What does it really take to raise millions as an African founder?

In this unfiltered episode Chika & Eche break down how they raised $2.4 million in just 21 days and the painful lessons learned along the way. From losing $1.5 million in commitments overnight to discovering why 98% of startups fail this is the playbook for anyone dreaming of building something big. 

In this episode: 

→ How Chika & Eche closed $2.4M in 3 weeks 

→ Why $1.5M in commitments disappeared overnight

→ The difference between idea vs traction when pitching 

→ Why your team matters more than your idea 

→ The pitch deck structure that wins investors 

→ Hard lessons from losing a $1M deal 

→ Why 98% of startups fail but some still thrive 

→ The 5 fundraising stages every founder must master

‍

This episode is sponsored by Inverroche Gin, South Africa’s premium craft gin that fuses heritage botanicals with innovation.

Discover more: https://www.inverroche 

‍

Want to connect 1:1 with Africa's boldest thinkers? Book a 15-minute convo on Convo: https://convo.vip/ with leaders like Tunde Onakoya, Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, Asa Asika, and more.

‍

Listen to more Afropolitan Podcast episodes:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Afropolitan   

‍

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5Xq94qg9fR4JdbUXu7MmUG?si=qCL8OHveSWyyEGxZOAdP1A 

‍

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afropolitan/id1808954585 

‍

Hosted by

Eche — https://www.linkedin.com/in/eemole/   

Chika — https://www.linkedin.com/in/chikauwazie/   

‍

Stay connected with Afropolitan: 

Twitter: https://x.com/afropolitan 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast   

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/afropolitannation/ 

Website: https://www.afropolitan.io

‍

🔗 Join our community for exclusive updates: afropolitan.io/community

Get email updates: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter

‍

Timestamps:

📍 Timestamps
00:00 - How We Raised $2.4M The Framework
01:49 - The Early Days Of Nigerian Startups Paystack Flutterwave
03:42 - From Afrobeat Parties To Building A Tech Nation
05:40 - Why I Pivoted From Events To Tech
07:51 - Naval’s 4 Ways To Build Wealth Labor Capital Media & Code
10:10 - How Relationships Built Over 10 Years Led To Millions
13:04 - Why Audacity Wins In Fundraising
16:50 - The 4 Phases Of Building A Digital Nation
19:44 - Why African Founders Undersell Their Vision
21:39 - What Investors Really Look For In Founders
23:00 - Proof Of Concept From 300K Tickets To 200K Online Members
31:40 - Idea Vs Traction Why Elon Shows Prototypes First
34:03 - Why 3 Customers Can Be Enough For Traction
40:44 - The #1 Mistake Founders Make In Pitch Decks
43:50 - Why Your Startup Team Is The Olympics
47:10 - How To Promote A Fundraise Like A Party
49:33 - Why Only Money In The Bank Counts
51:26 - Losing $1.5M Overnight And What We Learned
54:02 - Why You Must Create Urgency & Momentum
55:36 - Why VCs Respect Confidence Not Desperation
57:22 - The Only Taboo In Startups Fraud
59:30 - Why A Bad Board Can Kill Your Fundraise
01:01:50 - How A Blocked $1M Deal Forced Me To Walk Away
01:03:51- Co-Founders Burnout & Alignment Issues
01:07:10 - Launching 500 NFT Passports Phase 1
01:11:41 - Why Tech Is No Longer The Moat Distribution Is
01:13:54 - Storytelling The One Thing Every Investor Remembers

‍