Growth Hub

Founder & CEO

Quantanite

Sold out of Quantanite having scaled from $1m AAR to $20m ARR within 5 years. Closing multiple deals from 10-350 seats.

Chief Commercial Officer & Shareholder

Founder (Growthonics)

CAKE Technologies

•	Planned and executed the overall sales and business development strategy from the ground up.
•	Built a team to take signed partners from just 14 to over 280 including Corbin and King, Ricker Restaurants, Soho House Group, Toms Kitchen, Salt Yard Group, M Resturants, Obica, Noble Inns and the Zetter Group.

Sales Director

Rocket Internet SE

Managing Director, Sales

Pheonix Global Management

Director Business Development

Walton Asset Management 

Sage

Formally Alchemex (Bought by Sage in 2011).

Business Development

Waltech PLC

Business Development & Shareholder

In deal origination, speed wins—but most firms are still slowed down by messy data, manual processes, and missed signals.

I help deal teams cut through the noise with automation, AI, and real-time insights—so they can focus on what really matters: closing better deals, faster.

As CEO and Founder of Growth Hub, I work with private equity, venture capital, and M&A teams to transform their data from a liability into an advantage. We make sure your CRM is an asset, your pipeline is enriched, and your team is always ahead of the curve.

If your deal flow feels like guesswork instead of a well-oiled machine, let’s talk.

🚀 Data-driven. AI-powered. Deal-focused.

Dan Vanrenen

We got a kitten.

His name is Gus.

He was a birthday present for our youngest, who just turned 8.

And my immediate reaction was:
WTAF are we doing?!

We already have two kids.
Two dogs.
And my wife and I work full-time, together, from home.
Same business. Same office.
Same general chaos.

So yeah…adding a kitten maybe wasn’t the most logical move.

But here we are.

This week Gus has discovered the keyboard.
Rollo (our 8-month-old lab) still face bombs team calls.
Bingo (our 7 year old cockapoo) insists on barking when I'm trying to have a serious call. 
And our house is now essentially a co-working space with fur.

Sometimes I wonder if it’s a bit much to share online.
That we work from our home office.
That we work as a couple.
That I don’t have a slick office in the city and can’t remember the last time I wore a tie for work. 

I worry it might look… small.
Like we’re not “serious” enough for financial services.

But this is our reality.
And the more I think about it the more I think that people actually LIKE working with us because we aren’t particularly ‘corporate’. 

We don’t have lots of middle management (none, in fact). 
If there’s a problem our clients get to speak to Katherine or me. 
We know our clients' workflows inside out. 
There’s no ‘let me push this up the ladder and see if we can accommodate’.  

Just two people at the coal face, supported by the best team in the business, and surrounded by pets. 

It’s busy.
It’s slightly feral.
But it works.

Maximise the impact of fee earning staff with our global capability data, research and operational support teams | Founder & CEO of Growth Hub

AI isn’t coming for your job.

It’s coming for your outdated process. 👀

Too many deal origination teams won’t adopt AI. 
I know this because I’ve spoken to quite a few of them. 

And it’s not because the tools aren’t there (we use them daily). 
And it’s not because they don’t know how to implement it (we do it for them). 

It’s because their culture resists it. 🧱

And I get it, because change = putting your neck on the line. And financial services are notoriously cut-throat. 

But here’s the thing:
AI doesn’t threaten good operators.
It threatens the fragile workflows that have been duct-taped together for years.

And let’s be honest…a lot of firms still rely on expensive talent doing labour intensive workarounds instead of fixing the engine. 🧯

Meanwhile, we’re watching leaner firms eat their lunch. 🍽️

They’re embedding AI into research.
Letting global support teams automate prep.
Removing 60–70% of the admin grind. ⚙️

They’re scaling output without scaling headcount, and moving faster because of it. 🚀

The truth is:
AI and smart ops don’t replace good people (unless you’re Amazon). 
They replace the parts of the job that no one should still be doing. 🧠

And the longer teams cling to "how we’ve always done it,"
the more painful 2026 is going to be. ⏳

They’re not support teams. They’re not back office.

They’re capability teams...

If you're still lumping global talent into the “support” bucket, you're missing the point (and the leverage).

The best firms don’t outsource for cost.
They embed teams to unlock capacity, precision, and pace.

