Thank God it’s Friday, fam!

I’ll be honest I spent my Wednesday night doing what any dedicated football fan does: Hate-watching. I was fully prepared to hop in here and talk about Bottlers FC Arsenal dropping points, but life clearly had other plans ( They must have learnt alot from the Man U masterclass last sunday😆).

If you’re a Gunners fan, you can breathe now. You survived another mid-week scare, and my "drafts" folder where I keep the memes for your downfall will have to stay locked... for at least another week. Whether your team won or you’re just happy the weekend is finally here to heal your wounds, we’ve got some exciting update for you

The dust has settled. The portal is closed.

Applications for our first WO Community Demo Day officially ended on Wednesday, and the caliber of startups that stepped up is nothing short of elite. Tomorrow, January 31st, we go live on Zoom to see who has the grit to take home the crown.

The winner doesn't just walk away with $500 CAD in non-dilutive funding. They secure 1 of only 3 slots to pitch for the big one in April: $5,000 – $10,000 CAD from the WO Fund and our network of heavy-hitting investors.

Selecting the winner for this first round won’t be easy. Onyeka would be joined on the judging panel by two people who know exactly what scale looks like:

Together, they will be grilling the finalists to see who is truly ready to move the needle.

Even if you aren’t pitching, you need to be in the room. This is where you see how VCs think, how founders handle pressure, and where the next big African "improbable story" begins.

When: Tomorrow, Jan 31st

Where: Virtual (Zoom)
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86005237492?pwd=BvfxPALFu0TPHEvNbZYrKPJFBEzpb2.1

Meeting ID: 860 0523 7492
Passcode: 071964

One of our own is making serious waves in the fintech space. Olajumoke Oduwole and the team at Alajo recently held their Thanksgiving and Award Giving Day, and it was a powerful reminder of why this community exists.

Who is Alajo? If you’ve been following the ecosystem, you know Alajo is doing the "hard work" of fintech. They’ve digitized the age-old tradition of thrift savings (Ajo/Esusu), providing a secure digital identity for the unbanked. By turning "trust-based" savings into data-backed wealth, Jumoke and her team are building the financial rails for the real economy.

The WithOnyeka community was out in full force, represented by our very own "Chief," Dr. Sola.

The highlight of the night? Onyeka was honored with the "Visionary Support Award"—a testament to the long-term impact of the mentorship happening in this circle.

Onyeka’s reaction to the win:

"This is so beautiful to see. Thank you, Jumoke, for honoring me. It’s wild to see how a simple conversation in my office four years ago with your co-founder led to such an amazing business. I am so happy for you and the entire team."

This is exactly why we should show up for ourselves every day. A "simple conversation" today can become a visionary award four years from now. Stay consistent, fam.

If you want to know what "moving in silence" looks like, look at Gbite Oduneye.

Gbite isn’t just a powerhouse in the African VC space through ODBA; he’s a dedicated member of our community who has sat in on our demo days and kept a keen eye on the talent coming out of this circle.

Back in December, Gbite shared this vision with Onyeka. He was dreaming of a way to bridge the gap between African innovation and global capital. Fast forward to today: The London Stock Exchange just celebrated the launch of the Indexa Exchange AT50 Index.

Why this is a massive flex: The AT50 Index is a game-changer. It’s designed to track the performance of the top 50 African companies, giving the rest of the world a clear, liquid way to invest in the continent’s growth. For Africa, this means more visibility and more institutional "dry powder" flowing into our markets.

Gbite doesn't just build indices; he builds people. Because he believes in the quality of what we are doing here, he will be personally reviewing the pitch decks of every startup that comes out of our January, February, and March Demo Days.

The Lesson: The world is finally looking at Africa through a lens of scale, not just "potential." If you are building, build for the global stage. The bridge to London is officially open, and one of the gatekeepers is right here in the room with us.

If there is one person in this community who embodies the "build, break, and fix" spirit, it’s Temitope Ekundayo. Temitope hasn’t just been a major contributor to the growth of the WithOnyeka circle; he’s been in the trenches of the African tech ecosystem for years. This week, TechCabal published a deep dive into the "Day 1-1000" journey of GetEquity, and it is a masterclass in founder resilience.

The Summary: After launching in the 2021 venture boom to democratize startup investing, GetEquity faced a brutal reality: the "fuel" (VC deals) evaporated. Instead of folding, Temitope and the team executed a high-stakes pivot. They shifted from high-risk equity to local debt investments—like commercial papers for giants like Dangote Group.

The Result? They went from "technical hubris" to a lean, profitable machine, processing over ₦500 million and proving that a pivot isn't a failure—it’s an evolution.

We often talk about "vibes and rounds," but Temitope’s story is about unit economics. He proved that being a founder isn't about sticking to your original plan—it's about staying alive long enough to find the one that actually works. If you’re feeling the pressure of the "funding winter," this is your survival guide.

👉 Read the Full TechCabal Feature: How GetEquity Found Profit in the Venture Drought.

If you’re reading this, the countdown is officially in the hours, not days. Tonight, while the rest of the world is doing "regular" Friday night things, the most ambitious founders and investors in the ecosystem are gathering for something different.

Unicorns After Dark is back for Edition #4, and the energy is already off the charts.

This isn't your typical stiff networking event. This is the "after-hours playground" the room where the guards come down and the real partnerships begin. We’re talking:

Don’t be the one scrolling through the "recap" videos tomorrow morning wishing you were there. Lock your spot, grab a cue stick, and let’s make some magic happen.

🎟️ Secure Your Final Ticket Here 📸 Catch the Vibe on Instagram

Following a massive first edition in Abuja that was flooded with testimonials and success stories, Our Chief Dr.Sola Osinoiki is bringing the heat to Lagos on 07/02/2026.

BTW:  Onyeka sponsored  3 community members for the Executive Lunch (Session 1).Congratulations to the winners.

To the women in our community: if you’ve been looking for a sign to take your business from "surviving" to "scaling," this is it.

Applications for Cohort 9 of the African Women Entrepreneurship Cooperative (AWEC) are officially live. This isn’t just another webinar series—this is a high-touch, 12-month leadership "Mini-MBA" designed specifically for the African woman entrepreneur.

Why this is a "Gold Medal" Opportunity:

Are you eligible? The AWEC selection team is looking for resilient women who:

The Catch: They receive over 2,500 applications for only 200 spots (that’s an 8% acceptance rate). If you want in, you need to bring your A-game to the application.

Applications close on February 2nd, 2026.

👉 Apply for AWEC Cohort 9 Here

We always say that pitching is a "rehearsal for the global stage." But to get to that stage, you need more than just a great story—you need the resources to keep building. Here are the top opportunities currently open for our community:

This is the big one. This year’s "Country Innovation" stream is dedicated specifically to Nigeria.

A dedicated accelerator for Black-led startups looking to bridge into the North American market.

The gold standard for early-stage African seed capital.

Perfect for hardware or deep-tech startups (AI, IoT, 5G) looking for technical guidance.

An accelerator focused on social impact and technology for children and young people.

Editor’s Note: Notice how the African Impact Challenge deadline is the same day as our Demo Day? If you’ve spent all week refining your pitch for tomorrow, you already have 90% of the work done. Don't let the $25k slip away—use your momentum to hit 'Submit' today!