Ajayi bring rich operational expertise, diverse region-specific knowledge to QED
ALEXANDRIA, Va.-Wednesday 19 January 2022 [ AETOS Wire ]
(BUSINESS WIRE)-- QED Investors, a leading global venture capital firm focused on investing in disruptive financial services companies, today announced it has hired Gbenga Ajayi.
Gbenga, who joins QED as a partner, is the company’s first hire focused on fintech investments in Africa.
“We could not be happier to welcome Gbenga to our rapidly growing international team,” said QED Investors Managing Partner Nigel Morris. “He has a deep operator pedigree and he is incredibly connected to the early stage entrepreneurial ecosystem across the continent. Gbenga has worked at a number of innovative tech companies, and I am thoroughly impressed with his passion for building great companies and his deeply held desire to support talented founders tackling the biggest ideas. He also sees how fintech can drive financial inclusion pan Africa.
“Following the success QED saw when we moved into India 18 months ago, supporting disruptive founders in Africa was a natural next step. There has been a real explosion in venture activity throughout the region as the promise of fintech to democratize access to financial services while removing friction has become inescapable.”
Gbenga has spent his career working across fintech and Africa in a variety of roles from product development and growth to marketing and partnerships. Prior to joining QED, he was co-founder of Kanza Ventures, a boutique seed investment and advisory firm focused on fintech in Africa. Before that, he was product director for SMB growth at Wise (formerly TransferWise), a global cross-border remittance fintech, and the head of strategic Partnerships at Revolut, Europe’s biggest neobank.
In addition, he spent six years at Google in a variety of roles from managing telecom industry partnerships and strategy in Africa to leading Google’s mobile app business and strategy with clients spread across Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa. He was also a product partnerships lead in Europe and Africa where he worked on localizing Google Search in Africa and launched Google Events Search in Germany, the U.K., Spain and France.
“I’m incredibly excited to bring QED to Africa and to bring Africa to QED,” said Gbenga. “QED has the unparalleled combination of a world-class track record in venture and an unmatched reputation in global fintech. There is a massive opportunity for transformational fintech companies to be built in Africa over the coming years, and QED is the perfect partner to support, advise and mentor the next wave of talented founders.”
Gbenga is completing his Executive MBA at London Business School and received his Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria.
Founded in 2007, QED Investors has invested in more than 160 companies, including 21 unicorns, and has more than $4.6 billion under management. In September, QED announced it had closed a substantially oversubscribed $1.05 billion fund, including $550 million in QED Fund VII for early stage investments and $500 million in a new Growth Fund.
About QED Investors
QED Investors is a global leading venture capital firm based in Alexandria, Va. Founded by Nigel Morris and Frank Rotman in 2007, QED Investors is focused on investing in disruptive financial services companies in the U.S., the U.K. and Europe, Latin America, Southeast Asia and Africa. QED Investors is dedicated to building great businesses and uses a unique, hands-on approach that leverages our partners’ decades of entrepreneurial and operational experience, helping their companies achieve breakthrough growth. Notable investments include AvidXchange, Bitso, Current, Creditas, Credit Karma, Kavak, Klarna, Konfio, Loft, Nubank, QuintoAndar, Remitly and SoFi.
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Contacts
Ashley Marshall
Director, PR and Communications
QED Investors
ashley@qedinvestors.com
(518) 577-9984
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