And these capability teams? They’re doing real, high-value work:
- Fixing broken pitchbook exports before they go client-side
- Tracking succession signals before your MD even asks
- Unblocking reporting bottlenecks without being told
- Building AI workflows that cut 10+ hours of admin a week
- Cleaning CRM data that’s been quietly rotting for months

Not reactive.
Not low-skill.
Not disposable.

These are embedded specialists solving problems the core team doesn’t have the time (or headspace) to fix.

If you're still calling that "support," you're already behind.

The smartest firms now treat capability like infrastructure:
Essential. Flexible. Strategic.

Because leverage doesn’t come from bloated org charts.
It comes from embedding execution capacity where the work actually happens.

Deal Operations.

Here’s how to run it like a pro:

Last week I shared that in the run-up to Christmas, I’ll be posting a few things we’ve seen work inside high-growth firms.

Here’s what we’re seeing most often (and what actually works):

🧩 Week 1: Deal Operations
CRM, pipeline tracking, reporting, and the invisible workflow debt that kills velocity.

1. The CRM isn’t broken. But it’s not helping.
Everyone uses it. No one fully trusts it.
Tagging is messy. Pipeline stages unclear.
Last touchpoint? Two months ago.

✅ What works:
One owner per list.
Daily updates.
Fields that mirror how teams actually talk about deals.

2. Reporting is still too manual
It takes four exports, a formatting marathon, and two “just checking” emails.
By the time the update lands, the numbers have changed.

✅ What works:
Build export-ready formats once.
Use live data and light automation.
Push updates on a regular cadence, not just when asked.

3. Small blockers add up
No clear owner.
No version control.
No one knows if the CRM is up to date.
That low-grade drag stalls everything.

✅ What works:
Tidy workflows.
Fast feedback loops.
Embedded support that keeps things moving.

(Sidenote: I know December isn’t the easiest time to reflect…It’s busy. Everyone’s trying to close strong. Sometimes ‘surviving, not thriving’ is as good as it’s going to get.

But if it’s feeling a bit chaotic, it might be worth clocking the drag now so you can think on how to go into 2026 with a slightly more chill approach…).

________

👇 What’s one deal ops habit you’d love to clean up in 2026?

When was the last time you tested your carbon monoxide detector?

You know you should. Once a year.

Get the stool, climb up, press the button, maybe swap a battery.
Doesn’t take long.
But most people forget. (Sometimes even if it’s doing that little beep every now and again). 

That’s what background ops work looks like.

We see it all the time:
- Slides that look good because someone reworked them at 11pm.
- Clean data because someone flagged the mess no one else noticed.
- Clients impressed because the ops team quietly fixed the chaos before the meeting.

It’s not flashy.
It’s not “strategic.”
But it’s work that fights fires. 

This year alone, our teams have:
👉 Rebuilt CRMs full of bad data no one had time to clean
👉 Rescued reporting pipelines that should’ve broken weeks earlier
👉 Flagged risks in decks that could’ve tanked client trust

None of these made the quarterly review.
No one gave out bonuses for “saved the partner from embarrassment.”
But it is the work that stops the house from burning down.🔥

If you’re leading ops, here are 5 things worth checking this week:
✅ Is your reporting backlog quietly building up? That’s a pressure valve waiting to blow.
✅ When was your CRM last properly cleaned? Dirty data slows everything down.
✅ Are late-night fire drills becoming routine? That’s operational debt, not hustle.
✅ Are tasks piling up with no clear owner? That’s where accountability erodes.
✅ And yes, check your carbon monoxide alarm. 🔋

Because like the carbon monoxide alarm, when background systems fail, it’s already too late.

Q4 doesn’t kill you with chaos.

It kills you with 2-hour delays, missed updates, and “just one more” review cycles.

By the time December hits, most teams are too busy doing to realise they’re leaking momentum.

And it’s not the big stuff.
It’s the quiet killers…

➡️ Work that’s almost finished.
➡️ Tasks with no clear owner.
➡️ Deadlines that silently shift.

We pulled together a detailed Q4 survival guide based on what we’ve seen inside dozens firms:

The workflow tweaks that stop slippage before it compounds.

