Asoko's team combines senior executives from data, consultancy and software engineering backgrounds. Our diverse origins secure local expertise and global delivery standards.
Rob is a seasoned emerging market operator with a background in Africa-focused investment consultancy. Prior to founding Asoko, he worked with Oxford Business Group where he led research teams in Nigeria, Ghana, Cote d'ivoire, Gabon, Senegal and Algeria. He also consulted corporates and investors on trade and investment in the region. Dublin City University (MSc); Reims Management School (BSc).
Mukudzei is a keen business operations specialist whose 10 years of experience has spanned roles in management consulting and financial technology in Africa and the United States. He has previously worked for EY Advisory Services in Southern Africa, a New York based payment processing and financial technology start-up, and a Strategy Advisory Firm in Zimbabwe. Harvard University (BA)
Jason is a widely experienced technologist with a passion for the user experience and in-depth knowledge of business software. South African born he graduated with a Computer Science major from University of Cape Town, and his work has ranged from small start-up to technical leadership at Sage.
Hayat has 10 years of experience within finance and operations that started at a fast-paced accountancy practice where he went through two separate acquisitions to large-scale corporates solidifying his brand ''from concept to exit''. Before joining Asoko Hayat worked at a multinational sanitation company focusing on urban Africa. He is a mentor for Association of Accounting Technicians and an advocate for new gen-CFOs.
Jennie manages the production of Asoko’s online content and digital reports as well as the reporting side of client projects. Jennie brings 7+ years of experience in business-to-business publishing to Asoko, with a focus on emerging markets. She holds a BA Hons from Tufts University (USA).
Nurudeen is based in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire and oversees all market research and data collection for Francophone Africa. He has over 5 years of research experience across several Francophone West African countries. Nurudeen received his MA in Mathematics at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (Senegal) and his BA of Mathematics at Kwame Nkrumah University (Ghana).
Woyneab Habte is an Operations Team Lead at Asoko Insight. Woyneab heads up the Asoko Deal Room operations, is the Ethiopia senior research analyst and serves as a project manager to client projects. Woyneab has a Bachelors Degree in Economics and International Relations from Mount Holyoke College - where she graduated Magna cum Laude. Woyneab is also an inducted member of Phi Beta Kappa - United States’ most prestigious academic honor society. She is to start her MBA at Boston University this coming fall.
Board
Stuart is an experienced leader of global news, with expertise in general management, operations and law. He served as COO of Reuters and was General Counsel at The Wall Street Journal. University of Chicago (JD); Columbia University (BA)
Rob has a background in emerging market analysis and consultancy with a focus on West Africa. Prior to Asoko, he worked with Oxford Business Group where led research teams in Nigeria, Ghana, Gabon, Senegal and Algeria. He also consulted corporates and investors on trade and investment in the region. Dublin City University (MSc); Reims Management School (BSc).
Greg is an experienced editor and research manager focused on African and Middle Eastern growth markets. Prior to Asoko, Greg worked with Oxford Business Group, Eurasia Group, the US Overseas Private Investment Corporation and IHS Global Insight. Georgetown University (MA); University of Michigan (BA)
Board observers
Pardon is a Founding Partner of CRE Venture Capital. He was previously a Principal at EL Rothschild, overseeing various global investments and holdings, including The Economist Group. Earlier on, he worked at Bain & Company in New York, at Emerging Capital Partners in Johannesburg, and at Temasek Holdings in Singapore. Wharton School of Business (MBA); Princeton University (BSE).
Lexi Novitske serves as Principal Investment Officer at Singularity Investments, a private equity and venture capital firm focused on Africa. Lexi previously managed investments at Nigerian private equity firm Verod Capital Management. Prior to joining Verod, she was focused on investments in financial services at New York-based Sandler O’Neill Asset Management.
Advisors
Pule is a Founding Partner of CRE Venture Capital. Previously, he worked for Investec Asset Management (IAM) as an Institutional and Private Client Manager in New York and South Africa. Durban University of Technology (BSc); Kauffman Fellow.
Based across the US, Africa and Europe, Asoko's investors have a thorough understanding of what it takes to collect data in Africa and what international consumers of such data are demanding. Their expertise spans the fields of finance, law, consulting, IT and media.
NBM is an investment firm focused on media, journalistic enterprise and digital-driven opportunities in growth markets.
CRE Venture Capital invests in and partners with visionary entrepreneurs in technology-enabled startup companies in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Emergo Partners is a late-stage accelerator and venture capital firm dedicated to emerging and frontier markets.
J.E. Berman Associates invests in young companies focused on Africa with extensive growth potential. We also advise a small number of Fortune 200 companies and major investors with African interests.
Singularity is a private investment company led by Issam Darwish, Founder, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of IHS Towers. Singularity looks to invest in disruptive early- and growth-stage technology, media and telecoms companies.
Our Mission
Africa is home to some of the fastest growing economies in the world. Its private sector, where privately-held companies dominate, is a key driver of that growth.
Yet, discovering who these companies are, analysing their strengths and weaknesses and engaging with them is a time and cost intensive affair. As a result, opportune deals and transactions are missed and Africa's potential underserved.
Asoko's vision is to democratize access to African companies in order to grow trade and investment. Since our establishment in 2013, we are delivering on that through a combination of in-country analysts, strategic data partnerships and technology. Today, Asoko offers the Africa's most comprehensive data-set on companies, executives and deals. Our in-country analysts, backed by technology, actively cover and engage with 200k+ companies in 30+ countries.
Our clients include the world's largest development finance institutions, advisors, Africa-focused PE firms andFortune 500 corporates.