Tosin Eniolorunda, founder and Group Chief Executive Officer of Moniepoint, has been appointed honorary chairman of the inaugural cohort of the Askya AI Growth Platform, a pan-African initiative targeting investments of up to $200,000 in selected African artificial intelligence startups.
The programme, launched by Askya Investment Partners, will support 10 AI-native, Africa-focused startups with capital, execution support, and market access to help them achieve product-market fit and scale across the continent.
According to Askya, the initiative arrives as Africa’s AI ecosystem gains momentum, with the African Development Bank estimating that inclusive AI deployment could add up to $1 trillion to the continent’s GDP by 2035.
The investment firm said the programme was designed to ensure Africans become not just users of AI technology, but builders of solutions capable of competing globally.
Reacting to his appointment, Eniolorunda said: “Africans can build solutions for people all over the world, and AI may be the clearest opportunity yet to prove it.”
He added that the continent’s young founders are ready, and what they need most is execution support and access to real customers.
Eniolorunda said supporting talented African tech entrepreneurs in building sustainable businesses remains a priority for him, noting that helping builders go further is the work he cares about most — a key reason he agreed to chair the first cohort.
Founder and Managing Partner of Askya Investment Partners, Babacar Seck, said Eniolorunda’s track record made him well-suited to guide the initiative, pointing to his experience building a generational technology company that addresses real African needs with ambition and strong execution.
Seck added that Eniolorunda would help guide the next generation of builders as they pursue product-market fit and expand across the continent.
Applications remain open to African AI-native startups, with shortlisted candidates to be announced in October.
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