✅ Where final mile work gets stuck
✅ How to triage your pipeline
✅ Why “invisible” work costs output
✅ What to fix before Dec 16 hits

No fluff. Just sharp, practical fixes.

If Q4 feels heavier than it should, this will help.
👉 Swipe through the carousel and steal what’s useful.
👇 Got your own Q4 ops trick? Drop it below. We’re collecting the best ones.

Q4's Quiet Killers

Physically, most people will be checking out of work for 2025 in 4 weeks.

Mentally, maybe before that 😜 ...

But the firms who’ll move fastest in Q1 are already thinking about 2026.

Over the next month, I’m going to share a few things that might help you get ahead, especially if you’re reviewing capability gaps, internal workflows, or where to invest in support.

Short, honest posts.
No strategy theatre.
Just practical observations and things we’ve seen work inside fast-moving firms this year.

Here’s the plan:
🧩 Week 1 - Deal Operations
CRM, pipeline tracking, reporting, and the invisible drag that kills velocity

📚 Week 2 - Research & Market Intelligence
How top firms build better lists, faster insight, and real leverage beyond databases

⚙️ Week 3 - Business Support Ops
From AI tooling to client comms and admin execution ie. the glue work that keeps ops running clean

🎁 Week 4 - Wrap-up
A short round-up and a note before we all (rightly) disappear for the holidays

If there’s anything specific you’d like me to cover drop a comment or message me directly.

Let’s make December a launch pad, not a write-off 🚀 .

Country Director @ AVODA Group UG | Executive MBA @ Quantic | Helping Christian entrepreneurs and business owners launch, build, and grow their faithdriven ventures

AVODA Group empowers faith-driven entrepreneurs in Uganda as part of its mission to drive transformative social impact. As Country Director Uganda, the role focuses on training, funding, and advising SMEs to address growth and scaling challenges through strategic planning and innovative market solutions.  

Drawing from an Executive MBA from Quantic and a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from African Business Institute, the work emphasizes strategic thinking, management, and leadership. Previous roles as CFO and Content & Marketing Director have shaped a values-driven approach to fostering sustainable business growth.

Joshua Pi'Rwot

Let’s connect at the Norrsken East Africa Africa Week! 

#AfricaWeek #Startups #Investments #ESOs

li_at

JSESSIONID

Helping entrepreneurs and business owners launch, build, and grow their dreams with faithdriven resources.

Beyond the Founder: How Operators Help Build Successful Startups Innovation & Impact

Seni Sulyman , Founder & CEO, Talstack  

Anthonio P. , Colepin Advisory Services  

Sara Leedom , COO, Inkomoko  

Charles I. , Chief Commercial Officer, Startbutton Africa  

Founders often get the spotlight, deservedly. But behind every fast-growing company are operators, the senior leaders who play a critical role in helping founders build successful ventures. This session dives into what great operators actually do: how they take on key roles, create structure from chaos, build trust within teams, drive performance, and enable growth. Hear from experienced leaders who’ve helped startups scale at different stages of growth, and learn what it takes to thrive as (or hire) a high-quality operator.

Norrsken Norrsken East Africa Norrsken VC  

#startups #growth #chiefoperationsofficers #operators

The Uganda SOZO Summit 2025 themed “Unlocking Uganda's startup ecosystems potential: Co-create . Co-innovate . Co-thrive with Japan” happened last Friday. 

An incredible event of regional connection of startups, corporates, ecosystems builders, venture builders, VCs, and policy makers. 

Organised by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Uganda  in collaboration with Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives implemented by Hindsight Ventures .  

The Japanese foreign policy for #Africa has got a rebrand, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced a shift in Japan's Africa policy from "aid to investment" ( 支援から商業へ) to foster trade and private sector growth, he said at the TICAD 9 conference. He emphasized working "hand-in-hand" with African partners, highlighted projects like the Nacala Corridor, and proposed an Indian Ocean-Africa Economic Zone initiative to build a new economic corridor. 

Jun Shiomitsu CEO AVODA Group (AVODA Institute of Entrepreneurship ) delivered an amazing keynote on the past, current status, and future of business collabroation between Japan and Uganda. He highlighted efforts being made to grow and scale this collaboration through initiatives like the SOZO Summit. 

My favorite part was having conversations with founders and their startup teams. 

