LLABlog: Meet Fatoumata Ba, Founder of the first African unicorn, Jumia Ivory Coast.

Fatoumata is a Senegalese entrepreneur and VC investor that has always been fascinated by tech. At the age of 9, she hacked her father’s computer, created her first email at 11, and built her first website at 16. Then, she founded Jumia Ivory Coast, an online retail platform supported by Africa Internet Group. According to Forbes, Jumia Ivory Coast was the first African unicorn. And one of the fastest-growing African e-commerce sites.

Fatoumata is passionate about leapfrogging development through technology in Africa, in particular when it comes to women’s entrepreneurship and empowerment, small and medium-sized enterprise growth and formalization and tackling health and education issues through MedTech and EdTech. 

Fatoumata is the CEO and founder of Janngo, builds, grows, and invests in pan African Tech for good. She remains passionate about female entrepreneurship and women’s empowerment. Janngo Capital invests in other early-stage ventures that are owned by or benefit women. As an African female-led venture capital firm, it is investing in women founders and is on its way to reaching its $66 million targets. Additionally, 60% of her team is female, and Ba aims to have at least half of Janngo Capital’s portfolio be founded or co-founded by women, if not directly benefiting them.

She has received several awards and honours, including: Young Global Leader, World Economic Forum; Choiseul 100 Africa Economic Leaders of Tomorrow; Forbes Africa 30 under 30; Aenne Burda Award for visionary leadership, optimism and courage. Member: Board, SouthBridge Investment Bank; Board and Investment Committee, Creadev Africa; Council of Women in Africa; Global Future Council on the New Economic Agenda, World Economic Forum.

 

 

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