Maria Rotilu, founder and general Partner at OpenseedVC, discusses the thesis behind backing operator-led startups, and how Africa's large, youthful population - combined with decreasing barriers to innovation - is positioning the continent as a valuable investment opportunity.
Rotilu is an operator-turned-investor and founder, specialising in backing operators-turned-founders who are building tech startups as early as day zero. Before transitioning to investing, she spent the better part of the first decade of her career scaling multinational technology companies like Uber and Branch.co, holding leadership roles such as country manager and general manager.
Prior to OpenseedVC, Rotilu was a fund manager at Octopus Ventures' First Cheque Fund. Before that, she served as the managing director of the Oxford Seed Fund. OpenseedVC is typically the first investor, providing up to $150k and supporting tech startups in B2B software, AI, fintech, the future of work, or the future of health by leveraging an operator network to support them from start to launch.
What is UKTN | The Podcast?
Each week, Jane Wakefield sits down with some of the key movers and shakers from the UK tech ecosystem for the UKTN Podcast. Learn growth strategies from both seasoned and up-and-coming founders, hear market sentiments from investors, and understand the tech policy affecting businesses across the country.
The UKTN Podcast provides insight into the most influential people in the UK’s innovation economy, exploring their personal and professional journeys and hearing their views on the hottest tech topics of the day.