Chatting with Cirus Sumika  of Sumic IT Solutions Ltd  reminded me of the thing that has been crawling at the back of my mind for a while, to work with Japan, and other Eastern nations, we need to build trust. 

If you want to learn how to get engaged with the East, one more contact to put on your list is Cyrus. 

He has managed to work with several companies who need IT services and is currently exploring building relationships in China. 

The trust building process requires, more than anything, that you have proof of relationship. Proof of work is considered the very basic foundational and obvious — as it should be. Reach out to him.

#SOZOSummit #JICA #Collab #Startups #Ecosystem #VentureBuilding #entrepreneurship #founders

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝗨𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮?

#AfricaWeek

Looking forward to several conversations on startups, entrepreneurship, capital, and investments in Africa. 

Norrsken Norrsken East Africa

Stories that scale: Maximising the #Power of Narrative in African #Innovation & #Impact

@Dalimare Dosunmu, Journalist, Rest of World  

Tage Kene-Okafor, Africa & Middle East Reporter, TechCrunch  


Ondiro Oganga , Correspondent, Bloomberg  

Olugbeminiyi Idowu Founder, Talking Drum Communications  

In Africa’s innovation ecosystem, narrative shapes investment, trust, policy, and culture. This panel examines how the stories we tell (and the ones told about us) influence what is possible, and how founders can cultivate the “perception dividend”: the compounding advantage of being understood early and understood well.

Norrsken Norrsken East Africa Norrsken VC

💸 Fewer checks, bigger bets: early rounds now dominated by single investors

Peter Walker, Head of Insights at Carta, shared data showing a sharp shift in early-stage funding, lead investors are now taking nearly 100% of Seed and Series A rounds. The rest, a symbolic 1%, goes to angels.

🔸 The logic is simple: lead investors secure better terms today and tighter control tomorrow, while founders get a cleaner cap table and faster closes.
🔸 For follow-on rounds, a fully led seed signals conviction “if Fund X took the whole thing, they must’ve seen something.”
🔸 Angels and syndicates are getting edged out, but founders benefit from speed, clarity, and fewer competing opinions.
🔸 The trade-off: less investor diversity means fewer networks and viewpoints early on.

So what’s better—many small believers or one big backer?

#investors #investment #startups #entrepreneurs #startupinvestment

𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚'𝙨 𝙖 30-𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙩𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙩 𝙏𝙑 𝘾𝙝𝙞𝙩𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙎𝙞𝙢𝙤𝙣 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙪.

LINK: https://lnkd.in/dbqArdgh

___________

If you are an entrepreneur looking for a solid faith community to walk the journey with you in founding your business, send me a DM.

You can also 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙡𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 2026 𝘼𝙑𝙊𝘿𝘼 𝘽𝙡𝙪𝙚 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙢 𝙉𝙊𝙒.

It starts Jan 24th 2026.

𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗬 𝗡𝗢𝗪: https://lnkd.in/dFyx7Vrb


#fiatlux #faithdriven #entrepreneurship #entrepreneur #businessstartup #businessmentor #businessideas #businessinsider #businessadvice #businessgrowth #businesssuccess #businessstrategy #kingdombusiness #faithdriven #faithdrivenentrepreneur #FaithDrivenInvestors

1 Year / 2 Countries / 2 Grads / 3 Cohorts 

Extremely grateful for the amazing work being accomplished in creating a bold community of business people excited about @avodabiz vision in East Africa. 

This month, brace for the great stories of transformation that will be coming from Tanzania and Uganda.

Unleashed Africa Social Enterprises Real Interactiv Inc. INOZA AVODA Institute of Entrepreneurship  



#celebration #gratitude #grateful #entrepreneurship #fiatlux #entrepreneur #vision #expansion #fartogether #goingfar #building

Angel Investing in Africa — What Works, What Doesn’t, and What’s Next

Philip Gasaatura, Managing Partner, Open Space Capital  

Yewande Odumosu, Partner, HoaQ  

Amon Munyaneza, Managing Partner, Kavumu Capital LLC  Capital

Laura Davis, Co-CEO & Managing Partner, Renew Capital  

Martin Warioba, Founder & Managing Partner, Warioba Ventures  

Angel investing on the continent plays by a different rulebook. Markets are fragmented, data is thin, regulations are uneven, exits are rare, and most businesses are built on cash flow long before they’re built on code. 

