Mitchell Owoh

@nippyyhq has just crossed 2m in transaction volume, 13 days after we crossed 1m in transaction volume, PRE-LAUNCH!!!

@kizitoxbt @Only1Gkash @coinbase @base Lol

@Only1Gkash @coinbase @base the ecosystem leads that doesn't even try to respond to builders? good riddance

I need answers. So @coinbase / @base fired most of their ecosystem leads. Including our lead here in West Africa. Since then we've not even been addressed. Here are my questions: - Are we to expect new leads ? - If no, does this mean that coinbase and Base is dismantling their communities in the regions affected? - what becomes of the products built by developers and founders in these regions ? @jessepollak @brian_armstrong

So relatable 😂

Nobody joins an early stage company for certainty. They join because they see something worth building and they want to be the ones who build it. I’m surrounded by people who made that choice. That shared conviction is the actual foundation of everything we’re doing.

@_CallMeMacy @RKRigney Sure thing, registered and ready!

come to the party

@RKRigney Thanks for this

Sent about 50 DMs… there’s some slots remaining here for anybody that sees this link in time: calendly.com/rkrigney/a16z-… see you there 🫡

THIS FRIDAY: I'm pulling together investors and operators from the a16z @speedrun team for a live Zoom AMA call. Want to join? Hit the replies and I'll DM the signup link.

@RKRigney @speedrun I'd love the link @RKRigney

@RKRigney @speedrun Hey

@RKRigney @stalmico @speedrun What’s it looking like for Founders in Africa? @RKRigney By the way, you attended to my mail when I couldn’t receive my Verification code.

@stalmico @speedrun Last time was ~0.4% and this time it might be a bit lower just due to growing interest in the program. We give every application a serious look, though.

ONE WEEK LEFT The final day to apply for our 2026 Summer/Fall cohort is May 17th. If you have the makings of a generational founder, don't hesitate. It's time to build.

Most Nigerian tech influencers have never shipped a product with real users. But they'll tell you which framework to use, which startup to join, and why your idea won't work. The loudest voices in Nigerian tech Twitter are often the ones who've built the least.

@egbokavictory_ Relax na 😂

Victor, where’s that your babe you used to post her nails and fingers inside car? Eh?

@ani_danielson Make she Dey trek for main camp😂

Would it have been less painful if he had sent her to UNICAL and paid in Naira?🤔

@Joe_brendan_ Why exactly?

I need to be in Akwa Ibom. Not Uyo, a local government like Okobo or Ibiono-Ibom. I need that mood right now.

@mk_tycoon I am sending a dm now sir.

@_mtchy_ Ok

Despite the challenges, I remain actively investing in early-stage technology businesses. But I’m intentional about two things: 1. Co-investing with the right partners I prefer working with investors who: - Take a long-term view - Add strategic value beyond capital - Understand the realities of African markets - Are comfortable operating in the early-stage risk zone 2. Seeing disciplined, execution-focused founders The types of opportunities I’m most interested in: - MVP built and in-market - Early revenue or strong traction signals - Solving real, local or regional problems - Clear path to sustainability (not just scale) I’m particularly interested in businesses operating in: - Financial services / fintech - Enterprise solutions - Infrastructure-enabling technology - Scalable service platforms If you’re: - A founder building in this space - Or an investor looking to syndicate I’m open to conversations. The opportunity in Africa is real—but success will come from better alignment, better execution, and better partnerships. #AngelInvestor #AfricaTech #CoInvesting #Startups #VentureCap

The revolution in Fintech will not come from anything new, but from the optimisation of existing systems.

@StephNass Give me back my time or give me a check.

Venture capital is crazy. I met a 20-year-old founder who just raised $100M. Naturally, I asked how he got started. He said he just built a landing page in Wix. No product. No users. Not even a cool domain. He started cold DMing VCs on LinkedIn with his deck. No traction, but it had great vibes. He added “AI-powered” in the subtitle just in case. Used Midjourney to mock up the product screenshots. Within a week, he had 4 term sheets. Oversubscribed. No board seats. No liquidation preference. Just vibes. Now he’s scaling to $1B in ARR - still no product. He says fundraising is easy if you “manifest it.” None of this happened btw.

@ani_danielson Oh dah!😂

Whenever I’m outside Akwa Ibom or Cross River and I’m craving Afang soup, the first thing I do is walk into a restaurant and shout, 'Dah, Abadieh!' If nobody responds, I dust my shoes and leave😕

@waleyinks Very non-challant responses. 😂

😆😆😆😆😆

@thinkcartology Well said

@_mtchy_ That is the part most people do not see until they are in it.

You think you're building a startup, but the startup is actually building you.

@NimishaChanda @a16z When did you apply for Speedrun @NimishaChanda

woke up to a rejection email from @a16z how’s life?