As a software engineer, he is committed to developing technological solutions that simplify the daily lives of Africans. His startup, Chowdeck, is supported by several major investors.  

Femi Aluko (photo), a Nigerian tech entrepreneur, co-founded and now leads Chowdeck, a company that bridges the gap between Nigerian vendors and consumers. Established in 2021 by Aluko, Olumide Ojo, and Lanre Yusuf, Chowdeck specializes in providing logistical services to both sellers and consumers. The company stands out for its ability to facilitate seamless meal deliveries for food vendors, offering consumers an intuitive platform to order meals from their preferred restaurants.

On April 30, 2024, the startup raised $2.5 million in seed funding from a group of investors that included YCombinator, Goodwater Capital, FounderX Ventures, HoaQ Fund, Levare Ventures, True Culture Funds, and Haleakala Ventures. “We are pleased with the success we have achieved to date and excited to have raised these funds that will enable us to replicate that success in more parts of Nigeria, and add value to our customers, vendors and riders in as many ways as we can,” Aluko commented.

Aluko, who graduated from Obafemi Awolowo University in 2015 with a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, began his professional journey in 2013 at Softblue Nigeria Ltd as a software engineer. Concurrently, he interned in the field support and projects department of Toptech Engineering.

In 2015, he joined the real estate tech startup Hutbay as a software engineer. The following year, he moved to Shopping Internet Services, where he served as a team leader. From 2017 to 2022, he brought his experience and skills to the fintech company Paystack, holding various positions such as software engineer, engineering director, technical manager, and lead engineer.

Melchior Koba