In this session, Yewande Odumosu, Amon Munyaneza, Laura Davis, and Martin Warioba unpack what it really takes to spot promising founders, make smart early bets, and structure deals that survive Africa’s realities.

Norrsken Norrsken VC Norrsken East Africa

⛔ 𝙋𝘼𝙍𝙀𝙉𝙏𝙎: 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗧𝗲𝗲𝗻'𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝗨𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱? 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽

As a parent, you recognize your teen's creativity and enthusiasm; 𝙝𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧, 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙯𝙚𝙨 𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙤𝙧 𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙣𝙪𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙂𝙤𝙙-𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙩𝙤𝙤𝙡𝙨.𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤𝙤𝙡𝙨. 

What if they chase fads, experience discomfort from uncertainty, or overlook their genuine calling? 

The strain builds—with technology changing everything, most children will have professions that do not yet exist, leaving them unprepared and unhappy.

Enter the "𝘾𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝘾𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚" 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙥, a three-day solution from December 15th to December 19th, 9am to 1pm, where experienced facilitators lead workshops on identifying strengths using the "Working Genius" assessment, sharing faith-driven entrepreneur stories, and fostering resilience and integrity. 

Your teen will study 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗚𝗼𝗱'𝘀 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴, resulting in firms that praise Him and influence others.

For only 125,000 UGX, provide your youngster with lasting skills for success and significance. 

Sign them up now: https://lnkd.in/d54YFfXk
Call or WhatsApp: +256 787 342688

Ms. Janai Jiwani Doreen Nkwenge Mwalimu Martin Amanya AVODA Institute of Entrepreneurship Faith Fetaru Ken Roberts 

#FaithDrivenEntrepreneurshipforTeens #Teens #Parents #Parenting #FaithDriven #Entrepreneurship #FaithDrivenParents #PurposeDriven #Purpose

45 startups poised for breakout exits in the next decade

CB Insights has identified 45 private startups most likely to achieve major exits IPOs or acquisitions within 5–10 years, driven by shifts in AI infrastructure, strategic partnerships, and vertical specialization.

🔸 Infrastructure over applications: As AI agents replace traditional SaaS, infrastructure companies are becoming the real profit centers. Many founders, ex-Google, Stripe, and Robinhood engineers are building the core systems that others depend on.
🔸 Partnerships drive scale: The strongest startups aren’t going solo. They’re integrating with corporations, creating ecosystems where partnerships are as critical as technology itself.
🔸 Vertical AI wins: With foundation models turning into commodities, value is moving toward startups with domain-specific data and expertise in sectors like health, law, and energy.

The biggest exits of the 2030s may come not from AI chat apps, but from the deep infrastructure and vertical players quietly powering the entire AI economy.

Introducing our panelist’s for an interesting panel on the topic “Attracting Investments: Unlocking Potential to Scale”at #Uganda SOZO Summit 2025.

- Dan Karuga , Member, SC Ventures  
- Fiona Kiruja, Programs Manager, African Angel Academy , ViKtoria Ventures  
- Alice Kampire Muwonge, CFO, Ortus Africa Capital  
- Moderated by Noah Mesfin , Venture Lead StartHub Africa  

Be there to hear them speak and to interact with them!

Register here to attend : https://lnkd.in/dWXeWwuy

#EcosystemGathering #VentureBuilding #Growth #Entrepreneurship #Startups

Introducing our panelist’s for an interesting panel on the topic “Attracting Investments: Unlocking Potential to Scale”at Uganda SOZO Summit 2025.

- Dan Karuga, Member, SC Ventures
- Fiona Kiruja, Programs Manager, African Angel Academy, ViKtoria Ventures  
- Alice Kampire Muwonge, CFO, Ortus Africa Capital  
- Moderated by Noah Mesfin, Venture Lead StartHub Africa  

Be there to hear them speak and to interact with them!

