The journey to take African tech mainstream

A Bold Step into African Tech Journalism

The beginning

2015

To make tech news more accessible to Africans, Adewale Yusuf founded Techpoint NG in 2015, Muyiwa Matuluko joined soon after and became the co-founder in May of the same year. Techpoint NG focused on discussing African startups, innovations, and entrepreneurship in a language everyone could understand. Techpoint’s first post marked the start of its influence on tech journalism in Africa.

Beyond Borders, Beyond Expectations

Expansion

2016

We expanded beyond Nigeria, covering Kenya and Ghana while launching an Innovation tour to uncover tech talent. Our features helped 50%+ of startups secure investment, while our team grew to 8 members and 100 contributors. With a 600% traffic growth and 20,000+ instant push notification subscribers, we solidified our position as a leading voice in African tech journalism.

Techpointers at the Kaduna State House during the Techpoint Innovation tour

Kenyan Correspondent/Techpointer – Brenda Wangari

From Journalism to Impact

Breakthrough

2017

Techpoint Inspired debuted with 1,200+ attendees, the Innovation Tour covered five cities, and we moved into a new HQ in Yaba HQ where our iconic Wall of Fame was introduced, honoring industry pioneers.
Our team expanded to 15, strengthening our expertise while nurturing future tech leaders. In essence, the year set the tone for what was to come.

Over 1200 inspired audience at the maiden edition of Techpoint Inspired at Lifepointe, Lekki

Techpoint Wall of Fame, signed by top players in Nigeria’s technosphere

Techpoint Innovation Tour, South-South and South-East Nigeria

A Continental Leap

Going
Pan-African

2018

In August of 2018, Techpoint Africa was born, changing its domain from .ng to .africa to reflect its pan-African expansion. We successfully hosted Techpoint Build with 4,000+ attendees, launched Techpoint Inspired’s second edition, and expanded coverage to Ghana, Togo, and Benin. Our first French publication was published to bridge language barriers, and we hosted a developer meetup in Germany in Germany with Techstars, connecting African tech talent to the global stage.

2nd edition of Techpoint Inspired at the Pistis Conference Centre, Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria

Techpoint Dev meetup in Germany in partnership with Techstars

Bridging tech, talent, and titans

Influence

2019

Techpoint Build returned for its second edition, and Techpoint Inspired welcomed global voices—including JET Motors’ unveiling of Nigeria’s first locally made mini-bus. We hosted NBA superstar, Silicon Valley investor and Jumia board member, Andre Iguodala for our first town hall in partnership with Jumia Nigeria. We put the perfect finishing touch on the year with hosting town hall discussions with Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey —and a developer ended up landing a job at Twitter. 
To cap it off, we launched the Techpoint Startup School, empowering 30 founders with game-changing insights.

Estate Intel emerging as the winner of the Pitch Storm competition Techpoint Build (West Africa edition)

Andre Iguodala signing on our wall of fame

Twitter executives having a conversation with with some key Nigerian startup ecosystem players during our town hall

Dara Tobi, the creator of viral Twitter-based bot, Quoted Replies, pitch his solution.
Things took an interesting turn and Dara got offered a job on the spot.

The first cohort of Techpoint Startup School with 30 startup founders

Adapting and thriving

Resilience

2020

Despite global disruptions due to COVID-19, Techpoint Africa adapted and thrived. We secured global content partnerships, hosted Techpoint Build 3.0 and the first-ever Techpoint Awards virtually, and launched the Built in Africa Podcast, hitting 90,000 weekly downloads by year’s end. We released the West African Startup Decade Report in English, Mandarin, and Japanese, while our website saw a 56% traffic surge and 93% growth in active users. Through it all, we expanded our team by 20%, without layoffs.
As the year took a bow, so did Adewale Yusuf, as he stepped away from Techpoint Africa to embark on a new chapter.

Strengthening the ecosystem

Recognition

2021

2021 was pivotal for growth and community. Techpoint Africa expanded its editorial team, hosted the Digital Currency Summit & SME Clinic 2021, and prepared for Techpoint Build 4.0. Meanwhile, Techpoint Awards 2021 recognized outstanding startups within Nigeria. Our flagship newsletter, Techpoint Digest, made its debut and we also launched the Techpoint Africa Membership Programme, building a community of supporters to strengthen our mission.

Eight years of elevation

Growth

2022

Techpoint celebrated eight years with a 40% team expansion, enabling richer storytelling. We hosted the Techpoint Africa Blockchain Summit and the Fintech Summit, reinforcing our influence. New content series and podcasts like Expert & African and ‘How I work’ gained traction, while a refreshed Techpoint Digest boosted engagement.

First edition of The Fintech Summit

Rising through adversity

Challenges & Innovation

2023

Techpoint doubled down on innovation, hosting Lagos Startup Expo (90+ exhibitors, 4,000+ attendees) and the Modern Workplace Conference, exploring the future of work. Amid revenue challenges, we prioritized salary cuts over layoffs, and those who stayed showed unwavering commitment to our mission.

A New Chapter Begins

2024

We spent 2024 in recovery mode, laying low from conferences and focusing on operating optimally even at a 60% capacity.
From our first article in 2015, we’ve chronicled the rise of local innovation hubs, startups, and industry leaders. Our flagship newsletter, Techpoint Digest, now reaches 30,000 subscribers, serving as a crucial resource for Africa’s tech community.
Techpoint Africa has connected Africa with technology, and Businessfront is equally dedicated to delivering business insights to individuals worldwide.