Oreoluwa Adeyemo started his journey fascinated by ledgers. Now, as co-founder of Starks Associates, he's driving a fintech revolution, aiming to facilitate $6 billion in cross-border payments across Africa. It's a powerful story of evolving passion shaping the future of African commerce.
Early Curiosity Meets Economic Complexity
Long before fintech and cross-border transactions became buzzwords, Oreoluwa Adeyemo’s world revolved around ledgers. As a ten-year-old, he immersed himself in his father's accounting books—an early exposure that shaped his understanding of money and value. Initially, he envisioned a life not far from home: perhaps an academic career teaching finance or a role within Nigeria’s business sector. But as the years passed, his path diverged from this familiar terrain toward something far more ambitious—solving one of Africa’s thorniest economic challenges: seamless intra-continental trade.
Adeyemo’s journey through the University of Ibadan, where he studied Economics, was marked by a deep interest in technical subjects like econometrics and game theory. A self-described introvert, he originally imagined himself as a quiet thinker rather than a business leader. But this trajectory changed in his second year, thanks to a seemingly minor opportunity that proved transformational.
What began as a simple ghostwriting gig for ₦4,000 opened his eyes to the value of his intellectual property. Encouraged by a mentor and supported by his father, he printed and distributed his own study guide, complete with original content. The initiative didn’t just bring in over ₦120,000 in earnings—it gave Adeyemo the confidence to engage the world differently. “I realised I could make money for myself,” he reflects.
This epiphany reshaped his approach to life. He took deliberate steps to overcome his introversion, ran for student leadership, and began cultivating the interpersonal skills crucial to entrepreneurship. It was during this time that he met Adewole Adedeji, who would later become his co-founder at Starks Associates.
After university, Adeyemo chased a dream common among high-achievers: a career in investment banking. Though his applications to global giants like Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch didn’t yield offers, his stint at a boutique investment bank in Lagos provided hands-on experience in deal structuring and market analysis. He later joined Access Bank, where he deepened his financial acumen by managing corporate loans and developing credit models.
However, the real spark for Starks Associates came from an unexpected moment of inconvenience. On a post-NYSC trip to Egypt, Adeyemo and his colleagues found themselves unable to access funds due to currency restrictions. Their Naira cards were ineffective, and they ran out of dollar cash. The experience left Adeyemo with a question that would become central to his work: “Why is it so hard for African currencies to exchange fluidly with one another?”
Back in Nigeria, the idea for Starks Associates took shape—not as a consumer-facing app, but as a solution for businesses struggling with inefficient and costly cross-border transactions. Initially bootstrapped and strategically lean, the company targeted sectors already engaged in cross-border trade. Early clients included major fintech players like Flutterwave and regulatory platforms like the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS).
Rather than trying to appeal to every business, Starks focused on those with urgent, high-volume currency exchange needs—commodity traders, MSMEs, and large corporate institutions. This niche targeting helped them achieve impressive traction. Today, Starks has facilitated nearly $3 billion in cross-border payment volumes across 18 African jurisdictions and more than 20 currency pairs.
“We are very agnostic about the businesses we support,” says Adeyemo, highlighting the company's diverse client base that spans fintech, manufacturing, banking, and even arts and crafts.
As 2025 unfolds, Adeyemo is focused on scaling operations. The target? Doubling their volume to $6 billion in cross-border payments. But volume alone isn’t the goal. Starks is also preparing to expand into trade financing—addressing a key bottleneck for businesses across the continent. Adeyemo cites examples like a Nigerian building material exporter serving East Africa or the growing demand for Nigerian beauty products in Kenya—opportunities currently hindered by lack of working capital.
“If I’m saying I want to do $6 billion, I’m not even thinking about it properly. I have to think bigger,” he says, emphasizing that intra-African trade reached $208 billion in 2024. The room for growth is immense.
Yet Adeyemo is under no illusion about the challenges. The African financial ecosystem is fragmented, and regulatory inconsistencies make market penetration uneven. In one country, a deal may close in a week; in another, it may drag for months due to trust barriers or red tape. This is where Adeyemo believes partnerships will be decisive. “Partnership is very key in finance and in this business where you want to connect Africa,” he notes. Understanding local cultures and adapting to different business rhythms are part of the playbook at Starks.
As the company raises capital to support its next phase, Adeyemo is being selective. While several VCs have expressed interest and DFIs have issued “approvals in principle,” he’s looking for more than just money. The ideal investors, he says, are those who align with Starks’ broader mission of economic integration across Africa.
“We’re not just seeking capital,” he asserts. “We’re seeking conviction.”
The long-term vision for Starks Associates is clear: become a borderless bank for Africa. This doesn’t just mean moving money—it means enabling economic mobility, fostering trust in regional markets, and bridging the financial divides that have long stifled African trade.
Oreoluwa Adeyemo’s story is far from over. But from accounting books in his childhood home to facilitating billions in trade, one thing is certain—he’s not just moving currencies. He’s shifting paradigms.