Register here to attend : https://lnkd.in/dWXeWwuy

Ajay Ramasubramaniam Ruth Mbabazi OKETTAYOT VINCENT OKEMA - MBA - Keren Grant Jagruti Bista Hillary Anyomi Rose Urassa Sean Ssali Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Susan Namyalo

We are delighted to announce our speakers for the 2nd panel discussion of the at Uganda SOZO Summit 2025: "Building for and from Uganda" 

Wamambe Christian, Country Director, SafeBoda  
Lamony Steven, Managing Director, Jumia Uganda  
George A. Ssamula, Co-Founder, TowerCo of Africa
Lorraine Mutambiranwa, COO, Numida (YC W22)  (YC W22)
Jagruti Bista, Co-Founder, Hindsight Ventures  (Moderator)

Be there to hear them speak and to interact with them!

Register here to attend : https://lnkd.in/dWXeWwuy

#venturebuilding #vcs #smefinance #ecosystem #entrepreneurship #startups #founders

We are delighted to announce our speakers for the 2nd panel discussion of the at Uganda SOZO Summit 2025: "Building for and from Uganda" 

Wamambe Christian, Country Director, SafeBoda
Lamony Steven, Managing Director, Jumia Uganda
George A. Ssamula, Co-Founder, TowerCo of Africa
Lorraine Mutambiranwa, COO, Numida (YC W22)
Jagruti Bista, Co-Founder, Hindsight Ventures (Moderator)

Be there to hear them speak and to interact with them!

Register here to attend : https://lnkd.in/dWXeWwuy

Ajay Ramasubramaniam MBABAZI Ruth OKETTAYOT VINCENT OKEMA - MBA Keren Grant Hillary Anyomi Sean Ssali Rose Urassa Susan Namyalo Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Jonathan Ntege Lubwama

🤖 Dobot Robotics’s affordable robot dog aims to make home robotics mainstream

Dobot has launched the Rover X1, a multi‑purpose #robot dog priced around US $1,030, designed to bring advanced robotics into everyday households.

🔸 The Rover X1 combines precise sensors and AI-powered navigation with a consumer-friendly design, handling tasks from item transport and filming to home security and coding education.
🔸 Over 5,000 units were reserved on the first day, showing strong early demand for versatile, affordable home robots.
🔸 Unlike most single-function robots on the #market, Rover X1’s multi-purpose capabilities aim to justify its presence in the home and expand the adoption of robotic assistants.
🔸 The launch aligns with #China’s push for “home service robots” as a growth sector, signaling both policy support and market potential.

Versatile, accessible, and AI-enabled, the Rover X1 could shift robot dogs from novelty gadgets to practical household helpers if it proves reliable and easy to integrate into daily life.

#Robots #Engineering #AI #LLMs #Robotics

AVODA Blue Program 2025 Profiles - August Cohort

Name: Namukasa Ritah
Business interest: Nutrition and Public health

Background
Ritah grew up in a large family with financial constraints that fostered resilience and a practical approach to life. Early experiences shaped her determination to monetize every aspect of life to meet needs, leading her toward business. She is eager to gain skills to better fit and succeed in the business world.

Aspirations
She aims to build a successful generational business that serves her family, honors God, inspires the next generation, and drives innovation in global health. Her goal is to reduce strain on governments and partners by improving health outcomes.

Faith & Business Vision
Ritah hopes her business will meet the expectations of clients and partners through fair trade and healing the sick. She aims to be a role model for women by building a successful enterprise that creates job opportunities, improve on rural women farmers' market systems and inspires others.

___________

If you are an entrepreneur looking for a solid faith community to walk the journey with you in founding your business, send me a DM. 

You can also 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙡𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 2026 𝘼𝙑𝙊𝘿𝘼 𝘽𝙡𝙪𝙚 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙢 𝙉𝙊𝙒. 

It starts Jan 24th 2026.

𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗬 𝗡𝗢𝗪: https://lnkd.in/dFyx7Vrb

#fiatlux #faithdriven #entrepreneurship #entrepreneur #businessstartup #businessmentor #businessideas #businessinsider #businessadvice #businessgrowth #businesssuccess #businessstrategy #kingdombusiness #faithdriven #faithdrivenentrepreneur #faithdriveninvestor

Uganda SOZO Summit 2025, presented by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)  Uganda and Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Uganda, here is the official program.

The Summit will take place Friday, 28th November from 8:00 AM at the National ICT Innovation Hub, Nakawa. 

Join us as we convene the regional startup ecosystem to co-create, co-innovate, and co-thrive. 

