The Africa Health Ventures Podcast
Business
Mike Quinn was co-founder and CEO of one Africa's earliest major financial technology (FinTech) companies, Zoona. He raised over 35 million dollars of international investment for this Zambian startup - before its heartbreaking crash and Mike's exit from the company.
In the conversation today, Mike shares how this Canadian engineer found himself leading a Zambian mobile money company. He opens the door to the power and pressures of international financing, and the toll it takes on African entrepreneurs. In just a few years, Mike grew Zoona to a company that served millions of unbanked consumers in Zambia and Malawi. But that all changed when their Series C round of financing fell through at the last minute.
This is a classic David vs. Goliath story. Mike and his co-founders were a group of young, ambitious techies who wanted to make life easier for millions of Zambians. To do this, this small company needed to go head-to-head with billion-dollar international phone companies.
The craziest part? They almost won.
All of this and more is covered in Mike's recently published tell-all book, Failing to Win, available around the world through Amazon (available in audio, paperback and kindle format) or in South Africa at Takealot and Exclusive Books.
To find out more, access the show notes at https://AidEvolved.com
Let us know what you think of this episode on Twitter (@AidEvolved) or by email (hello@AidEvolved.com)
AI for Health, Part 2: A Step Ahead
AI for Health, Part 1: Promise and Perils
The Medicine Supply Chain in Africa, Part 2: The Next 10 Years
The Medicine Supply Chain in Africa: from Manufacturer to Pharmacy (Part 1)
Introducing the Africa Health Ventures Podcast
Chuck Slaughter of Living Goods: Digital First Healthcare Saving Lives at the Last Mile
Dr. Agnes Binagwaho, Former Minister of Health of Rwanda
Investing in Healthcare with the World’s Largest Pure-Play Impact Investor
Technology, Innovation, and the Global Fund
Nicole Spieker of PharmAccess Foundation
Curt LaBelle, M.D., Managing Partner of the Global Health Investment Fund and the AXA IM Global Health Fund
Margot Cooijmans of Philips Foundation
Joseph Ssentongo of the Global Innovation Fund
Pippa Yeats of Turn.io: Sending a Lifeline to the People of Ukraine
Andy Bryant of Segal Family Foundation
Andy Pattison of WHO: 12 Days to Launch the Largest WhatsApp Service in the World
Hannah Subayi: From Billion Dollar Fund Manager to Pan-African Angel Investor
Creating New Ways to Fund Innovations in Global Health with Rebecca Distler of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation
Season 3 Teaser: Donors and Investors in Digital Health / HealthTech
BongoHive: Building the Zambian Tech Sector from the Ground Up
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