Press Release 14th February, 2024
GFA Technologies proudly announces the onboarding of four esteemed professionals, Oscar Ramos, Gbite Oduneye, Neha Shah, and Linda Hastrup re-establishing its commitment to nurturing innovation and growth in the African Business landscape.
Gbite Oduneye is the founder and managing partner of ODBA, a venture capital firm that supports innovative founders across 18 portfolio companies. He graduated from UWE Bristol and Said Business School, University of Oxford. He also co-founded Egmarkets (EGM group), a platform for capital market and innovation solutions. He is the chairman of the executive board of Nigerians in the Square Mile (NISM), a network of professionals and entrepreneurs in the City of London UK, who promote business and social opportunities between Nigeria and the UK. Gbite is a seasoned expert in venture building, investment, and innovation, with a rich experience in capital markets. He offers invaluable guidance as we craft and implement our growth plans.
Oscar Ramos, the Managing General Partner at Orbit Startups, the largest American investor in emerging and frontier markets with almost $2 billion in AUM and investments spanning multiple continents. He is also a Venture Partner at SOSV. With expertise ranging from product development to corporate strategy, he is a full-stack innovator who oversees the Orbit Startups program in Shanghai, from recruitment to program delivery.
Oscar has had a diverse career as an entrepreneur, management consultant, and early stage investor, starting off as an R&D engineer for Ericsson and Telefonica before transitioning to the world of startups. With Oscar’s vast knowledge in innovation and corporate strategy, GFA’s ability to provide top-tier advisory and innovative thinking solution will be significantly elevated.
Neha Shah is the Co-founder and managing director at Maitri Capital, an Independent Africa focused Investment Advisory firm providing M&A, Capital Raising, Strategic & Transaction Advisory and Research services. She is also the Co-founder and partner at Rafiki Ventures, a Venture Capital Investment Firm focused on early stage companies with strong growth potential. She is a director at John Cumming & Co, an Audit, Tax, Company Secretarial and Corporate Advisory firm based in Kenya. She was an investor at Actis, Norfund, East Africa Principal Investment Firm, and an Executive with Lexicon Partners for three years.
With Neha’s expertise in the African businesses and investment sector, our focus, which is to enable African businesses is certainly set to be taken to the next level through thorough advisory and guidance on how to navigate through challenges in the African business sector.
Linda Hastrup has been in the education sector for over two decades running one of the largest school-chains in Bromley (South-East London, UK). She is an executive director at Hampton Preparatory school, located in Lekki phase one, Lagos, Nigeria.
Mrs Linda Adeyemi-Hastrup, alongside her co-proprietor Mrs Balogun decided to birth Hampton Preparatory School in Nigeria and promised to deliver on the quality that made them get recognition of the British government to designate their schools as child-care center 15 years ago – where both health and educational needs of children in their care are met under one umbrella.
Several of GFA Technologies solutions involve upskilling at scale and her experience and guidance in matching learning outcomes with SME needs will be invaluable.
Welcoming Oscar Ramos, Gbite Oduneye, Neha Shah, and Linda Hastrup to the GFA Advisory Board aims to fortify our strategic stance, which will help fuel innovation in the African businesses and investments that we look forward to enabling. We eagerly look forward to the substantial contributions both professionals will make to our ambitious growth plans.t, innovation, and venture capital.
ODBA champion visionary founders who leverage technology to craft extraordinary success stories. Our portfolio boasts investments in 17 technology companies spanning 10 countries, generating more than 1,500 direct jobs and serving a vast community of over six million users and customers. We take immense pride in the profound impact our portfolio companies have already achieved across the continent and eagerly anticipate future contributions to the transformative landscape of Africa.