Wale Ayeni, IFC’s regional head of venture capital investment for Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia, announced his departure from the organization.
Wale Ayeni wrote:
“After more than 5 exciting years at IFC, last week was my last. I can only be grateful for the years filled with purpose, joy, learning and growth working alongside extremely passionate and mission-driven colleagues focused on changing the narrative in emerging and frontier markets, with action and through technology. The richness, breadth and depth of the experience was only possible thanks to the unwavering support and conviction of colleagues who saw frontier markets as a digital “opportunity”, where the possibilities for value creation remain exponential. . Each and everyone’s commitments over the past few years have led to profound personal growth for which I am eternally grateful, and I am touched by the passion with which each has committed each day to achieve the dimension of development and impact. of what we all do.
In conclusion, he said: “I am grateful to many people who believed and supported the vision, and the list is too long to mention here, but I would be remiss if I did not mention William Sonneborn, Atul Mehta, Nikunj Jinsi Maria Kozloski for the support to through it all – and especially to the founders of these markets that make it all happen and from whom I continue to learn the most. Thank you!”
Here’s what you need to know
Wale Ayeni has accumulated over 18 years of global technology experience across a range of expertise including microprocessor and chip design, product development, entrepreneurship, technology investment banking, financing and capital -risk.
Prior to his resignation, he led IFC’s venture capital transactions in frontier markets in Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. A member of the Executive Committee of IFC’s Disruptive Technologies and Funds group, Ayeni has led more than 20 venture capital investment professionals in Africa, China, India, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia. from the South East. He helped establish and grow IFC Africa’s venture capital practice.
It should be noted that Ayeni was initially part of the very first Orange team in Silicon Valley. He has led investments in disruptive startups spanning multiple sectors such as Fintech, Big-Data, Mesh Networks, Blockchain and Virtual Reality.
Ayeni began his career in finance with JP Morgan’s Technology Investment Banking group in San Francisco, where he successfully executed over US$12 billion in closed-end transactions, ranging from mergers and acquisitions to IPOs for large-cap technology clients.
In microprocessor design, he began his career as an engineer at Intel Corp. Here, he led critical aspects of the company’s CSI chip architecture – the biggest micro-architecture change in Intel’s history. He also led aspects of the very first “Snapdragon” chipsets working at Qualcomm Inc.’s chip design center enabling initial smartphone designs.
Academically, Ayeni holds an MBA from Dartmouth College and a bachelor’s degree from Moscow University, Russia. He is a Kauffman Venture Capital Fellow, recipient of the Global 100 Rising Stars Award in Corporate Venture. He sits on the board of Dartmouth Tuck EMEA and on the advisory boards of several venture capital funds in Africa.
