Ajilore made the remarks during the May edition of the monthly business webinar hosted by Techeconomy, themed: “Financing the Future: How Local Capital and Venture Debt Can Power Africa’s Next Wave of Innovation.”

Other speakers at the event included Damilare Davola, investment banker and business analyst, and Ebunoluwa Ashley-Dejo, business analyst, researcher, and writer.

Speaking on the major financial management gaps affecting African startups, Ajilore argued that many founders still lack the structured financial systems necessary for sustainable growth and informed decision-making.

“From my experience as a Chartered Accountant and business analyst, the biggest financial management gap in African startups is the lack of structured financial systems that support decision-making, not just record-keeping,” she said.

According to Ajilore, many startups mistakenly equate revenue growth with overall business health while neglecting profitability drivers, cashflow forecasting, governance structures, and operational efficiency.

“Many founders confuse revenue growth with business health, operate without proper cash flow forecasting, and scale without understanding unit economics or profitability drivers,” she explained. “This leads to businesses that look successful externally but are financially fragile internally.”

Referencing the Nigerian biotechnology company 54gene, Ajilore noted that rapid expansion without strong financial controls can expose even highly funded startups to operational and restructuring challenges.

She further identified weak cashflow management, poor financial governance, inadequate risk management, and excessive dependence on investor funding as some of the major vulnerabilities facing African startups today.

Addressing the issue of investor confidence, Ajilore stressed that modern investors are increasingly focused on sustainability, transparency, and operational discipline rather than ideas alone.

“Investors do not only invest in ideas, they invest in businesses that can grow sustainably, generate returns, and survive challenges,” she stated.

According to her, startups seeking investment must demonstrate strong financial discipline through accurate bookkeeping, cashflow management, realistic projections, budgeting systems, and clear governance structures.

“Financial discipline and proper accounting structure are critical because investors and lenders invest in transparency and predictability, not assumptions,” she added.

Ajilore also spoke extensively about the growing relevance of venture debt and local capital in Africa’s innovation ecosystem. She advised entrepreneurs to approach debt financing strategically and responsibly.

“African entrepreneurs can responsibly leverage venture debt by using it for productive growth activities such as expansion, inventory, infrastructure, or working capital — not for excessive lifestyle spending or covering unstructured losses,” she warned.

She explained that businesses operating in volatile economies such as Nigeria must remain cautious about inflation, foreign exchange fluctuations, and rising interest rates, noting that overleveraging can cripple operations if not properly managed.

Looking ahead, Ajilore expressed optimism that local capital would play a transformational role in Africa’s entrepreneurial future by reducing dependence on foreign investors and supporting solutions tailored to African realities.

“Local capital has the potential to transform Africa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by reducing overdependence on foreign investors and supporting businesses that understand local realities,” she said.

She cited Moniepoint as an example of a Nigerian success story benefiting from growing confidence in Africa’s digital financial ecosystem and increasing local participation in innovation funding.

Speaking on startup survival strategies in uncertain economies, Ajilore urged founders to prioritize resilience over aggressive expansion.

“In economies like Nigeria, resilience wins,” she said. “The startups that endure are usually operationally efficient, financially disciplined, and deeply connected to real market needs.”

She also encouraged startups to focus on solving essential everyday problems in sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, education, energy, logistics, and financial services while building recurring revenue models and localized supply chains.

Other speakers at the webinar reinforced similar concerns about the future of Africa’s startup ecosystem. Davola stressed the need for African investors to support indigenous innovation, stating that, “Africans must invest in Africa.”

Ashley-Dejo also emphasized the importance of operational visibility, noting that, “Founders who cannot clearly explain their business with data may struggle more to attract serious funding.”

The Techeconomy Webinar series continues to provide a platform for critical discussions around technology, innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic transformation across Africa.

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Ashley-Dejo made this known during the May edition of the monthly business series hosted by Techeconomy, which focused on the theme: “Financing the Future: How Local Capital and venture Debt Can Power Africa’s Next Wave of Innovation.”

The event also featured contributions from Damilare Davola, investment banker and business analyst, and Success Ajilore, founder of Success Transformation Network.

Speaking extensively on the operational challenges facing African startups and SMEs, Ashley-Dejo explained that while larger enterprises are rapidly adopting technology, analytics, and automation, many small businesses are still functioning with limited operational visibility.

“I think the gap is actually becoming more serious because large enterprises are moving faster with technology, automation, and analytics, while many SMEs are still operating manually or semi-manually,” she stated.

According to her, the difference is not necessarily intelligence or creativity, but the ability of businesses to access and interpret operational data that drives decision-making.

“A large company can track customer behavior in real time. They can forecast demand, monitor cash flow daily, predict churn, and make decisions quickly because they have systems underneath the business,” she explained.

Ashley-Dejo painted a practical picture of the realities many African entrepreneurs face, using the example of a small retail business owner in Lagos who may generate daily sales without fully understanding the profitability patterns or operational leakages within the business.

“The issue is visibility,” she emphasized. “Many African entrepreneurs are incredibly resourceful, but without proper systems, they may not know which products generate the highest margin, which customers buy repeatedly, or how much money is leaking through inefficiencies.”

She warned that this growing imbalance could create long-term innovation risks for Africa, especially as investors increasingly demand operational transparency before committing funds.

“So over time, the large companies become smarter and more efficient, while the SMEs keep reacting instead of planning,” she said. “Investors today want visibility. They want to understand patterns, customer behavior, revenue consistency, and operational maturity.”

Ebunoluwa Ashley-Dejo further noted that many startups with promising ideas still struggle to attract financing because they lack the structured operational data investors now expect.

Addressing founders directly, she urged African entrepreneurs to focus more on practical business metrics rather than vanity indicators.

“I think founders should pay more attention to practical metrics, not vanity metrics,” she said. “Things like monthly revenue trends, repeat customer rate, customer acquisition cost, gross margin, cash conversion cycle, churn, inventory turnover, and how long it takes to collect payments.”

According to her, these indicators provide a clearer picture of whether a business can survive, scale sustainably, and repay capital.

Speaking on the future of startup financing across Africa, Ashley-Dejo predicted that investors over the next five years would shift their attention from polished pitch decks to operational performance and measurable business visibility.

“I honestly think over the next few years, investors are going to care less about just the pitch deck and more about what’s actually happening underneath the business operationally,” she stated.

She also projected that alternative financing models such as revenue-based financing, venture debt, and blended finance would continue gaining relevance across Africa as investors adapt to the continent’s unique business realities.

“Because honestly, in this environment, visibility is becoming very important,” she added. “Founders who cannot clearly explain their business with data may struggle more to attract serious funding.”

Other speakers at the event echoed similar concerns about the future of innovation funding in Africa. Davola stressed the need for startups to move beyond repetitive fintech models and focus on solving critical African challenges, stating that, “Africans must invest in Africa.”

Ashley-Dejo also highlighted the importance of professionalism and sound business analysis in attracting investors, noting that African innovators must build businesses with structures capable of supporting sustainable growth.

The Techeconomy Business Series has continued to serve as a leading platform for conversations around technology, entrepreneurship, and economic transformation across Africa.

Watch the TBS Session on YouTube: