Founder and CEO of Flutterwave, Olugbenga Agboola, has been appointed to the Silicon Valley and The World Advisory Board’s Founders Council. This council comprises a select group of global entrepreneurs and business leaders who will help shape dialogue around technology, artificial intelligence, and its impact on economies and societies. Agboola's appointment reflects his growing role in international discussions around technology, economic policy, and governance. He will bring his expertise in financial infrastructure and technology to the council.
Silicon Valley and The World is a multi-year initiative launched by Semafor, connecting leaders building transformative technologies with policymakers shaping their deployment. The initiative is co-chaired by prominent figures in the tech industry, including Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, and Jensen Huang, Founder and CEO of NVIDIA. The expanded Global Advisory Board includes over 50 global figures identified for their role in building businesses and technologies influencing the next phase of global innovation. Agboola joins this board, which aims to drive conversations around global technology.
Agboola has promised to introduce an African perspective to Silicon Valley and shape conversations driving the next generation of global technology. He highlighted the growth of innovators across Africa, building world-class platforms, infrastructure, and enterprises. With his experience in building Flutterwave into a global financial infrastructure platform, Agboola is well-positioned to contribute to the council's discussions. His appointment builds on his established track record of global board leadership.
Under Agboola’s leadership, Flutterwave has evolved from a payments gateway into a global financial infrastructure platform. The company has surpassed $50 billion in processing volume across more than one billion transactions and raised its valuation to $3.2 billion. Flutterwave has also secured a Nigerian Microfinance Bank license, acquired open banking platform Mono, and launched stablecoin-powered and multi-currency settlement rails. These developments have deepened the company's infrastructure and connected African commerce to the global economy.
Agboola's role in international discussions around technology and economic policy is further reflected in his board positions at various organizations. He serves as Vice Chair of the U.S.-Africa Business Center Board of Directors at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, alongside board positions at the Corporate Council on Africa, Endeavor Nigeria, Lagoon Hospitals, and the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African Art Advisory Board. These roles demonstrate his growing influence in global technology and economic policy discussions.
Beyond Flutterwave, Agboola continues to support Africa’s technology ecosystem through Resilience17 (R17), his venture studio and early-stage investment platform. R17 focuses on backing emerging founders and technology businesses across the continent. This initiative showcases Agboola's commitment to fostering innovation and growth in Africa's technology sector. His contributions to the Silicon Valley and The World Advisory Board’s Founders Council are expected to bring valuable insights from the African perspective.
Agboola's appointment to the Silicon Valley and The World Advisory Board’s Founders Council marks a significant milestone in his career. His expertise in financial infrastructure and technology will contribute to shaping the conversations driving the next generation of global technology. With his African perspective, Agboola is poised to make a meaningful impact on the council's discussions and decisions. His growing influence in global technology and economic policy discussions is expected to continue.
Key points
- Olugbenga Agboola joins the Silicon Valley and The World Advisory Board’s Founders Council to introduce an African perspective to global technology conversations.
- Agboola's appointment reflects his growing role in international discussions around technology, economic policy, and governance.
- Flutterwave, under Agboola's leadership, has evolved into a global financial infrastructure platform, surpassing $50 billion in processing volume and raising its valuation to $3.2 billion.
