mobility and broader transportation infrastructure.

Bamiduro, an alumnus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has been widely recognized for driving innovation in African mobility. The latest debt funding is expected to strengthen the company’s fleet financing operations and accelerate expansion initiatives.

Second on the list is Julian Flosbach, co-founder and CEO of BFREE, which raised $10 million in equity funding round to expand its distressed debt acquisition business across Africa. The new capital will support larger portfolio acquisitions and help the company deepen partnerships with banks, fintechs, and other lending institutions.

Founded in 2020 by Julian Flosbach, Chukwudi Enyi, and Moses Nmor, BFREE operates at the intersection of fintech and credit management. The company uses artificial intelligence and data-driven approaches to acquire and recover non-performing loans while creating more customer-friendly debt resolution processes.

Flosbach holds a Master of Arts in International Business from the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management and a bachelor’s degree from the Technical University of Cologne. He also completed semesters abroad at Universidad del Pacífico (Peru) and Stellenbosch Business School (South Africa).

Prior to co-founding BFREE, Julian was the Managing Director of FairMoney, one of Nigeria’s leading digital lenders. Julian started his career in investment banking and consulting with Rautenberg & Company and Private Equity with DEG – German Investment Corporation.

Flosbach’s lead has transformed BFREE from a debt collection software provider into one of Africa’s emerging credit infrastructure companies. With operations spanning multiple markets, the startup is helping financial institutions improve balance sheet efficiency while creating more sustainable debt recovery models.

At the top of the list is Ridwan Olalere, co-founder and CEO of LemFi, the cross-border payments startup that secured $32 million in a Series B extension round, making it the largest Nigerian startup raise in May 2026.

Founded in 2020 by Ridwan Olalere and his co-founder Rian P Cochran, LemFi was created to solve one of the biggest pain points facing African migrants: affordable and seamless international money transfers. What began as a remittance platform has evolved into a broader financial services ecosystem serving diaspora communities across Europe and North America.