#EP 17 - Paulo Araújo: Connecting the Unconnected

Today on our podcast, we're excited to welcome Paulo Araujo who’s making internet available for people and businesses in Angola. 🎬 Full video (https://youtu.be/rrzAePII-5c) 00:00 Intro 03:18 Paulo’s Personal journey 05:32 WiConnect inception 06:58 Challenges of being an African Entrepreneur 10:59 Raising Funds and Accessing Talent 21:47 Funding Timming for a Startup 27:43 WiConnect is Now Data Oriented 35:10 Digital Inclusion 44:44 Financial Inclusion and Digital Payment Systems 46:19 The New Startup Law 54:50 Attracting the Startup Ecosystem 59:18 Our Followers Questions from X 1:04:56 Closing Remarks 🗣️More about our guest: Born and raised in Angola, Paulo Araújo pursued his higher education in England, where he studied Mathematics and Management at Loughborough University. Upon returning to his home country, he was welcomed into a thriving economy and secured a position as a Financial Analyst at Standard Bank Angola. His career trajectory within the bank propelled him to the global markets room, where he served as a money market trader. However, his entrepreneurial spirit yearned for more, and alongside his cousin, he embarked on a new venture, founding WiConnect. Today, Paulo Araujo is the General Director of WiConnect. The challenges he faced as one of Angola's entrepreneurs instilled in him a desire to support others on similar journeys. This led him to take the role of Vice President for Economic and Financial Affairs at AASED (Angola's Startup and Digital Entrepreneurship Association), where he continues to promote and foster entrepreneurship and economic development. Follow Paulo Araújo on social media: www.instagram.com/pcarroloaraujo www.linkedin.com/in/paulo-888 Links and initiatives - "Sonhar em Grande, Começar Pequeno: O Relato de um CEO a Ascender em Angola" https://bit.ly/4bciANE - Fortalecimento da Soberania Energética: O Papel da Mineração de Bitcoin na Autonomia Nacional" https://bit.ly/4bvTbyu Follow us on: https://www.africatechtalks.com/ https://twitter.com/afri_techtalks https://www.instagram.com/africatechtalks/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/africa-tech-talks Ivo Martins - www.ivo-martins.com André Cavaco - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andre-cavaco Manuel Pinto de Andrade - https://www.linkedin.com/in/manuel-pinto-de-andrade-69a03812/ Victor Calhau - https://www.linkedin.com/in/vitor-calhau/