Hello everyone,
It’s been a busy conference season, and I hope your conversations have been productive!
In my last newsletter, I mentioned that we were moving to a new home. Well, here we are! Welcome to the first edition of The Pulse by Periscope ❤️
It’s exciting to see how Periscope continues to evolve, and I’m grateful to have you along for the journey.
Frankly, my vision for The Pulse is still taking shape, but I’m clear on what it won’t be. It won’t be a soapbox for endless pontification. It won’t take itself too seriously, and it won’t simply aggregate news you can find elsewhere.
Instead, it will be a little bit about my personal and professional journey, some interesting observations along the way, and a window into the work we’re doing at Periscope and Antler.
Here are a few highlights. I hope you enjoy the read!
Periscope Updates
Episode 10: Don't Let Your First Hire Become Your First Legal Problem – I sat down with Tosin Iyayi, Partner at Aluko & Oyebode, to unpack the legal foundations founders need to get right when building their teams. From employment contracts and contractor agreements to termination, intellectual property, NDAs and data protection, we explored the protections every startup should have in place before problems arise. Listen here
Episode 11: How to Get Big Brands to Say Yes to Your Startup – What does it take for a startup to become a credible partner to a major corporation? In this episode, I speak with Gbolahan Sanni, Marketing Director, West Africa at Danone. We talk about what large organisations look for in potential partners, drawing on his experience across Unilever, Guinness, Coca-Cola, Airtel and Danone. Listen here.
Our First International Episode + Magnus in Lagos for Moonshot
Episode 12: Innovation Outside the Standard Playbook
Some conversations are special even before the cameras start rolling. My recent conversation with Magnus Grimeland, Founder & CEO of Antler, was one of them.
Filmed in San Francisco in May, it marked Periscope’s first shoot outside Lagos, in a city that has defined global VC. We discussed what it takes to build enduring companies, what Antler looks for in early-stage founders, and how ambitious ideas can become businesses that last. A particularly insightful conversation on building beyond conventional playbooks.
A few months later, it was a delight to welcome him to Lagos for Moonshot by TechCabal, where he spoke on Why Bet on Africa? I admire what Magnus (and the team) has built at Antler, particularly his blend of confident humility and practical thinking. Having him as our first international guest made this episode an especially meaningful milestone for Periscope. Watch the Full episode here
Coming up on Periscope...
We’re working on something new. A segment designed to bring founders closer to practical insights, honest feedback and perspectives that can help them build better businesses, so watch this space! 🚀
Ecosystem Engagements
I recently joined Loy Okezie, Founder and CEO of Techloy, on The Founder Room to discuss building enduring businesses and the opportunities for African startups. I also shared a little about the thinking behind Periscope and why making startup and investment knowledge more accessible matters to me. Here’s a snippet from the conversation.
That commitment to helping businesses grow also carried into my recent work with Cascador’s new ScaleUp cohort, where I joined other business leaders as an adviser to entrepreneurs building growth stage business across Africa.
One moment that stood out was seeing Salome Ibrahim Daniel, co-founder of Maanj Agric and a Babban Gona alum, continuing her own entrepreneurial journey. It was a nice reminder of one of the most rewarding parts of building a business and that’s seeing people who have been part of that journey go on to build something of their own.
Market Highlights
A few developments worth your attention this month.
Antler Lagos Cohort 4 gets underway
Antler’s latest Lagos cohort is bringing together early-stage founders to develop ideas and build investable businesses. Antler has also announced a partnership with Google for Startups to support founders’ technical and business development. Explore Antler Nigeria
African startups raised $816 million in Q3
African startups raised at least $816 million across 157 funding rounds between July and September 2026. However, 20 large deals accounted for 89% of the total, showing how concentrated funding remains. Read the Q3 funding breakdown
African banks are asking tougher questions about AI
A new State of AI in African Banking 2026 report found that 82% of surveyed banking professionals reported expanding AI spending without formal return-on-investment tracking. Explore the report
Lagos Life: A Nigerian game goes viral
Created by Nigerian developer Shalom Rayhamen, Lagos Life attracted more than 4.7 million players within nine days of launching. Its parent company, Vatar, subsequently raised $500,000 at a $10 million valuation, highlighting the commercial potential of products rooted in local culture. Read the story in TheCable
Thank you for joining us for our first issue of The Pulse and I hope you found something insightful or useful to take into your own work.
If you know a founder doing interesting work, if you would like to partner with us or have a story you think we should be following, I’d love to hear from you. Simply reply to this email, my inbox is always open.
Lola