Explore the speaker lineup and register here : https://lnkd.in/dn7mejJW

#ecosystem #ecosystemgathering #growth #partnerships

Uganda SOZO Summit Agenda

In case you’re curious about what to expect at the upcoming Uganda SOZO Summit 2025, presented by JICA Uganda and Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Uganda, here is the official program.

The Summit will take place Friday, 28th November from 8:00 AM at the National National ICT Innovation Hub. 

Join us as we convene the regional startup ecosystem to co-create, co-innovate, and co-thrive. Explore the speaker lineup and register here : https://lnkd.in/dn7mejJW

Ajay Ramasubramaniam Ruth Mbabazi Jagruti Bista OKETTAYOT VINCENT OKEMA - MBA Susan Namyalo Sean Ssali Rose Urassa Jonathan Ntege Lubwama Keren Grant Hillary Anyomi Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Arthur Mukembo Dan Karuga Fiona Kiruja Grayson Julius Edwin Bruno Victor Maina Jun Shiomitsu Wamambe Christian Lorraine Mutambiranwa Noah Mesfin Donald Maasa Lamony Steven George A. Ssamula Fred Zake Simon Desjardins Olga Naiga Timothy Mugenyi Humphrey Lutakome Joseph Paul, MD Vinod Rustagi Dr. Dennis Aguma Dr. Caroline Ayuya Muaka Diana Nandagire Ntamu KAGATA Joe Bernharldets Medard Twinamatsiko Mercy Kimalat

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱, 𝗠𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁:

Trust is our assessment, based on past experience, of the likelihood we will get the results we believe we have been promised

Domains of Trust
1. Sincerity – Are private conversations and public conversations consistent?
2.  Competence – Do capabilities and capacity match the promise made?
3.  Reliability – Over time, have promised results been delivered?

Creating Trust
1.  Open conversations of trust
2.  Make clear grounded promises and fulfill them rigorously
3.  Tell the truth
4.  Offer thanks (from the mood of gratitude)
5.  Responsibly complain to those who do not fulfill their commitments.

📌 Bezos returns to the trenches as co-CEO of $6.2B AI startup Project Prometheus

According to The New York Times, Jeff Bezos is taking on his first operational role since leaving Amazon, becoming co-CEO of Project Prometheus, an AI startup that has already secured a massive $6.2B in early funding.

🖱 Bezos will lead the company alongside Vik Bajaj, a physicist and former Google X executive, signaling that Prometheus aims to fuse deep science with frontier-model engineering.

🖱 The startup focuses on “AI for the physical economy,” building systems for aerospace, manufacturing, automotive, and advanced computing, areas tied tightly to Bezos’s long-term industrial and space ambitions.

🖱 Prometheus has quietly hired top talent from OpenAI, DeepMind, and Meta, assembling a 100-person team before even launching a product, an unusual scale that mirrors its outsized funding.

🖱 The company’s backers see industrial AI as the next trillion-dollar frontier, where software isn’t just generating text but redesigning machines, factories, and physical infrastructure.

Bezos isn’t merely backing another AI lab, he’s positioning Prometheus as a deep-tech powerhouse that could reshape how the physical world itself gets engineered.

A #robot vacuum that doubles as a real-time metaverse scanner

A new “metaverse-grade” (https://maticrobots.com/) robot vacuum is making the rounds online not because it cleans well, but because it can reconstruct full 3D environments in real time using onboard AI.

🔸 The design stands out immediately: #rugged, #futuristic, and equipped with oversized wheels that let it climb over obstacles and even operate outdoors.

🔸 The real magic is in the head-mounted sensor array, a voxel-based neural pipeline running on NVIDIA Jetson Orin, generating photorealistic 3D maps as the robot moves.

🔸 With a bit more resolution, this is essentially a portable metaverse scanner, capturing full spatial meshes of homes, offices, and outdoor areas on the fly.

🔸 The entire software stack is built in #Rust, includes day/night SLAM, dynamic obstacle detection, and low-latency path planning, letting the robot squeeze into tight corners and navigate complex spaces.

If robot vacuums become high-fidelity #3D mappers by default, the real #metaverse #hardware #platform might quietly roll in from under our furniture.

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The Battle

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Dan Vanrenen's LinkedIn Performance

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