Fireside chat between David Oshin and Obi Ebuka David
David Oshin: How has the journey been for you from your first tech company to Autogon Ai?
Ebuka David: I graduated from A.A.U.A with a B.Sc. in Computer Science and also completed a diploma in Computer Science. Prior to finishing my degree, I incorporated Fuerte Technology Solutions in early 2015. Before that, I had developed several products in the educational sector, including computer assessment systems, school management portals, attendance systems, and more for higher institutions. I made efforts to start selling these products.
After graduating, I faced challenges with sales and struggled to establish myself in the industry. I worked tirelessly, had a team of four people (paying two and not paying two), and managed to secure only two or three sales for less than a million naira.
My elder brother advised me to gain more enterprise experience, so I applied for various jobs and eventually joined AppZone Group. At AppZone, I initially worked as a cybersecurity specialist and later became the lead cybersecurity expert. This enterprise experience gave me valuable exposure on how to engage with customers, and I used that knowledge to improve my business prospects.
Between 2015 and 2023, I ventured into six companies, experiencing success in three and setbacks in the others. During my time at AppZone, I initiated Sendbox and Health Konnect, a health insurance system aimed at reforming the NHIS. However, corruption in the system posed challenges for me.
With capital from my salary and other funding sources, I started a sports betting system at AppZone, which later became Techvant and saw substantial growth, processing over 5 billion naira every month. Despite my success in this area, I remained motivated by my vision to solve Africa’s biggest problems.
I expanded my efforts into the biometric space, leading to recognition in Forbes. My focus shifted towards identity verification for African businesses, where I was the sole engineer among the co-founders.